News - The King and Queen See the Royal Departure

As Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh prepare to fly to Kenya on a tour of the Commonwealth, they are waved off by King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) and Princess Margaret, as well as former Prime Minister Winston Churchill. After suffering an illness during the previous year, King George is greeted enthusiastically by the crowds. This would be his last public appearance.

This trip was meant to be the first part of a 30,000-mile journey across four continents. The royal couple had planned to go on to Australia and New Zealand, but King George VI died only five days after this farewell at the airport. The intended journey finally took place in 1954, after Princess Elizabeth had become Queen.