queen's speech cape town 1947

Princess Elizabeth's 21st Birthday Speech

On her twenty-first birthday, 21 April 1947, Princess Elizabeth was with her parents and younger sister on a tour of South Africa. In a speech broadcast on the radio from Cape Town, the Princess dedicated her life to the service of the Commonwealth.

On my twenty-first birthday I welcome the opportunity to speak to all the peoples of the British Commonwealth and Empire, wherever they live, whatever race they come from, and whatever language they speak.

Let me begin by saying 'thank you' to all the thousands of kind people who have sent me messages of good will. This is a happy day for me; but it is also one that brings serious thoughts, thoughts of life looming ahead with all its challenges and with all its opportunity.

At such a time it is a great help to know that there are multitudes of friends all round the world who are thinking of me and who wish me well. I am grateful and I am deeply moved.

As I speak to you today from Cape Town I am six thousand miles from the country where I was born. But I am certainly not six thousand miles from home. Everywhere I have travelled in these lovely lands of South Africa and Rhodesia my parents, my sister and I have been taken to the heart of their people and made to feel that we are just as much at home here as if we had lived among them all our lives.

That is the great privilege belonging to our place in the world-wide commonwealth - that there are homes ready to welcome us in every continent of the earth. Before I am much older I hope I shall come to know many of them.

Although there is none of my father's subjects from the oldest to the youngest whom I do not wish to greet, I am thinking especially today of all the young men and women who were born about the same time as myself and have grown up like me in terrible and glorious years of the second world war.

Will you, the youth of the British family of nations, let me speak on my birthday as your representative? Now that we are coming to manhood and womanhood it is surely a great joy to us all to think that we shall be able to take some of the burden off the shoulders of our elders who have fought and worked and suffered to protect our childhood.

We must not be daunted by the anxieties and hardships that the war has left behind for every nation of our commonwealth. We know that these things are the price we cheerfully undertook to pay for the high honour of standing alone, seven years ago, in defence of the liberty of the world. Let us say with Rupert Brooke: "Now God be thanked who has matched us with this hour".

I am sure that you will see our difficulties, in the light that I see them, as the great opportunity for you and me. Most of you have read in the history books the proud saying of William Pitt that England had saved herself by her exertions and would save Europe by her example. But in our time we may say that the British Empire has saved the world first, and has now to save itself after the battle is won.

I think that is an even finer thing than was done in the days of Pitt; and it is for us, who have grown up in these years of danger and glory, to see that it is accomplished in the long years of peace that we all hope stretch ahead.

If we all go forward together with an unwavering faith, a high courage, and a quiet heart, we shall be able to make of this ancient commonwealth, which we all love so dearly, an even grander thing - more free, more prosperous, more happy and a more powerful influence for good in the world - than it has been in the greatest days of our forefathers.

To accomplish that we must give nothing less than the whole of ourselves. There is a motto which has been borne by many of my ancestors - a noble motto, "I serve". Those words were an inspiration to many bygone heirs to the Throne when they made their knightly dedication as they came to manhood. I cannot do quite as they did.

But through the inventions of science I can do what was not possible for any of them. I can make my solemn act of dedication with a whole Empire listening. I should like to make that dedication now. It is very simple.

I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.

This work is in the public domain worldwide because it was created by a public body of the United Kingdom with Crown Status and commercially published before 1974.

See Crown copyright artistic works , Crown copyright non-artistic works and List of Public Bodies with Crown Status .

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Heir to the Throne: Princess Elizabeth's speech on her 21st Birthday

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In this clip from the 1947 film Heir to the Throne , Princess Elizabeth made her most famous pledge, which still rings true today: ‘I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.’

Written by journalist for The Times and royal correspondent Dermot Morrah, the speech was delivered on her 21st birthday while she was on a three-month tour of Southern Africa with her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and sister Princess Margaret.

While seated in the grounds of Tuynhuys in the shadow of Table Mountain in Cape Town, the young Princess used the medium of radio and film, to confidently communicate to her future subjects that the priority of her future reign would be of service to her country and the Commonwealth.

One would argue that The Queen has kept this promise tenfold. During her reign she has been patron of over 600 organisations and charities, attended thousands of official engagements and toured every country in the Commonwealth.

Summary by Michelle Davenport

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.

