How many children did Elizabeth have? 2. Queen Elizabeth is a symbol of Great Britain. Early years of Elizabeth II

Is the most famous in the world! In 1917, the Windsor dynasty was established by King George V, and since then has been the only reigning family in this country.

The life of the royal family has attracted the attention of not only loyal Britons, but also the whole world - for many years now they have been an example to follow. In addition to Queen Elizabeth II, there are many more people in this family who are also forced to fulfill their duties and observe ancient traditions. And they are often quite strange!

1 Don't travel together

Family flights are a no-no for the royal family, so Charles will never fly on the same plane with his sons as regular relatives. This rule, although unpleasant, is quite logical - disasters often happen, and even the royal family is not immune from this. Therefore, losing several family members and potential heirs to the throne at once is simply unacceptable. The rule was broken only once, when Prince William flew to Canada with George. True, this required the consent of the queen.

2 Always take a black set of clothes with you

The royal family cannot break the rules of etiquette, so they must always be prepared for any surprise. So, when traveling, a royal person should have a black set of clothes in her suitcase. It may be quite gloomy, but the Queen will never leave the plane in mourning in a neon outfit. By the way, black clothing is allowed only for days of mourning!

3 The Queen takes a hostage at the Opening of Parliament ceremony

A strange tradition, because the Queen has long been on good terms with Parliament. However, each time at the annual opening ceremony, both sides pay tribute to the ancient tradition. Previously, when the monarch and parliament did not get along, the royal family would take one of the members of parliament hostage. He was escorted to Buckingham Palace, where he was guarded by staff. Thus, the security of the monarch in the parliament building was ensured.

4 Competition for the most ridiculous gift

The royal family doesn't give each other expensive gifts, so they have a competition for the most ridiculous and terrible gift. On, when the whole family gathers at Sandringham Palace, they exchange their gifts. Prince Harry managed to stand out more than the rest, who gave his grandmother a shower cap with the inscription “Life is unfair.” Another time Princess Anne managed to surprise her family when she gave Prince Charles a white leather toilet seat.

5 They are very modest

If you think that the royal family can afford anything, then you are very mistaken! They save even on small things, for example, Queen Elizabeth II never throws away used gift paper. Agree, most of us crumple up the wrapper and throw it in the trash. But not the Queen of Great Britain... Obviously, this habit was formed in her youth, or she simply cares about the environment.

6 Cook their own food

Apart from Queen Elizabeth II, whose food is prepared by a personal chef, all other members of the royal family cook for themselves. Gone are the days when royalty was served by staff; now they even go to the store themselves. Of course, they have many responsibilities and special occasions, but they prepare dinners like ordinary families. Kate Middleton has repeatedly said that Prince William's favorite dish is fried chicken.

7 The Royal Family Fly Economy Class

Queen Elizabeth II, of course, always flies on state aircraft; she is entitled to do so due to her status and for security reasons. But the rest of the royal family can easily board an economy class plane. Often, passengers simply unexpectedly find a royal person nearby, and this is absolutely normal. One of the last such flights that hit the press was Meghan Markle and Prince Harry flying to Nice for the New Year.

8 Royal children also wear clothes from relatives

Anyone who has received clothes from relatives at least once in their life knows about this feeling of disappointment. Don't worry, as it turns out, royal children also have to wear someone else's clothes! For example, Princess Charlotte recently stepped out in shoes that Prince Harry wore more than 30 years ago. And Prince George wore the suit his father wore to his brother's christening in 1984.

9 Monopoly game banned

A very unusual ban, and it is not known what it is connected with. But it was first discovered in 2008, when Prince Andrew (Elizabeth II's third child) was given a Monopoly board game at an official reception. To which the prince refused the gift and replied that they were forbidden to play this game at home. A surprising refusal, because usually members of the royal family cannot refuse a gift!

10 You can't give autographs

You will never be able to see the autograph of any member of the royal family. This is strictly prohibited, because in this case the signature of the royal person can be forged. According to etiquette, any Windsor should politely refuse if someone suddenly asks for an autograph. You can add a ban on selfies to this rule - you cannot take a photo with Kate or William. Just like they would touch any member of the royal family - only an official handshake initiated by him!

