Obituary: Queen Elizabeth II

Di long reign of Queen Elizabeth II dey marked by her strong sense of duty and her determination to dedicate her life to her throne and to her people.

She became for many di one constant point for world wey dey change sharply as Britain influence dey dey reduce, society dey change beyond recognition and pipo dey now question wetin be di work of di royal family.

Her success in maintaining di royal family through difficult times dey even more extraordinary unto say, as at di time dem born her her, nobody bin tink say di throne go be her destiny.

Dem born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was on 21 April 1926, for one house wey no far from Berkeley Square for London, di first child of Albert, Duke of York, second son of George V, and im duchess, di former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

Both Elizabeth and her sister, Margaret Rose, wey dem born for 1930, do dia school for houseand em raise dem for loving family atmosphere. Elizabeth bin dey extremely close to both her father and her grandfather, George V.

At di age of six, Elizabeth tell her riding instructor say she wan become "country lady wit plenty horses and dogs".

Tori be say she bin say she bin show say she dey responsible even from very young age. Winston Churchill, di future prime minister dat time, bin tok, as some quote am, say she get "air of authority wey dey surprising for small pikin".

Despite say she no go school, Elizabeth prove say be expert for different languages and do detailed study of constitutional history.

Dem for one special Girl Guides company, di 1st Buckingham Palace, so dat she go fit socialise wit wit girls of her own age.

Increasing tension

As George V die for 1936, im eldest son, wey dem sabi as David, become Edward VIII.

However, pipo see im choice of wife, di American Wallis Simpson wey bin don divorce two times, as unacceptable on political and religious grounds. At di end of di year im abdicate or resign as King.

Di reluctant Duke of York become King George VI. Im Coronation give Elizabeth small taste of wetin dey wait for her for front and she later write say she bin see di service as "very, very wonderful".

Na during di period of increasing tension for Europe, na im di new King, togeda wit im wife, Queen Elizabeth, begin try to restore public faith in di royal family monarchy. Dia elder daughter learn from her parents example.

For 1939, di 13-year-old princess escort di King and Queen to di Royal Naval College for Dartmouth.

Togeda wit her sister Margaret, one of di cadets, her third cousin, Prince Philip of Greece bin escort her.

Obstacles

Dis no be di first time wey dem bin don meet, but na di first time she bin dey interested in am.

Prince Philip dey visit im royal relatives wen im on leave from the navy - and by 1944, wen she dey 18, Elizabeth don dey in love with him. She bin keep im foto for her room and dem exchange letters.

Di young princess join di Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) towards di end of di war, learning to drive and service lorry.

On VE Day she join di Royal Family for Buckingham Palace as thousands gather for Di Mall to celebrate end of di war for Europe.

"We ask my parents if we fit go out and see for ourselves," she later tok. "I remember we bin dey fear say pipo go recognise us terrified of being recognised. I remember lines of unknown pipo wey link dia arms togeda as dem waka down Whitehall, all of us just dey flow inside di wave of happiness and relief."

Afta di war her desire to marry Prince Philip face plenty obstacles.

Di King bin dey reluctant to lose daughter wey im too love and Philip too bin need to overcome di bias of institution wey no fit accept say im ancestors na foreigners.

Papa death

But di achieve dis wish and on 20 November 1947 di couple marry for Westminster Abbey

Di Duke of Edinburgh, as Philip come become, remain serving naval officer. For short time at least, one posting to Malta mean say di young couple no fit enjoy wetin resemble normal life.

Dia first pikin, Charles, dem born am for 1948, followed by im sister, Anne, wey arrive for 1950.

But di King, afta im suffer plenty stress during the war years, bin dey critically sick wit lung cancer, sake of lifetime of heavy smoking.

For January 1952, Elizabeth, den 25, and Philip bin travel for overseas tour. Di King, against medical advice, go airport to say bye bye to di couple. Dat na di last time Elizabeth go see her father.

Elizabeth hear of di death of di King wia she stay for one game lodge for Kenya and immediately return to London as di new Queen. She later remember di moment.

"In a way, I bin no do apprenticeship. My father die much too young, so e bin all dey very sudden kind of taking on and making di best job wey you fit."

Australia and New Zealand

Dem show her Coronation for June 1953 on television, despite say Prime Minister Winston Churchill bin oppose di decision, and millions bin gada around TV sets, many of dem for di first time, to watch as Queen Elizabeth II take her oath.

Wit Britain still enduring post-war austerity, pipo see di Coronation as new morning for new Elizabethan age.

World War Two sharply help end di British Empire, and by di time di new Queen set off on long tour of di Commonwealth for November 1953, many former British possessions, including India, don gain independence.

Elizabeth become di first reigning royal ruler monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand.

