It’s a girl for the Duke and Duchess of York: Birth of Queen Elizabeth II

Princess Elizabeth of York's christening. Image from U.S. Library of Congress via Flickr

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21, 1926. The Duchess of York was expected to give birth at the end of the month, so the princess' arrival came a little early.¹ Nevertheless, the new mother "has been in remarkably good-health" and the baby princess, “although a little under the average weight,” was “strong and healthy.” ²

The future queen was not born in a royal palace but the home of her Strathmore grandparents, 17 Bruton Street, then one of London’s most fashionable residential districts.  It was alleged that the Duke and Duchess of York intended to rent a place on West End where she could give birth, "owing to the inconvenience of doctors and relatives journeying between London and White Lodge" in Richmonde Park. However, King George V would not hear of the idea that an heir to the throne would be born in "a hired house." ³

Royal biographer Sarah Bradford also wrote that the Yorks complained about the dilapidated and primitive conditions of White Lodge. The Earl and Countess of Strathmore immediately came to the rescue, allowing their London home to be placed in the duke and duchess's disposal. ⁴

Elizabeth was  breach baby but despite the difficulty of her birth, she was born in Caesarean section at 2.40am. Her birth was somewhat a good news for a country which, at that time, was plunged in class struggle and labor problems. ⁵ While the Duchess of York was hard on labour, the Home Secretary, Sir William Joynson-Hicks, was waiting in the next room for the baby to come out. ^6,7 This royal custom of having a government officer standby when a royal baby is born dated back to 1688  Mary of Modena gave birth to James Francis Edward Stuart, an English pretender to the throne. Over 200 witnesses were around to dispel the rumors that baby-switching occurred. The rumors circulated nonetheless. The Duchess of York would be the last royal bride to be subjected to this tradition. 

Princess Elizabeth's birth had "aroused nation-wide interest," thanks to the Duchess' "unspoilt personality" and also because of the princess' interesting position in the line of succession to the throne.⁸  At the time of her birth, she was third in line of succession. Her uncle, the Prince of Wales, was still unmarried when she was born and her own father had no male child, so even at birth, there were hopes that she might one day become queen.

A royal salute of 41 guns to signal the birth of the princess was fired in Hyde Park and in the Tower of London. ⁹  Among the first to visit was the duke's sister, Princess Mary, Viscountess Lascelles, who arrived with "a  pot of scarlet azaleas." ¹⁰ She stayed for almost an hour and left with happy tears “glistening on her cheeks.” ¹¹ Even the Home Secretary was delighted of the baby girl. "It is a bonny baby. It yawned when it saw me," he said. Messengers hastened to Bruton Street with congratulatory notes from the different parts of the nation and the Dominions. The Prince of Wales, who at that time was spending his holiday in Biarritz, also sent his brother a telegram.

King George V and QueenMary drove from Windsor to Bruton Street just to see their granddaughter. Their Majesties smiled and waved to the crowds who cheered them along the way. The Queen embraced the Duke of York while the King shook the hands of his second son, "delighted" with the birth of another baby in the family. ¹²

After the visit, Queen Mary wrote: “The baby is a little darling with a lovely complexion and pretty fair hair.”¹³

[1] Bradford, Sarah. Elizabeth: A Biography of Her Majesty The Queen (2002). Penguin Books.

[2] Reuters. The Duchess of York: Baby in Line for the Throne (April 23, 1926). The Mercury

[3] Fourth Lady in the Land (May 1,1926). Weekly Times

[4] Bradford.

[5] Fourth Lady in the Land

[6] Bradford.

[7] Fourth Lady in the Land

[8] Reuters.

[9] ibid  

[10] Fourth Lady in the Land

[11] Reuters.  

[12] ibid.

[13]Bradford