Enter the NFSA Our Statement of Reflection

CAPE TOWN FOR CAPETONIANS

In 1947, the Queen pledged to the Commonwealth from Cape Town

In 1947, on her 21st birthday, Queen Elizabeth pledged in a broadcast from Cape Town to the Commonwealth to devote her life, whether it be short or long to the service of the people.

Also read: Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96

That happened to be more than a promise as it became a profound personal commitment that has defined her whole life and seen her make sacrifices for duty.

Queen Elizabeth’s dedication and devotion as a sovereign never waivered, through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss.

In her life of service we saw that abiding love of tradition, together with that fearless embrace of progress which has made us great as Nations. The affection, admiration and respect she inspired became the hallmark of her reign.

And for that she has always combined those qualities with warmth, humour and an unerring ability to always see the best in people.

Also read: 

The Queen has died – now what?

Picture: Cape {town}Etc Gallery

Article written by Lucille Dyosi

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In Africa, the queen’s death renews a debate about the legacy of the British Empire.

While some in Africa paid tribute to the deceased monarch, others stressed Britain’s violent colonial history on the continent.

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By Abdi Latif Dahir ,  Lynsey Chutel and Elian Peltier

• Sept. 9, 2022

NAIROBI, Kenya — Though Queen Elizabeth II was revered by many in Africa, her death also reignited a different sort of conversation — one that touched on the legacy of the British Empire and the brutality the monarchy meted out to people in its former colonies.

In a younger generation of Africans growing up in a post-colonial world, some lamented that the queen never faced up to the grim aftermath of colonialism and empire, or issued an official apology. They said they wanted to use the moment to recall the oppression and horrors their parents and grandparents endured in the name of the Crown, and to urge for the return of crown jewels — rare massive diamonds — taken from the continent.

“You can look at the monarchy from the point of view of high tea and nice outfits and charity,” said Alice Mugo, a 34-year-old lawyer in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. “But there’s also the ugly side, and for you to ignore the ugly side is dishonest.”

Ms. Mugo said she recently found her grandmother’s “movement pass ,” issued when the British colonial government in Kenya declared a state of emergency to help suppress the anticolonial Mau Mau rebellion . The passes restricted the free movement of Kenyans.

It was while a young Elizabeth was on an official tour of Kenya , in 1952, that she learned of her father’s death and that she would become queen. The clampdown on Kenyans, which began just months after the queen ascended the throne, led to the establishment of a vast system of detention camps and the torture, rape, castration and killing of tens of thousands of people.

Those mourning the queen’s death, Ms. Mugo said, were not aware of how her government robbed millions of basic freedoms.

Similar sentiments were echoed by a South African political party, Economic Freedom Fighters, which said in a statement that it would not mourn the queen, “because to us her death is a reminder of a very tragic period in this country and Africa’s history.”

The queen, they wrote, was the “head of an institution built up, sustained and living off a brutal legacy of dehumanization of millions of people across the world.”

The debate over how Africans should view the queen went viral when Uju Anya, a Nigeria-born professor at Carnegie Mellon University, posted a tweet in which she wished the queen “excruciating” pain on her deathbed for overseeing a “thieving raping genocidal empire.” When criticism came — including from her own university and Jeff Bezos , the billionaire founder of Amazon — Ms. Anya doubled down .

“If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch,” she wrote, “you can keep wishing upon a star.”

Her original tweet was removed by Twitter for violating the platform’s rules.

For some across the continent, the queen was an admirable figure who represented continuity and balance in a changing world. In Ghana, tributes for “Maa Lizzy” were shared on Twitter.

“I grew to admire her over the years, just watching how she carried herself, and her commitment to what she committed to at 25,” said Yemi Adamolekun, the executive director of Enough is Enough Nigeria, a network of organizations promoting good governance. “She just kept at it, and I think there’s a lot to be admired in that regard.”

African leaders mourned the queen’s passing and offered condolences to Britain and her family. The presidents of Kenya and Ghana also ordered that flags be flown at half-staff for several days, drawing pushback on social media .

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, wrote on Twitter that “The story of modern Nigeria will never be complete without a chapter on Queen Elizabeth II, a towering global personality and an outstanding leader.”

William Ruto, Kenya’s president-elect, called the queen’s leadership of the Commonwealth “admirable.” The association, which was born out of the embers of the British Empire but has lost much of its earlier glory, has still attracted new members like Rwanda, Gabon and Togo , which have had no colonial connections to Britain.

