7 min.
The future Queen
On 21 April 1926, at 2.40am, the Duke and Duchess of York welcomed their first child, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor into the world. She was born at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, which was the London home of her maternal grandparents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. She was named Elizabeth after her mother, Alexandra after her paternal great-grandmother, and Mary after her paternal grandmother, the Queen Consort. Her christening took place at Buckingham Palace on 29 May of the same year.
However, her close family affectionately called her ‘Lilibet’, an endearing nickname that came about from the way she first pronounced Elizabeth. This name proceeded to stick with her through the course of her life, and it is well-known that even her future husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh…