How Standard reporter broke king's death to princess

Queen Elizabeth receives flowers from a young boy during her visit to African Maternity Home in Pumwani, Nairobi in February 1952 [Courtesy]

There were no telephones, no text messages or Twitter, fax machines or computers. The governor was on a train to Mombasa. The King had died and Buckingham desperately needed to reach its princess, now the queen. At the time, February 6, 1952, the heir apparent was literally in the bush atop a Mugumo tree, surrounded by buffaloes.

The onus of breaking this news fell on East African Standard who had been assigned to cover Princess Elizabeth’s visit to Kenya. The scribe passed the news to the princess private Secretary, Lt Col Martin Charteris at Outspan Hotel and was just about to go to Tree Tops, where the heir had spent the night.

The private secretary is reported as having proclaimed: ”Our poor dear lady. This is too awful for words. I think it is best to get confirmation first.” And just like that, the journalist became part of imperial machinery to manage the crisis in the world’s biggest empire then.

Elizabeth's private secretary then directed the journalist to call Government House, Nairobi (today’s State House) where he was connected to wing commander John Irving Bell who was the governor’s private secretary since the governor, was on a journey. His private secretary was ordered to contact Buckingham Palace and speak with either Colonel Colvile or Sir Allan Lascelles.

The post office in Nyeri witnessed a flurry of activities as lines were cleared enabling Lt Col Charteris to speak with Lt Gen Sir Fredric Browning, who was the controller of and treasurer of Princess Elizabeth’s household. He was at the time aboard a ship, Gothic, berthed at Mombasa.

And as plans were fine-tuned to return the princess, who was now a queen, to London Lt Col Charteris convened a press conference at Outspan Hotel and told journalists: "I know I do not need to ask you all to be kind to them in this terrible hour.”

The journey from Nyeri to the United Kingdom by Queen Elizabeth and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh was equally dramatic as it was hampered by a storm that delayed it for three hours. The East African Standard reported that lightning flashed around the airport and a high wind followed by rain at Entebbe airport, Uganda, while at the time was heavily guarded by European and African police.

At hand to see off the queen was the governor of Uganda, Sir Andrews Cohen. Nothing had been left to chance for the plane, christened Sagana as it delivered the precious occupants. Floodlights and torches were deployed to light up the misty apron.