The Queen at 80 — an old lady in a hat who waves a lot

But as she celebrated her 80th birthday on Friday, millions of others appreciated what a treasure this lady has been over the decades. Radio, television, newspapers and magazines were full of “specials” to mark the occasion, bringing to their followers details of the life of this amazing person who was thrown into the role of Queen when still a young woman.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, to call her by her full name, was born by Caesarean section on April 21, 1926 to the Duke and Duchess of York at their home in Mayfair, London. Sir William Joynson-Hicks, Home Secretary at the time, had the task of making sure that no baby-swapping took place.

The Court Circular of the day said simply that the King and Queen received with great pleasure the news that the Duchess of York gave birth to a daughter that morning. It added that the King and Queen drove to London the same afternoon and visited the Duke and Duchess, and of course the baby princess, at their Mayfair residence.

Strange as it may seem, Princess Elizabeth celebrated her first birthday at Buckingham Palace without her parents. She was staying at the Palace while the Duke and Duchess were away on a six-month tour of the West Indies, New Zealand and Australia.

She was third in line to the throne and no one seriously believed that she would ever become Queen. After all, it was unimaginable that her Uncle David, her father’s elder brother and first in line, would not marry and produce heirs.

Her uncle became King Edward VIII in January 1936 on the death of his father, King George V. And as it turned out, he did indeed marry but, by then, he was no longer King. His determination to make Wallis Simpson, a divorcee and an American Catholic, his wife made certain of that.

The Duke of York, Princess Elizabeth’s reserved and stammering father, did not covet his elder brother’s throne. In truth, he was appalled by the realisation that the way things were going, he would have to become King. The British political establishment was digging in its heels in the total rejection of the idea of Wallis as Queen. He witnessed the signing of the instrument of his brother’s abdication, became King and called it “that dreadful moment”. But it was that same “dreadful moment” that also made Princess Elizabeth the heiress presumptive, meaning that if she had a brother, he would be the one, as a male heir, that would accede to the throne, although he would be younger.

Some reports say that after she was given news of her new status, Princess Elizabeth could be seen on many a night “ardently praying for a brother”. It seemed that she was showing the same reluctance to become the British monarch that her father showed. But reluctant though he was, he remained King for 16 years.

He died in February 1952. He was ill for a period of time and his death was not unexpected. But it was sudden and it thrust the 25-year-old Princess, who had one younger sister but no brother, into a role that was probably more fraught with uncertainty than any predecessor since her namesake in 1558.

She was crowned in Westminster Abbey on June 2 1953 and in the 54 years of her reign so far, she has had to deal with ten British prime ministers. The list is impressive: Churchill, Eden, Macmillan, Douglas-Home, Wilson, Heath, Callaghan, Thatcher, Major and, currently, Blair. Churchill was 77 when she became Queen.

From many accounts, Churchill adored her, regarding her in almost fairytale terms as the founder of a new Elizabethan age. Simon Heffer, writing in the Daily Telegraph, said that those who witnessed their relationship felt that he was in love with her, while she was struck by his wisdom, age and greatness. In her personal life, it seems safe to say that her children did not turn out the way she would have liked. But whose children do? She has accepted every situation with a brave public face, no one really knowing what goes on in her mind in this regard when she thinks about her family.

Now that she is 80, and a strong-looking 80 at that, is she ready to pack it in, take a well-deserved rest and let Prince Charles become King? As you would expect, she has made no public statement or comment on this matter. But stories persist. The latest one comes from Margaret Rhodes, one of her cousins.

She told the BBC that the Queen had no intention of ever abdicating. She said the Queen believed that this would be a dereliction of her coronation vow to serve her country for life. She added: “I’m perfectly certain she will never retire as such. To her, the vows are so deep and so special that she wouldn’t consider not continuing to fulfil them until she dies.

“When she took her vow all those years ago, she promised to serve her country whether her life be long or short. As we have seen, her life is proving to be very long, healthy and productive. She has the greatest love and respect for Prince Charles but for her, this is about a commitment she made to the nation many years ago.”

On a personal note, I always found that whenever I met her, she was always charming and interested in what I had to say, usually in answer to one of her questions. I wish her continued good health and many more birthdays. And long may she be the old lady in a hat who waves a lot.