11 The royal driver should not drive over potholes in the morning

The queen is the queen, and sometimes her quirks can be taken for granted. For example, she has a specific requirement for the drivers of the royal train. When she is taking her morning bath, the driver is forbidden to drive on the bumpy road. Elizabeth does not like to shake in the bathtub over bumps, so from 7.30 the train must travel only on a flat road. It sounds very strange, but who can violate the queen's order?

12 Royal dinners according to traditions

Yes, official dinners in the royal family follow all the rules! There are strict rules that must not be broken under any circumstances. For example, the guest of honor for the evening always sits to the right of the queen. First she will talk with him, and only then can she move on to the interlocutor who is sitting on the left. Lewis Hamilton was once invited to dinner at Buckingham Palace and was the first to speak, although he was sitting on the left. Queen Elizabeth II immediately explained to him that he was wrong.

13 Queen Elizabeth II is the most portrayed person in history

Each stamp features an image of Queen Elizabeth II. Since 1967, when the stamp was first developed, more than 200 billion postage stamps have been issued. Thus, the image of the queen is the most popular all over the world, it is not surprising that her face is familiar to almost every inhabitant of the Earth!

14 They don't vote

Even though by law any member of the royal family can vote in an election, they have never done so. The fact is that the Windsors are seen as people who represent Great Britain as a whole, so their choice can influence public opinion. In addition, they always remain politically neutral. For example, after Meghan Markle becomes the wife of Prince Harry, she will no longer be able to express herself in the political field.

15 Six ravens live in the Tower

No, it is not a myth that seven crows should always live in the Tower. This tradition dates back to the era of Charles II and has been strictly followed for many centuries. In fact, there are six ravens, and one spare, in case of death. It's all about a legend that predicted the fall of the kingdom if all the ravens died.

The royal family observes many traditions, which sometimes seem very strange. But certain obligations to the whole country force them to strictly follow the rules, even if they have ceased to be relevant.

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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor (b. April 21, 1926, London) is the 12th Queen and Head of State of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and is also Queen of 15 Commonwealth nations. (Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica), chapter Church of England, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Lord of the Isle of Man. From 29 May 1953 to 31 May 1961 she was also Queen of South Africa.

Eldest daughter of Duke George of York, future King of Great Britain George VI (1895-1952)

and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900–2002).

Her grandparents: George V (1865–1936), King of Great Britain

and Queen Mary (1867-1953), Princess of Teck, on her father's side,

Claude George Bowes-Lyon (1855-1944), Earl of Strathmore and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1961), on their mother's side.

The early years of Elizabeth II

1. The Queen was born at 2:40 am on April 21, 1926 in London's Mayfair at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at No. 17 Brewton Street.
2. She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

3. At the time, she was third in line to the throne after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and her father, the Duke of York. But no one expected her father to become king, much less that she would become queen.

4. Princess Elizabeth was baptized with the names Alexander and Mary in the chapel of Buckingham Palace. She was named after her mother, and her two middle names are after her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, and her paternal grandmother, Queen Mary.

5. The Princess's early years were spent at 145 Piccadilly, her parents' London home, where they moved shortly after her birth, and at the White House in Richmond Park.
6. When she was six years old, her parents received government positions at the King's House in Windsor Great Park.
7. Princess Elizabeth was educated at home with Princess Margaret, her younger sister.

8. Elizabeth’s education was personally handled by her father, King George, and classes were also conducted with Henry Marten, Vice-Rector of Eton. The Archbishop of Canterbury studied religion with her.
9. Princess Elizabeth learned French from French and Belgian governesses. This skill served the Queen well, as she was able to personally engage in conversation with ambassadors and heads of state from French-speaking countries, as well as when visiting French-speaking areas of Canada.

Princess Elizabeth in 1933

10. Princess Elizabeth became a Scout when she was eleven years old and later became a Sea Ranger.
11. In 1940, at the height of the war, the young princesses were moved for their safety to Windsor Castle, where they spent most of the war years.

1943 with sister

Women's Auxiliary Territorial Corps: Princess Elizabeth, 2nd Chief of Internal Affairs, in overalls.

Royal romance

12. The Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.

13. Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip met at the wedding of Prince Philip's cousin, Princess Marina of Greece, to the Duke of Kent, who was Princess Elizabeth's uncle, in 1934.

