 She was devastated by the King 's death and retired to Scotland . However , after a meeting with the Prime Minister , Winston Churchill , she broke her retirement and resumed her public duties . Eventually she became just as busy as Queen Mother as she had been as Queen . In July 1953 , she undertook her first overseas visit since the funeral when she visited the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland with Princess Margaret . She laid the foundation stone of the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland – the current University of Zimbabwe . On her return to the region in 1957 , she was inaugurated as the College 's President , and attended other events that were deliberately designed to be multi @-@ racial . During her daughter 's extensive tour of the Commonwealth over 1953 – 54 , Elizabeth acted as a Counsellor of State and looked after her grandchildren , Charles and Anne . 
