Elizabeth needed to be seen to be believed

Peter A. Hovis for President in 2024

Elizabeth needed to be seen to be believed

September 16, 2022
by RJ Hamster

Friday, September 16, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we explore a just-released Queen Elizabeth II biography, join the quest to save a croaking behemoth of a fish, mark the heritage that connects Ted Williams and Sonia Sotomayor … and discover what animals are really thinking.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTHONY BUCKLEY/CAMERA PRESS/REDUX

Her father dead, her coronation ahead, the mourning daughter was asked what name she chose to rule as while queen.

“My own, of course,” she replied.

For a special biography issue (above), out today, Erin Blakemore writes that Queen Elizabeth II never wavered from the life of duty she pledged four years before assuming the throne. Into her 90s, the queen projected soft power and dignity from a shrunken empire. Asked about her relentless appearances, she once said: “I have to be seen to be believed.” It was a quip—but it was also true.

Read the full article here.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY ACME SPECIAL SERVICES, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION

A lighter moment: The queen’s eldest son, Charles, shown here at Balmoral Castle in 1952, was also destined to ascend the throne. To see more images, check out Queen Elizabeth II: A Life in Photographs. Available wherever books and magazines are sold.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY JASPER DOEST

What are animals thinking? They show empathy, seek joy, and grieve—just like us (Above, a Japanese Macaque stares at its reflection.)

A heritage that connects Ted Williams, Rita Hayworth, and Sonia Sotomayor

The women warriors who inspired the new movie The Woman King

These furry mammals serenade mates with human-like rhythm

What the discovery of Shackleton’s legendary Antarctic vessel means

Mexico’s Independence Day marks the beginning of a decade-long revolution

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY CRISTINA MITTERMEIER, @MITTY

Killer culture: Photographer and Nat Geo Explorer Cristina Mittermeier has seen orca families (like the one pictured above) around the world, but no two are ever the same. Each follow the matriarch’s lead, who learned unique ways of hunting and navigating from her mother and grandmother, says Mittermeier. Today scientists believe that this passing down of traditions has helped create distinct cultures within whale species.

FOLLOWING THE MATRIARCH

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY KIRSTEN LUCE

A high-stakes quest: Totoaba—a croaking fish found in Mexico—are massive: they can weigh over 300 pounds and live until their mid-20s. They’re also endangered from overfishing, with their body parts sold in China for unproven medicinal benefits. As drug cartels and traditional Chinese medicinal practitioners drive demand, those striving to protect the fish are scrambling, Nat Geo reports. (Pictured above, a carcass.)

SAVING A BEHEMOTH

IN A FEW WORDS

I never thought that I would introduce a ‘love you’ button for her to tell me, “Love you. No,” when she’s mad at me. But it’s just amazing to see all the thoughts that are going on in her head.

Christina Hunger

A speech-language pathologist who taught her dog how to “talk”

From our latest story on the complex emotions of animals

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY FABIAN VON POSER, GETTY IMAGES

It happens at night: The biggest mammal migration in Africa begins when the sun is setting. Fruit bats from Zambia’s Kasanka National Park (pictured above) feed outside the park, in land threatened by deforestation. “Seeing 10 million animals filling the sky is totally mind blowing,” says Nat Geo Explorer Bertie Gregory. And if the bats don’t get back by dawn, they’re vulnerable to predators. The park region is one of four places explorers say are in urgent need of conservation, Nat Geo reports.

SEE ALL FOUR

This newsletter has been curated and edited by Sydney Combs, Jen Tse, David Beard, Heather Kim, and Allie Yang. We’d love to hear from you at david.beard@natgeo.com.

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