By JULIUS MBALUTO
Queen Elizabeth 11 become the Queen of England while she was in Kenya. She had gone to Kenya with her late husband Prince Philip to stand in for George VI who was too ill to travel.
They stayed at the Treetops Hotel, 160 kms from Nairobi, watching baboons play when on the 6th February 1952, the Princess was informed of her father George V1’ s death. Upon the death of her father, the Princess became the Queen of England.
Writing on her experience the British hunter Jim Corbett, who was also staying at Treetops at the time, later wrote the now famous lines in the visitors' logbook:
"For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into a tree one day a Princess and after having what she described as her most thrilling experience she climbed down from the tree next day a Queen."
When Kenya gained attained its independence on 12th December 1963, It became a constitutional monarchy thereby remaining under the Queen’s rulership through her proxy The Governor - General in Kenya. However, on 01st June 1994, Kenya became an independent state and a republic.
The queen today celebrates Platinum Jubilee having been the longest serving or reigning monarchy. She has been in power for 70 years.