14. Princess Elizabeth's engagement to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten was announced on July 9, 1947. Prince Philip received the title Prince of Greece and Denmark at birth. He joined the Navy in 1939 and after the war, in February 1947, became British citizen. Prince Philip had to choose a surname in order to continue his career in the Royal Navy and he took the surname of his mother's British relatives, Mountbatten. At the wedding, King George VI elevated him to the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

15. The royal wedding rings were decorated with platinum and encrusted with diamonds by jeweler Philip Antrobus. He used diamonds from a tiara belonging to Prince Philip's mother in the jewelry.
16. Prince Philip had two stag parties before his wedding: the first - a formal one in Dorchester, which was attended by invited guests from the press, and the second - with close friends at the Belfry Club.
17. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947 at 11:30 am. The celebration was attended by 2,000 invited guests.

Video: "Wedding"

The bridesmaids' dresses were made in the same style. They were made from cheaper materials (also purchased with coupons), but due to the embroidery and interesting design they looked decent.

Princess Margaret as a bridesmaid at Queen Elizabeth’s wedding

Princess Alexandra of Kent as a bridesmaid at the Queen’s wedding

18. Elizabeth had eight bridesmaids: HRH Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Lady Mary Cambridge, Lady Elizabeth Lambert, Pamela Mountbatten, Margaret Elphinstone, Diana Bowes-Lyon.
19. Also present at the wedding were HRH Prince William of Gloucester (aged five) and HRH Prince Michael of Kent (also aged five).
20. The Queen's wedding dress was made by designer Sir Norman Hartnell.
21. The fabric for the dress was specially made by Winterthur Silks Limited in Dunfermline, Canmore factory. To make it, threads from Chinese silkworms were brought from China. Placed throughout the dress, garlands of fleur-dorange flowers (the emblem of virginity), jasmine (the emblem of happiness, purity, sincerity) and the white rose of York (a white rose means purity) were embroidered with small pearls and crystal rhinestones.

22. The queen's veil was made of light transparent fabric and topped with a diamond tiara. This tiara (which can be worn as a necklace) was made for Queen Mary in 1919. The diamonds from which it is made come from a necklace and tiara purchased by Queen Victoria from Collingwood and a wedding gift to Queen Mary in 1893. In August 1936, Queen Mary gave the tiara to Queen Elizabeth when she was still Princess Elizabeth for her future wedding.

Elizabeth “borrowed” the tiara from her mother. An hour before the celebration, the tiara broke in half in the hands of the bride and she had to wait for a jeweler who urgently repaired it.

23. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Abbey is the only stone that is not covered with a special cover. The day after the wedding, Princess Elizabeth, following a royal tradition begun by her mother, sent the wedding bouquet back to the abbey, where flowers were laid on this grave.
24. The bride's wedding ring was made from a Welsh gold nugget that was sent from the Clogau St David mine near Dolgello.
25. About 10 thousand congratulatory telegrams were received at Buckingham Palace, and the royal couple also received more than 2,500 wedding gifts from well-wishers around the world.

26. In addition to jewelry, the couple received many useful items for the kitchen and home from close relatives, including salt shakers from the Queen Mother, a bookcase from Queen Mary, and a picnic set from Princess Margaret.
27. A "wedding breakfast" (lunch) was held after the wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey in the Round Dining Room at Buckingham Palace. The menu included Filet de Sole Mountbatten, Pedro Casserole, and Princess Elizabeth Ice Cream.
28. On their honeymoon, the couple left Waterloo station with the princess's dog, Susan.
29. The newlyweds spent their wedding night in Hampshire, at the house of Prince Philip's uncle, Earl Mountbatten. The second part of the honeymoon took place in Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate.
30. In early 1948, the couple rented their first family home, Windlesham Moor, in Surrey, near Windsor Castle, where they remained until they moved to Clarence House on 4 July 1949.
31.After his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh continued his naval career, reaching the rank of lieutenant commander in the command of the frigate HMS Magpie.
32. Although he was the Queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh was not crowned or anointed at the coronation ceremony in 1953. He was the first to pay his respects and take the oath to Her Majesty. He kissed the newly crowned Queen with the words: “I, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will become your vassal in sickness and in health, and will serve you faithfully, with honor and respect, until my death. So help me God.”

