Rare photos show a young Queen Elizabeth at the ballet
Rare photos of a then-Princess Elizabeth at the ballet have surfaced – and they prove Her Majesty has always been the Queen she is today.
In a documentary called Royal Journey, footage shows a young Princess Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, enjoying a night out at the ballet during a royal tour of Canada and the United States in 1951.
Princess Elizabeth is just 25 years old but cuts a regal figure in her yellow gown, a fur wrap and a glittering tiara. Prince Philip, who was 30 at the time, looks every bit the young gentleman in a tuxedo.
The couple are given a standing ovation as they arrive to watch the performance at the Winnipeg Ballet Company in Canada, and the princess is gifted a bouquet of flowers from a young ballerina.
Their appearance at the ballet was just five months before the royal couple’s life would change forever. After the death of Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, in February 1952 Princess Elizabeth became the ruling monarch at just 25 years old. And 65 years later, she still is.
To see the photos scroll through the gallery above.