The Queen “Devoted to your service”
Princess Elizabeth was young, unworldly and head over heels in love when she made a speech that would become the framework of her life. It was a jubilant time for the Heir Apparent, who was aching to become engaged to Philip Mountbatten, the handsome naval officer she had known since she was 12 years old. Her parents were well aware of their eldest daughter’s plans, as she had told them the year before, but they had asked the lovebirds to take things slowly and postpone any engagement announcement.
It was 1947, the country had just come through a brutal war, and the King and Queen wanted Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret to join them on an important tour of South Africa to shore up the Commonwealth. They were also well aware that this was the most important decision their Lilibet could make; choosing not just a romantic partner, but