Herbert James Gunn Coronation Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II

33. Prince Philip accompanied the Queen on all of her Commonwealth and state visits, as well as to state functions and meetings in all parts of the UK. The first of these was the Coronation Tour of the Commonwealth from November 1953 to May 1954, in which the couple visited Bermuda, Jamaica, Panama, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Cocos Islands, Ceylon, Aden, Uganda, Libya, Malta and Gibraltar, covering a distance of 43,618 kilometers.

34. The coronation took place at Westinster Abbey on June 2, 1953. The sacred ceremony was led by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury.
35. The Coronation was broadcast in every part of London, the Navy, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Norman Hartnell's sketch for Elizabeth II's coronation dress

Coronation dress designed by Norman Hartnell

Joan Hassell. Invitation from Prince Charles, 1953

36. The Queen and Duke Philip of Edinburgh have four children: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (born 1948), Princess Anne (born 1950), Prince Andrew, Duke of York (born 1960) and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (b. 1964).
37. With the birth of Prince Andrew in 1960, the Queen became the first reigning monarch to give birth to a child since Queen Victoria, whose youngest child, Princess Beatrice, was born in 1857.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (b. 1948)

Princess Anne, (born 1950)

The Queen with her son Charles and daughter Anne, 1954.

The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Cornwall and Princess Anne October 1957

Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b. 1960)

Queen Elizabeth II's two youngest children, Princes Andrew and Edward.

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (b. 1964)

Prince Edward and Princess Sophie

38. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh Philip have eight grandchildren -

Peter Phillips (b. 1977),

Zara Phillips (born 1981),

Prince William (born 1982),

Prince Harry (born 1984),

Princess Beatrice (born 1988),

Princess Eugenie (born 1990),

Lady Louise Windsor (b. 2003)

and James, Viscount Severns (b. 2007),

has a great-granddaughter - Savannah (born in 2011) and great-grandson Prince George of Cambridge (2013)

The Queen and Prince Philip pose with their grandchildren (l-r) William, Harry, Zara and her brother Peter (back row) in a warm portrait sent out for Christmas 1987

Speeches of the Queen of England

39. The Queen broadcasts a Christmas message on television every year except 1969, when she decided the royals had had enough on television after an unprecedented documentary about her family. Her greeting took the form of a written address.
40. In a 1991 message, the Queen denied rumors of abdication as she pledged to continue serving.
41. The Queen issued an injunction against The Sun newspaper in 1992 after it published the full text of her speech two days before it was broadcast. She later accepted an apology and £200,000 in donations to charity.
42. The Queen's grandfather, King George V, was the first royal to perform live on radio at Sandringham in 1932.
43. George V was initially against the use of wireless communication devices, but eventually agreed.

44. There was no Christmas broadcast in 1936 and 1938.
45. In 2010, the Queen's speech was broadcast from Hampton Court Palace - the first time the historic building had been used.
46. ​​Each speech is written personally by the Queen, each has a strict religious framework, reflects current issues and is often based on her own experience.

Interests and hobbies

48. An animal lover since childhood, the Queen has a keen and very knowledgeable interest in horses. As an owner and breeder of Thoroughbreds, she often comes to watch races to evaluate how her horses perform in the race, and also frequently attends horse racing events.
49. Elizabeth II took part in the Derby, one of Britain's classic races, and the Ascot summer race, which has been a royal race since 1911.
50. The Queen's horses have won races at Royal Ascot several times. Notable was the double victory on 18 June 1954 when Landau won the Rous Memorial Stakes and Halo won the Hardwicke Stakes, and in 1957 Queen had four winners during the race.

Zara Phillips, Princess An and Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II also encourages her young grandchildren (the children of Prince Edward) to become interested in horses.

51. Other interests include walking in nature and the countryside. The Queen also loves to walk with her Labradors, which were specially bred at Sandgreenham.
52. Less known is the Queen's interest in Scottish dancing. Each year during her stay at Balmoral Castle, the Queen hosts dances known as the Gillis Balls for neighbors, estate owners, castle staff and members of the local community.
53. The Queen is the only person in the UK who can drive without a license or registration number on her car. And she doesn't have a passport.
54. The Queen is the patron of more than 600 charities.
55. To formally greet the Queen, men must bow their heads slightly, while women curtsy slightly. When presented to the Queen, the proper formal address would be "Your Majesty" followed by "Ma'am".

