TIMELINE | Queen Elizabeth’s ties to South Africa

Queen Elizabeth had some memorable ties to South Africa, starting even before her long reign as the British monarch. She celebrated her 21st birthday here and developed a close friendship with president Nelson Mandela.

Princess Elizabeth came to South Africa in 1947 and celebrated her 21st birthday in Cape Town. Ties to the country were cut abruptly when South Africa was declared a Republic in 1961, and South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth only in 1995, after the democratic elections.

She visited South Africa that year on the Royal Yacht Britannia, a visit which was reciprocated by Nelson Mandela the following year. He called her his “friend Elizabeth” and broke protocol to tell her she’d lost weight on that trip. Queen Elizabeth came back to South Africa in 1999 for the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting, and on the centenary of the South African War, she expressed regret for the deaths on all sides.

All South Africa’s democratic presidents have met her, the last being Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018.

Britain’s longest-reigning monarch for seven decades died at the age of 96 on Thursday.

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. 

Below is an Infographic with Queen Elizabeth’s timeline: 

Queen Elizabeth Timeline Infographic by SABC Digital News