For 27-year-old Naledi Mashishi, whose South African grandmother was forced to sing the God Save the Queen anthem each day at school, Queen Elizabeth will forever remain the face of the empire and its bitter legacy in Africa.

In the wake of the queen’s death, Ms. Mashishi joined a legion of young South Africans demanding the return of the diamonds that form part of the crown jewels. Cut from the Cullinan, which was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and considered the largest diamond ever found , the rare gemstones sit atop the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign Scepter, which are both used during the coronation of the British monarch.

The stone was a gift from the Afrikaner government to King Edward VII after the South African War, also known as the Anglo-Boer War. But Black South Africans have questioned a minority government’s right to bestow as a gift a gem uncovered during a time of brutal exploitation of Black people. On her 21st birthday in 1947, the Queen made a speech from a still segregated Cape Town, pledging her service to the Commonwealth.

“I think there’s something very disingenuous about saying the queen or the current royal family have nothing to do with the past,” Ms. Mashishi said. “Meanwhile, they are still happily wearing these stolen jewels.”

But with the queen’s passing, observers say that tough conversations about the empire’s past actions in Africa will only continue to gain steam.

“It’s way more than the diamonds,” said Lebohang Pheko, a political economist and a senior researcher at the South African think tank, Trade Collective. “There are not going to be easy conversations around this anymore.”

Abdi Latif Dahir reported from Nairobi, Kenya; Lynsey Chutel from Johannesburg; and Elian Peltier from Dakar, Senegal. Ben Ezeamalu contributed reporting from Lagos, Nigeria.

Abdi Latif Dahir is the East Africa correspondent. He joined The Times in 2019 after covering East Africa for Quartz for three years. He lives in Nairobi, Kenya. More about Abdi Latif Dahir

Elian Peltier is the West Africa correspondent at The New York Times. He joined The Times in 2017 and was previously based in Paris and London. He now lives in Dakar, Senegal. More about Elian Peltier

The Queen's most memorable speeches

As the Queen prepares to celebrate her ninetieth birthday, we take a look back at some of the most memorable speeches she has made throughout her record 63 year reign, as documented in Ingrid Seward's new book, The Queen's Speech ...

The Queen's first Christmas broadcast, 1952

"Each Christmas, at this time, my beloved father broadcast a message to his people in all parts of the world. Today I am doing this to you, who are now my people."

21st birthday speech, Cape Town, 21 April 1947

"I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."

Talking about the importance of her children's privacy in her Christmas broadcast, 1958

"We would like our son and daughter to grow up as normally as possible so that they will be able to serve you and the Commonwealth faithfully and well when they are old enough to do so. We believe the public life is not a fair burden to place on growing children."

Reaffirming her commitment as Queen during her Christmas broadcast, 1991

"Next February will see the fortieth anniversary of my father's death and of my Accession. Over the years I have tried to follow my father's example and serve you as best I can. You have given me, in return, your loyalty and your understanding, and for that I give you my heartfelt thanks.

"I feel the same obligation to you that I felt in 1952. With your prayers, and your help, and with the love and support of my family, I shall try to serve you in the years to come."

Addressing her "Annus Horribilis" at Guildhall, 24 November 1992

"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'."

Talking about challenging times during her Christmas speech in 1996

"In difficult times, it is tempting for all of us, especially those who suffer, to look back and say 'if only'. But to look back in that way is to look down a blind alley. Better to look forward and say 'if only'."

Paying tribute to Princess Diana on the eve of her funeral, 5 September 1997

"She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her – for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys…

"I for one believe there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death. I share in your determination to cherish her memory… I hope that tomorrow we can all, wherever we are, join in expressing our grief at Diana's loss, and gratitude for her all-too-short life. It is a chance to show to the whole world the British nation united in grief and respect."

Celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary with Prince Philip at Whitehall, November 1997

"He is someone who doesn't take easily to compliments but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater that he would ever claim or we shall ever know."

Sharing her mother's wisdom and advice during the Christmas speech in 1998:

"My mother has much to say to me. Indeed her vigour and enjoyment of life is a great example of how to close the so-called generation gap. She has an extraordinary capacity to bring happiness into her other people's lives. And her own vitality and warmth is returned by those whom she meets."