Queen's leisure

56. Queen Elizabeth II is the fortieth English monarch since William the Conqueror.
57. She visited Australia 15 times, Canada 23 times, Jamaica 6 times and New Zealand 10 times.
58. Her Majesty sent about 100 thousand telegrams to centenarians in the UK and Commonwealth countries.
59. The Queen dined on 23 ships and spoke with five astronauts at Buckingham Palace.
60. She made her first airplane flight in July 1945.
61. Her Majesty is the only British monarch in history who knows how to change spark plugs.
62. On VE Day, the Queen and her sister Princess Margaret slipped in the crowd during celebrations.
63. For her wedding dress, the Queen collected coupons for clothes.
64. The Queen has a bank account with Coutts & Co.
65. The Queen celebrated her golden jubilee in 2002 by visiting 70 cities and towns across the UK.
66. Tony Blair was the first prime minister born during her reign, during which there were already nine prime ministers before him.
67. The Queen attended 91 state banquets and posed for 139 official portraits.
68. Technically, the Queen of England still owns sturgeon, whales and dolphins in the waters throughout the UK, which are recognized as the "King's Fish". In addition, she owns all the wild flocks of swans that live in open water.

69. The Queen developed a new breed of dog known as the Dorgi when one of the Corgis was bred to a Dachshund named Pipkin.
70. The Queen is the first British monarch to see her children divorce three times.
71. Her Majesty demoted a footman for serving whiskey to her corgi.
72. The Queen has nine Royal Thrones: one in the House of Lords, two in Westminster Abbey and six in the throne room at Buckingham Palace.

73. She is a patron of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association. One of the queen's birds is called the Sandringham Lightning.
74. During the queen's reign, there were six archbishops of Canterbury.
75. The Queen is 5 feet 4 inches or 160 centimeters tall.

Who is Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, born 21 April 1926) has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand since 6 February 1952. She is the Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as Queen of the 12 countries that gained their independence after her accession to the throne. These include: Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

Brief biography of Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth was born in London, the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. She was educated at home. Her father ascended to the throne following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936. From that moment on, she became the most likely heir to the throne. She began performing public duties during World War II, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In 1947, she married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, former Prince of Greece and Denmark, with whom they had four children: Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne, Princess of Great Britain, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

Elizabeth's many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland, as well as meetings with five Popes. She witnessed major constitutional changes such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation, and the decolonization of Africa. During her reign there were many different wars and conflicts, in which many of her kingdoms and territories were involved. She is the oldest reigning monarch in the world, as well as Britain's longest-living queen. In 2015, she surpassed her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, to become Britain's longest-reigning monarch, longest-reigning queen and longest-serving female head of state in world history. In October 2016, she became the longest-reigning monarch and head of state in modern times following the death of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Events of personal significance to the Queen include the birth and marriage of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, her coronation in 1953, and the celebration of major milestones such as her Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002 and 2012 respectively. In 2017, she became the first British monarch to celebrate her sapphire jubilee. The sad moments in her life included the death of her father in 1952 at the age of 56, the murder of Prince Philip's uncle Lord Mountbatten in 1979, the breakdown of her children's marriages in 1992 (her "terrible year"), the death in 1997 of her son's ex-wife , Diana, Princess of Wales, and the deaths of her mother and sister in 2002. Elizabeth periodically faced republican sentiments and criticism of the royal family in the press. However, support for the monarchy remains very high, as does her personal popularity.

Early years of Elizabeth II

Elizabeth was born at 02:40 (GMT) on 21 April 1926 during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King George V. Her father, Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), was the king's second son. Her mother, Elizabeth, Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth), was the youngest daughter of the Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. She was born by caesarean section at her maternal grandfather's London home at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair. She was baptized by the Church of England Archbishop of York, Cosmo Gordon Lang, in the private chapel of Buckingham Palace on 29 May. She was named Elizabeth after her mother, Alexandra after the mother of George V, who had died six months earlier, and Mary after her paternal grandmother. Close relatives called her "Lilibet", as she called herself as a child. She was groomed and cherished by her grandfather George V, and during his serious illness in 1929, her regular visits to him were reported in the popular press. In addition, later biographers noted that these visits significantly lifted his spirits and helped in his recovery.