Di estimate be say three-quarters of Australia pipo come out to see her in person.

Throughout di 1950s, more kontris pull down di union flag and di former colonies and dominions now come togeda as a voluntary family of nations.

Many politicians feel say di new Commonwealth fit become counter di newly emerging European Economic Community and, to some extent, turn British policy away from Europe.

Personal attack

But di Suez kasala wey happun for 1956 sharply reduce British influence, wen e become clear say di Commonwealth lack di collective will to act togeda in times of crisis.

Di decision to send British troops to try to prevent Egypt threat to nationalise or turn di Suez Canal to im kontri property end wit humiliating withdrawal and lead to di resignation of Prime Minister Anthony Eden.

Dis involve di Queen for political crisis. Di Conservative Party no get any method of electing new leader and, afta series of consultations, di Queen invited Harold Macmillan to form new goment.

Di Queen also find say she turn target of personal attack by Lord Altrincham. For one magazine article, im claim say her court dey "too British" and "upper-class" and accuse her say she no fit make simple speech reading from the one wey dem don already write.

Im tok cause commotion for di media and one member of the League of Empire Loyalists physically attack Lord Altrincham for street.

Still, di incident show say di British society and attitudes to di royal family dey change fast and pipo don dey question those old tins wey bin dey for sure.

From 'di Monarchy' to 'di Royal Family'

Encouraged by her husband, wey dey notoriously impatient wit di court stuffiness, di Queen begin to adapt to di new order.

Dem stop di practice of receiving debutantes or upper class young women wey dey appear for di first time for fashionable society for court and dem gradually replace di term "di Monarchy" wit "di Royal Family".

Once again di Queen find imsef for di centre of political wahala wen for 1963, Harold Macmillan resign as prime minister. Wit Conservative Party wey bin neva fit set up system for choosing new leader, she follow im advice to appoint di Earl of Home to replace am.

E bin be difficult tim for di Queen, wey di mark of her reign na constitutional correctness, and e further separate di monarchy from di goment of di day.

Di Queen took seriously her rights to get informate, to advise and to warn - but no try to step pass dem.

E bin be di last time wey she go find hersef for dat position. Di Conservatives finally do away wit di tradition to make new party leaders just "appear" and dem put proper system in place.

Relaxed mood

By di late 1960s, Buckingham Palace decide say e need to take positive step to show di Royal Family in far less formal and more approachable way.

Di result na one ground-breaking documentary, Royal Family. Dem allow di BBC to film di Windsors at home. Foto dem bin dey of di family as dem dey do barbecue, decorate Christmas tree, take dia children for drive - all ordinary activities, but wey pipo no eva see before.

Critics claim say Richard Cawston film destroy di mystery of di royals by showing dem to be ordinary pipo, including scenes wia di Duke of Edinburgh dey barbecue sausages for grounds for Balmoral.

But di film echoed di more relaxed mood of di times and do a lot to restore public support for di royal family.

By 1977, dem celebrate di Silver Jubilee wit genuine enthusiasm for street parties and for ceremonies across di kingdom. Di monarchy come be like e win di love of di public and much of dat na sake of di Queen hersef.

Two years later, Britain get, in Margaret Thatcher, im first woman prime minister. Relations between di female head of state and female head of government bin sometimes dey one kain.

Scandals and disasters

One difficult area na di Queen devotion to di Commonwealth, of which she bin be di head. Elizabeth bin know leaders of Africa well and bin show sympathy for dia cause.

Tori be say she bin find Thatcher attitude and confrontational style "puzzling", not just over di prime minister opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa.

Year by year, di Queen public duties continue. Afta di Gulf War for 1991, she go United States to become di first British monarch to address joint session of Congress. President George HW Bush say she don be "freedom friend for as long as we can remember".

However, a year later, series of scandals and disasters begin to affect di Royal Family.

Di Queen second son, the Duke of York, and im wife Sarah separate, while Princess Anne marriage to Mark Phillips end in divorce.

Den Prince and Princess of Wales reveal say dem dey deeply unhappy and eventually split up.

Di year end wit big fire for di Queen favourite residence, Windsor Castle.

E bin resemble appropriate symbol of royal house in trouble.

E no help say di public para over weda taxpayer, or di Queen, suppose pay di bill for di repairs.

Dignity amid public debate

Di Queen describe 1992 as her "annus horribilis" or "year of disaster or misfortune" and, for one speech for di City of London, be like she acknowledge di need for more open monarchy in return for less hostile media.

"No institution, city, monarchy, whatever, suppose expect to dey free from di inspection of those wey give am dia loyalty and support, not to mention those wey no give. But all of us na part of di same fabric of our national society and dat inspection fit dey just as effective if dem do amwit some measure of gentleness, good humour and understanding."

