It was February 6th, 1952 during a royal tour of Kenya when Princess Elizabeth received the call that her father King George had passed away. Also there that day was The Australian Women’s Weekly’s royal correspondent Anne Matheson, who had covered the Windsor family’s triumphs and tragedies for our pages for years and was one of the few trusted press members to be granted access to their inner circle. From her engagement and wedding to Prince Philip to her coronation and beyond, Anne was there to report in real time on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, often with a front row view.

Today, we delve deep into our archives to revisit both Anne’s original reportage along with The Weekly’s iconic covers and photographs in a pictorially stunning coffee table book sure to delight royal fans of every vintage.