Elizabeth's only sister, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930. The princesses were educated at home under the guidance of their mother and governess, Marion Crawford, who was informally known as "Crawfie". The lessons mainly covered history, languages, literature and music. Miss Crawford published a biography of Elizabeth and Margaret's childhood, Little Princesses, in 1950, much to the disappointment of the royal family. The book describes Elizabeth's love for horses and dogs, her neatness and special responsibility. Others have also noticed this: Winston Churchill called Elizabeth at the age of two "a strong character. She has such influence and self-reflection that is very surprising in a child." Her cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as "a cheerful little girl, but fundamentally sensible, and well behaved."

Succession to the British throne

During her grandfather's reign, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales and father, Duke of York. Although her birth aroused public interest, no one expected her to become queen as the Prince of Wales was still young. Many believed that he would marry and have children of his own. After her grandfather died in 1936, and after her uncle became Edward VIII, she became second in line to the throne after her father. Later that year, Edward abdicated the throne after his marriage to divorced socialite Wallis Simpson led to a constitutional crisis. As a result, Elizabeth's father became king and she became heir presumptive. If her parents had a son after her, she would lose her position as first heiress, as her brother would become the heir apparent and surpass her in the line of succession.

Elizabeth II's training

Elizabeth received private instruction in constitutional history from Henry Marten, vice-provost of Eton College, and studied French under the tutelage of numerous native-speaking governesses. The Girl Scout Company, the first company at Buckingham Palace, was created specifically so she could connect with girls her own age. She later enlisted in the military as a Marine Ranger.

In 1939, Elizabeth's parents traveled to Canada and the United States. As in 1927, when her parents toured Australia and New Zealand, Elizabeth remained in Britain because her father believed she was too young to go on public tours. Elizabeth "looked tearful" when her parents departed. They corresponded regularly and also held the first royal transatlantic telephone conversations on 18 May.

Elizabeth II during the Second World War

In September 1939, Great Britain entered the Second World War, which lasted until 1945. During the war, many children from London were evacuated to avoid constant aerial bombardment. A proposal from senior politician Lord Hailsham to evacuate the two princesses to Canada was rejected by Elizabeth's mother, who stated: "The children will not go without me. I will not leave without the king. And the king will never leave the country." Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret remained at Balmoral Castle in Scotland until Christmas 1939 and then moved to Sandringham Palace in Norfolk. From February to May 1940 they lived at the royal country house in Windsor, after which they moved to Windsor Palace, where they lived for most of the next five years. At Windsor, the princesses performed pantomimes on stage at Christmas to benefit the Royal Wool Fund, which bought yarn to knit military clothing. In 1940, 14-year-old Elizabeth made her first radio appearance on the BBC's Children's Hour and addressed other children who had been evacuated from the cities. She said: "We are trying to do everything we can to help our brave sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we are also trying to share with them the dangers and sorrows of war. All of us, each of us knows that in the end everything will be fine." .

In 1943, at the age of 16, Elizaveta made her first public appearance alone, visiting the Guards Grenadier Regiment, in which she had been appointed colonel the year before. On the eve of her 18th birthday, Parliament changed the law so that she could act as one of the five State Councilors in the event of her father's inability to perform his functions or his absence from the country, such as during his visit to Italy in July 1944. In February 1945, she joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service as an honorary second subaltern with service number 230873. She trained as a driver and mechanic and was promoted to honorary subaltern five months later.

At the end of the war, on the day celebrating Victory in Europe, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret anonymously mingled with the crowds celebrating on the streets of London. Elizabeth later said in one of his rare interviews: “We asked our parents for permission to go and see for ourselves. I remember we were very scared that they would recognize us... I remember crowds of strangers holding hands and walking down the Whitehall, we were all just riding a wave of happiness and relief."

During the war, a plan was developed to suppress Welsh nationalism by having Elizabeth establish closer ties with Wales. Proposals, such as appointing her as steward of Caernarvon Castle, or as head of the Welsh Youth League (Urdd Gobaith Cymru), were rejected for various reasons, including fear of associating Elizabeth with conscientious objectors while Britain was in a state of war. Welsh politicians suggested that she become Princess of Wales on her 18th birthday. The Home Secretary, Herbert Morrison, supported this idea, but the King rejected it because he felt that such a title belonged exclusively to the wife of the Prince of Wales, and the Prince of Wales was always the heir apparent. In 1946 she was accepted as a member of the Welsh Bardic Society at the National Eistethod in Wales.

