Oklahoma! Was the Soundtrack to a Real-Life Royal Romance

In spring 1947, a first-time visitor to London described the capital as "a decaying, decrepit, sagging, rotten city." The after-effects of World War II were still being felt: buildings were puckered with shrapnel scars, wartime rationing continued, and the shortage of housing following the Blitz meant that many returning soldiers found themselves homeless.

In short, London was in dire need of cheering up.