Reflecting on her mother's death on the eve of her funeral, April 2002:

"Over the years I have met many people who have had to cope with family loss, sometimes in the most tragic of circumstances. So I count myself fortunate that my mother was blessed with a long and happy life. She had an infectious zest for living, and this remained with her until the very end."

The Queen's 80th birthday speech at Mansion House, 15 June 2006

"As one gets older, birthdays seem to come round quicker; they are therefore less obvious excuses for wider celebration than personal moments to count one's blessings. As Groucho Marx once said: 'Anyone can get old – all you have to do is live long enough.'"

Commonwealth Day message, March 2015

"Ladies and gentlemen, I feel enormously proud of what the Commonwealth has achieved and all of it within my lifetime. For more than six decades of being Head of the Commonwealth, a responsibility I have cherished, I have had the fortune and constancy of the Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Philip has brought boundless energy and commitment, for which I am indebted."

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King Charles Views Queen Elizabeth's Famous 21st Birthday Speech During South Africa State Visit

Delivered from South Africa, then-Princess Elizabeth said, "My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service"

Stephanie Petit is a Royals Editor, Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE.

Queen Elizabeth II was top of mind during the first state visit of King Charles III 's reign.

After giving South African President Cyril Ramaphosa a formal welcome to the U.K. followed by a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted a private lunch. The royal couple then led President Ramaphosa around the Picture Gallery to view items from the Royal Collection relating to South Africa.

Among the items displayed was the text of a speech given by then-Princess Elizabeth on her 21st birthday along with a black and white photo. In a special radio broadcast from Cape Town, the royal pledged her life to her duties.

"I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong," the future monarch famously said. "But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it."

Elizabeth also said in the speech, "As I speak to you today from Cape Town, I am 6,000 miles from the country where I was born. But I am certainly not 6,000 from home. Everywhere I have traveled in these lovely lands of South Africa and Rhodesia, my parents, my sister and I have been taken to the heart of their people and made to feel that we are just as much at home here as if we had lived among them all our lives."

For more on the Royals, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

Displayed were photos of Queen Elizabeth with Nelson Mandela, who was South Africa's president from 1994 to 1999.

There was also a map showing the route of the Royal Train during the 1947 royal tour of South Africa undertaken by King George VI, Queen Elizabeth , Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret — the first visit to South Africa by a reigning British monarch.

Kate Middleton and Prince William were present for the event, walking around the Picture Gallery with South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor.

Other members of the royal family who were present at the palace included Prince Edward, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

Although President Ramaphosa's trip marks the first state visit of King Charles' reign, much of the organization is believed to have taken place before the late Queen Elizabeth died in September. As COVID curtailed visits and international travel, this is the first state visit hosted by the British royal family since 2019.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE 's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton , Meghan Markle and more!

On Tuesday evening, a centerpiece of the two-day state visit will take place when a glittering state banquet will be hosted at Buckingham Palace, complete with tiaras and ballgowns. Buckingham Palace gave a glimpse at the preparations for the elaborate banquet via social media, sharing a video from the kitchens, where staff were busy preparing the food.

As a special touch, they're also creating decorations in the shape of the national flower of South Africa, the Protea.

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1947: elizabeth’s 21st birthday speech - official one.

On my twenty-first birthday I welcome the opportunity to speak to all the peoples of the British Commonwealth and Empire, wherever they live, whatever race they come from, and whatever language they speak.

Let me begin by saying 'thank you' to all the thousands of kind people who have sent me messages of good will. This is a happy day for me; but it is also one that brings serious thoughts, thoughts of life looming ahead with all its challenges and with all its opportunity.

At such a time it is a great help to know that there are multitudes of friends all round the world who are thinking of me and who wish me well. I am grateful and I am deeply moved.

As I speak to you today from Cape Town I am six thousand miles from the country where I was born. But I am certainly not six thousand miles from home. Everywhere I have travelled in these lovely lands of South Africa and Rhodesia my parents, my sister and I have been taken to the heart of their people and made to feel that we are just as much at home here as if we had lived among them all our lives.

That is the great privilege belonging to our place in the world-wide commonwealth - that there are homes ready to welcome us in every continent of the earth. Before I am much older I hope I shall come to know many of them.