In 1947, Princess Elizabeth made her first foreign tour, accompanying her parents on a trip to South Africa. During a radio tour broadcast to the British Commonwealth on her 21st birthday, she promised the following: "I declare before you all that my entire life, be it long or short, will be dedicated to the service of you and our great Royal Family to which we all belong."

Elizabeth met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, in 1934 and 1937. They are second cousins ​​to King Christian IX of Denmark and fourth cousins ​​to Queen Victoria. After meeting again at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth in July 1939, Elizabeth, although only 13, said she had fallen in love with Philip and they began corresponding. She was 21 years old when their engagement was officially announced on July 9, 1947.

The engagement was not without controversy. Philip had no financial standing, was of foreign origin (although a British subject who had served in the Royal Navy during World War II), and his sisters married German nobles with Nazi connections. Marion Crawford wrote: "Some of the king's advisers believed that he was not good enough for her. He was a prince without a home or a kingdom. Some newspapers played the card of Philip's foreign origin for a long time and tediously." Later biographies reported that Elizabeth's mother initially opposed the union, calling Philip "the Hun". However, the Queen Mother later told biographer Tim Hild that Philip was an “English gentleman.”

Even before the marriage, Philip had renounced his Greek and Danish titles, converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, and became Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, taking the surname of his mother's British family. Shortly before his wedding, he became the Duke of Edinburgh and received the title His Royal Highness.

Elizabeth and Philip married on November 20, 1947 in Westminster Abbey. They received 2,500 wedding gifts from all over the world. Because England had not yet fully recovered from the devastation of war, Elizabeth needed coupons to buy material for her wedding dress, which was designed by Norman Hartnelle. In post-war Britain it was unacceptable for the Duke of Edinburgh to invite his German relatives, including his three surviving sisters, to his wedding. The Duke of Windsor, former King Edward VIII, was also not invited.

Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles, on November 14, 1948. A month earlier, the king had issued a charter allowing his children to use the title of crown prince and princess, to which they would otherwise not be entitled since their father was no longer crown prince. The second child, Princess Anne, was born in 1950.

After their wedding, the couple rented the estate of Windlesham Moor, near Windsor Castle, until July 1949, when they settled at Clarence House in London. At various times between 1949 and 1951, the Duke of Edinburgh was stationed in Malta, a British Crown Colony, as a serving officer in the Royal Navy. He and Elizabeth periodically lived in Malta for several months at a time in the village of Guardamangia, at the Villa Guardamangia, a house rented by the uncle of Philip, Lord Mountbatten. The children remained in the UK.

Reign of Elizabeth II

Beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II

During 1951, George VI's health deteriorated and Elizabeth often replaced him at public events. When she visited Canada and met with President Harry S. Truman in Washington, D.C., in October 1951, her private secretary, Martin Charteris, carried with him a draft declaration for her to assume office in the event of the King's death during her trip. In early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip went on a business trip to Australia and New Zealand via Kenya. On February 6, 1952, they had just returned to their Kenyan home, Sagana Lodge, after a night spent at the Treetops Hotel, when news arrived of the king's death and therefore Elizabeth's immediate accession to the throne. Philip reported the unpleasant news to the newly-crowned queen. Martin Charteris asked her to choose a throne name. She, “of course,” decided to remain Elizabeth. She was proclaimed queen of all her kingdoms and territories, after which the royal couple hastily returned to the United Kingdom. She and the Duke of Edinburgh moved to Buckingham Palace.

