They had reached Kenya when a message arrived telling of the death of the King , on 6 February 1952 . Elizabeth and Philip were staying at `` Sagana Lodge '' in Kenya when she was told of her father 's death and that now she was Queen . On 6 February 1952 , they had just returned to their Kenyan residence Sagana Lodge , after a night spent at Treetops Hotel , when word arrived of the death of Elizabeth 's father .