She was never supposed to be queen

Friday, September 9, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we look back at Britain’s unlikely queen, discover an unheeded warning in the Titanic’s final hours, celebrate this weekend’s Mid-Autumn Festival … and explore the mysterious retreat of the Maya.

PHOTOGRAPH VIA CENTRAL PRESS, GETTY

Seven decades. Fifteen prime ministers, starting with Winston Churchill.

In an era of short-attention spans, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, shown above standing at center at the coronation of her father, lasted longer than any other monarch.

But Elizabeth, shown below in 2007, was never supposed to be queen.

See the full story here.

Please consider getting our full digital report and magazine by subscribing here.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANNIE LEIBOVITZ, ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST

More on Queen Elizabeth’s legacy:
—What happens now?
—How Nat Geo photographed the queen
—From Victoria to Elizabeth: The evolution of monarchy
—Rare QEII photos from our archives

OTHER STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY RM IRELAND, ALAMY

For centuries, this Irish bog (above) covered an archaeological site older than Egypt’s pyramids

A stark look at the last hours of the doomed Titanic

Forgotten no more: The first person to circumnavigate the world

A farmer’s field hid one of the greatest Viking treasures

This weekend brings the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the biggest fall holidays

The foods that may help you live longer

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL SARTORE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO ARK

Frozen frogs: The wood frog (pictured above by Nat Geo Explorer Joel Sartore)is not afraid of the cold. In the winter, the amphibian ices over as a natural antifreeze prevents their cells from bursting. When springtime comes, the fig-sized frog-sicles thaw with one thing on their mind: finding a mate. But, as Annie Roth reports, not all males have what the ladies desire.

AN ICY SLUMBER

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNY WONG, @JDUBCAPTURES

Beneath the ice: When the snow and ice in the Arctic lifts briefly in the summer, breathtaking colors take over the landscape. Photographer Jenny Wong captured this photo (which was featured on our Instagram) of a place called Qajuutinnguaq in Inuktitut—a spot on the Adams Sound once known by locals as a good place for fishing.

CANADA’S STUNNING SCENERY

IN A FEW WORDS

I realize you can’t change the whole world, but you can just do it in your own simple small actions.

Margaret Awuor Owuor

Ecologist, Nat Geo Explorer

LAST GLIMPSE

DE AGOSTINI VIA GETTY IMAGES

Who were the Maya? They established an extended civilization, pioneering cultivation of corn, cassava, and squash, devoting vast centers to their gods, and ruling not as an empire but as a collection of city states. Then the civilization disappeared. “Though their descendants have preserved some of their culture’s traditions and lore, much about the Maya remains as mysterious today as it did centuries ago when their secrets were still hiding in plain sight,” Erin Blakemorewrites. (Pictured above, a sculpture of a warrior found at a temple in Palenque, Mexico.)

WHAT HAPPENED?

We hope you liked the discoveries in today’s newsletter. This was edited and curated by Sydney Combs, Heather Kim, Allie Yang, Jen Tse, and David Beard. We’d love to hear from you at david.beard@natgeo.com.

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Tributes to September 11

Staples

RJ Hamster

She was never supposed to be queen

She was never supposed to be queen

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