Di institution of monarchy bin really dey on di defence. Dem open Buckingham Palace to visitors to raise money to pay for di repairs for Windsor and dem announce say di Queen and di Prince of Wales go pay tax on investment income.

Abroad, hopes for di Commonwealth, so high early for her reign, no dey fulfilled. Britain bin turn im back on im old partners wit new arrangements for Europe.

Di Queen still see value for di Commonwealth and bin dey deeply gratified wen South Africa, wia she bin grow into adult, at last throw apartheid aside. She celebrate wit visit for March 1995.

At home, di Queen try to maintain di dignity of di monarchy while public debate continue on weda di institution get any future.

Death of Diana, Princess of Wales

As Britain struggle to find new destiny, she try to remain reassuring figure, and wit sudden smile fit relax serious moment. Di role she value above all na dat of symbol of di nation.

However, e shake di royal family and di Queen herself bin attract unusual criticism afta di death of Diana, Princess of Wales, for one car accident for Paris for August 1997.

As di public crowd around di palaces for London wit tributes of flowers, e bin be like say di Queen bin dey reluctant to provide di focus wey she bin dey always try to do during great national moments.

Many of her critics fail to understand say she come from generation wey dey dodge from di almost overexcited displays of public mourning wey follow di princess death.

She also feel say as a caring grandmother she need to comfort Diana sons for di privacy of di family circle.

Eventually, she do live broadcast, paying tribute to her daughter-in-law and making commitment say di monarchy go adapt.

Losses and celebrations

Di deaths of Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, for Queen Golden Jubilee year, 2002, cast shadow over nationwide celebrations of her reign.

But despite dis, and di debate wey dey come off and on over di future of di monarchy, one million pipo crowd into Di Mall, in front of Buckingham Palace, on di evening of di jubilee.

For April 2006, thousands of well-wishers line di streets of Windsor as di Queen perform informal walkabout on her 80th birthday.

And for November 2007, she and Prince Philip celebrate 60 years of marriage wit service wey 2,000 pipo attend for Westminster Abbey.

Dem bin get yet anoda happy occasion for April 2011 wen di Queen attend di wedding of her grandson, William, Duke of Cambridge, to Catherine Middleton.

For May dat year she become di first British monarch to make official visit to di Irish Republic, event of great historical significance.

For one speech, wey she begin for Irish, she call for self-control and reconciliation and refer to "tins wey we wish say we bin do differently or not at all".

Referendum

A year later, during one visit to Northern Ireland as part of di Diamond Jubilee celebrations, she shake hands wit di former IRA commander Martin McGuinness.

E bin be emotional moment for di monarch wey im much-loved cousin, Lord Louis Mountbatten, die for one IRA bombing for 1979.

Di Diamond Jubilee bring hundreds of thousands of people to di streets and end for weekend of celebrations for London.

Di referendum on Scottish independence, for September 2014, bin be testing time for di Queen. Few don forget her speech to Parliament for 1977 wia she make clear her commitment to United Kingdom.

"I number kings and queens of England and of Scotland, and princes of Wales among my ancestors and so I fit really understand dis aspirations. But Ino fit forget say dem crown me Queen of di United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."

For one remark to well-wishers for Balmoral on di eve of di Scottish referendum, wey obviously she bin want make pipo overhear, she say she hope pipo go tink very carefully about di future.

Once dem sabi di result of di vote, her public statement underline di relief she feel say di Union still dey intact, although recognising say di political landscape don change.

"Now, as we move forward, we suppose remember say despite di range of views wey pipo don express, we get in common enduring love of Scotland, wey be one of di tins wey help to unite us all."

On 9 September 2015 she become di longest reigning monarch for British history, surpassing di reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.

In typical style she refuse to make any fuss saying di title "no be one wey I ever aspire".

Less than one year later, for April 2016, she celebrate her 90th birthday.

She continue wit her public duties well into her nineties, most times alone afta di retirement of di Duke of Edinburgh for 2017.

Di family wahala continue - including her husband car accident, di Duke of York bad judgement of friendship wit convicted American businessman, and Prince Harry growing disappointment wit life for di royal family.

Dis na unsettling moments, presided over by monarch wey show say she bin still dey firmly in control.

Although di monarchy fit bin no dey as strong for di end of di Queen reign as e bin be for di start, she bin dey determined say e go continue to command a place of affection and respect for di hearts of di British pipo.

On di occasion of her Silver Jubilee, she remember di pledge she make for one visit to South Africa 30 years before.

"Wen I dey 21, I pledge my life to di service of our pipo and I ask for God help to make good dat vow. Although I make dat vow during my salad days, wen I dey green in judgement, I no regret, or take back, one word of it."