Although there is none of my father's subjects from the oldest to the youngest whom I do not wish to greet, I am thinking especially today of all the young men and women who were born about the same time as myself and have grown up like me in terrible and glorious years of the second world war.

Will you, the youth of the British family of nations, let me speak on my birthday as your representative? Now that we are coming to manhood and womanhood it is surely a great joy to us all to think that we shall be able to take some of the burden off the shoulders of our elders who have fought and worked and suffered to protect our childhood.

We must not be daunted by the anxieties and hardships that the war has left behind for every nation of our commonwealth. We know that these things are the price we cheerfully undertook to pay for the high honour of standing alone, seven years ago, in defence of the liberty of the world. Let us say with Rupert Brooke: "Now God be thanked who has matched us with this hour".

I am sure that you will see our difficulties, in the light that I see them, as the great opportunity for you and me. Most of you have read in the history books the proud saying of William Pitt that England had saved herself by her exertions and would save Europe by her example. But in our time we may say that the British Empire has saved the world first, and has now to save itself after the battle is won.

I think that is an even finer thing than was done in the days of Pitt; and it is for us, who have grown up in these years of danger and glory, to see that it is accomplished in the long years of peace that we all hope stretch ahead.

If we all go forward together with an unwavering faith, a high courage, and a quiet heart, we shall be able to make of this ancient commonwealth, which we all love so dearly, an even grander thing - more free, more prosperous, more happy and a more powerful influence for good in the world - than it has been in the greatest days of our forefathers.

To accomplish that we must give nothing less than the whole of ourselves. There is a motto which has been borne by many of my ancestors - a noble motto, "I serve". Those words were an inspiration to many bygone heirs to the Throne when they made their knightly dedication as they came to manhood. I cannot do quite as they did.

But through the inventions of science I can do what was not possible for any of them. I can make my solemn act of dedication with a whole Empire listening. I should like to make that dedication now. It is very simple.

I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.

Groups audience: 

Queen Elizabeth Knew Her 96th Birthday 'Might Be Her Last' Prior to Shocking Death

Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022 at the age of 96, making Her Majesty the longest-reigning monarch in British history. In honor of the late queen, royal expert and friend Gyles Brandreth wrote a biography about Her Majesty in which he claimed Elizabeth knew her time was limited before she ultimately left this Earth.

"Towards the end of her life, the Queen did not mind looking back ," the former Parliament wrote in Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait . "She took time to look back in a personal way earlier this year (2022), sitting looking at reels of old ' home movies ' that she and her parents had shot over the years."

"She recorded the commentary to go with the home movies on May 19, 2022 , just a month after her 96th birthday ," he continued.

According to Brandreth, Elizabeth knew the birthday celebration "may be her last."

Before her death, Elizabeth shared that watching her four kids, King Charles , Princess Anne , Prince Andrew and Prince Edward , evolve into parents was a privilege.

"One of the joys of living a long life is watching one’s children , then grandchildren," Elizabeth said. "We can’t be certain what lies ahead for them, but we should know enough to put them on the right path. We can do this if we have the good sense to learn from the experience of those who have gone before us."

She acknowledged that the "years have slipped by so quickly," but added, "there is no point in regretting the passage of time. I have lived long enough to know that things never remain quite the same for very long. No one can make history stand still. Events change with startling speed."

After ascending to the throne, Charles paid homage to his mom in his first speech as king.

“I speak to you today with feelings of profound sorrow. Throughout her life, Her Majesty the Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example ," Charles stated.

His Majesty continued: “Alongside the personal grief that all my family are feeling, we also share with so many of you in the United Kingdom, in all the countries where the Queen was head of state, in the Commonwealth and across the world , a deep sense of gratitude for the more than 70 years in which my Mother, as Queen, served the people of so many nations."

“In 1947, on her 21st birthday, she pledged in a broadcast from Cape Town to the Commonwealth to devote her life, whether it be short or long, to the service of her peoples," he added.

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Since Elizabeth ruled for over seven decades, Charles hopes to build upon her legacy .

“That was more than a promise: it was a profound personal commitment which defined her whole life. She made sacrifices for duty," Charles stated. “Her dedication and devotion as sovereign never waivered, through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss."

“In her life of service, we saw that abiding love of tradition , together with that fearless embrace of progress, which make us great as nations. The affection, admiration and respect she inspired became the hallmark of her reign," he concluded.