Jeremy Vine caller wants The Queen to 'step in' over Boris Johnson

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This year the Queen will mark her Platinum Jubilee, becoming the first British monarch to ever reach the staggering milestone. The Queen ascended the throne in 1952 following the death of her father, King George VI, and in the years to follow the Queen would become a symbol of resilience and continuity for the British people. But alongside the smooth, there have been many periods of rough, including the deaths of several notable royals and devastating disasters.

1953 – Princess Margaret’s engagement to Group Captain Peter Townsend

In the 1950s, Princess Margaret’s relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend was splashed across the newspapers, but the match proved to be controversial.

Group Captain Townsend’s divorced status made the prospect of marriage to the Queen’s sister particularly difficult as the Queen is the head of the Church, and at the time Christian marriage was viewed as indissoluble.

While many in society supported the love match, Margaret ultimately faced the prospect of renouncing her royal privileges and income to marry the man she loved.

After two years of speculation, Margaret opted not to marry Peter Townsend in 1955, and in 1960 she married Antony Armstrong-Jones.

1966 – Aberfan disaster

The small Welsh village of Aberfan saw incredible heartbreak in 1966 when a spoil tip of mining waste collapsed on a local school.

The disaster killed 116 children and 28 adults, and while Prince Philip initially visited, the Queen waited eight days after the disaster to go to the scene.

While some interpreted the Queen’s absence as cold, biographers have stated the Queen delayed visiting so as not to interrupt the rescue mission taking place.

The Queen’s delay in visiting Aberfan is thought to be one of her biggest regrets from her reign.

1992 – Queen’s ‘Annus Horribilis’

The Queen would refer to 1992 as her ‘Annual Horribilis’, meaning horrible year in Latin, in a speech marking the 40th anniversary of her succession.

The Queen said: “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘Annus Horribilis’.”

In 1992, Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ flagging marriage ended in separation, as too did the marriage of the Queen’s second son Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.

A fire also broke out at Windsor Castle, destroying several rooms and resulting in a rush to save countless priceless artefacts and paintings from the ancient fortress.

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1997 – Princess Diana’s death

Diana, Princess of Wales, who had been divorced from Prince Charles since 1996, died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.

At the time of their mother’s death, Prince William and Prince Harry were staying at Balmoral in Scotland with the Queen and Prince Charles.

The Queen faced heavy criticism for not addressing Diana’s death publicly for several days, opting instead to shield William and Harry while they mourned.

The Queen spoke to the nation live at 6pm on Friday, September 5, 1997, and in her deeply personal address she said that “what I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart”.

2002 – Death of Princess Margaret and Queen Mother

In 2002, the Queen lost two of her closest confidantes, her sister Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother.

On February 9, Princess Margaret died at the age of 71 after suffering from poor health for several months.

And just a few weeks later, the Queen would lose her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, aged 101 on March 30.

2021 – Prince Philip’s death

The Queen’s beloved husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died on April 9, 2021, aged 99.

The Duke of Edinburgh had served as a close confidante of the Queen and as a senior royal until his retirement in 2017 aged 96.

The Duke’s funeral was a small event due to the UK lockdown restrictions at the time, with only 30 guests permitted to attend.

The public was visibly moved by images of the event which saw the Queen sat alone in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, as she bid farewell to her beloved husband.

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