Elizabeth Regina

The new Queen had to deal with trouble at home and abroad

- AUDREY PATTERSON

The nation was in a celebratory mood following the crowning of the young Queen Elizabeth, bringing a surge in patriotic feeling and optimism to a nation worn down by years of austerity. It was the end of rationing and the beginning of the jet age, a new era- and anything seemed possible.

The Queen had a fatherly figure to steer her through the complexities of her new role in her Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, who was clinging to office despite his age and declining health.

"I find him very obstinate," Elizabeth remarked. However she respected his wisdom, experience and his passion for horse racing, which they'd discuss once business was concluded at their weekly meetings. Courtier Tommy Lascelles reported hearing "peals of laughter" from the room next door.

The Queen later recalled how much she'd enjoyed her time with Churchill "because it was always such fun".

Despite suffering a stroke and being pressured by his ministers to step down, he remained in office with the Queen's support for a further two years, during the Cold War. She would later thank him for his "wise guidance".