Following Elizabeth's accession to the throne, it seemed likely that the royal house would take on her husband's surname, becoming the House of Mountbatten. According to custom, the wife takes her husband's surname after marriage. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Elizabeth's grandmother, Queen Mary, advocated keeping the name Windsor. Thus, on April 9, 1952, Elizabeth issued a declaration stating that the royal house would continue to bear the name of Windsor. The Duke complained: “I am the only person in the country who does not have the right to give his name to his own children.” In 1960, following the death of Queen Mary in 1953 and the resignation of Churchill in 1955, the male heirs of Philip and Elizabeth who did not hold royal titles were given the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

Coronation of Elizabeth II

In preparation for her coronation, Princess Margaret informed her sister that she would like to marry Peter Townsend, a divorcee 16 years older than Margaret, with two sons from a previous marriage. The Queen asked them to wait a year. According to Martin Charteris, "Naturally the Queen sympathized with the Princess, but I believe she thought, she hoped, that as time passed the connection would fade away." High-ranking politicians were against this union, and the Church of England did not allow remarriage after divorce. If Margaret had entered into a common-law marriage, it would have been expected that she would have had to renounce her right of inheritance. Ultimately, he and Townsend decided to abandon their plans. In 1960 she married Antony Armstrong-Jones, who became Earl of Snowdon a year later. They divorced in 1978; she never remarried.

Despite Queen Mary's death on March 24, the coronation took place as planned on June 2, 1953, as Mary had requested before her death. For the first time, the coronation ceremony was broadcast on television from Westminster Abbey. The exceptions were the rituals of anointing and communion. Elizabeth's coronation dress was embroidered at her direction with floral symbols of the Commonwealth countries: English Tudor rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh leek, Irish shamrock, Australian acacia, Canadian maple leaf, New Zealand silver fern, South African protea, lotus flowers symbolizing India and Ceylon, as well as Pakistani wheat, cotton, and jute.

The role of Elizabeth II in the political life of Great Britain

Since the birth of Elizabeth, the British Empire continued to transform into the Commonwealth of Nations. By the time she ascended the throne in 1952, she had already become the head of several independent states. In 1953, the Queen and her husband embarked on a seven-month world tour, visiting 13 countries and traveling more than 40,000 miles by land, sea and air. She became the first reigning monarch of Australia and New Zealand to visit these countries. During her visit there were huge crowds of people wanting to see her. It has been estimated that about three quarters of the Australian population saw the queen. Throughout her reign, the Queen made hundreds of state visits to other countries and tours of the Commonwealth. She is the head of state who has traveled more than anyone else.

In 1956, the British and French prime ministers, Sir Anthony Eden and Guy Mollet, discussed the possibility of France joining the Commonwealth. The proposal was not accepted, and the following year France signed the Treaty of Rome, giving rise to the European Economic Community, the forerunner of the European Union. In November 1956, England and France invaded Egypt in an attempt to seize the Suez Canal, which ultimately proved completely unsuccessful. Lord Mountbatten claimed that the Queen was against the invasion, although Eden denied this. Eden resigned two months later.

The lack of a formal mechanism for electing a leader within the Conservative Party meant that after Eden's resignation, the Queen had to decide who to entrust to form the government. Eden recommended that she take advantage of Lord Salisbury, the Lord President of the Council. Lord Salisbury and Lord Kilmuir, who was then Lord Chancellor, consulted with the British Cabinet, Winston Churchill, and the Chairman of the Backbenchers of the 1922 Committee, with the result that the Queen appointed the recommended candidate: Harold Macmillan.

The Suez crisis and the choice of Eden's successor led in 1957 to the first serious criticism of the Queen's personality. Lord Altrincham, in his magazine, of which he was the editor, accused the Queen of being “out of touch with real life.” Altrincham was condemned by public figures, and ordinary citizens, shocked by his comments, even hit him. Six years later, in 1963, Macmillan resigned and advised the Queen to appoint the Earl of Hume as Prime Minister. She followed this advice. The Queen was again criticized for appointing the Prime Minister on the advice of a small number of ministers or a single minister. In 1965, the Conservatives approved a formal mechanism for electing the leader, thereby freeing her from participation in this matter.

In 1957, she made a state visit to the United States, where she addressed the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the Commonwealth. During the same visit, she opened the 23rd Parliament of Canada, becoming the first Canadian monarch to open a session of Parliament. Two years later, solely in her role as Queen of Canada, she again visited the United States and Canada. In 1961, she traveled to Cyprus, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Iran. During a visit to Ghana that same year, she allayed fears for her safety, although her host, Kwame Nkrumah, who succeeded her as head of state, became the target of assassins. Harold Macmillan wrote: “The Queen was full of determination... She does not tolerate being treated like... a movie star... There is truly a “masculine core” hidden in her... She loves her duties and is determined to be a queen.” Before her tour of parts of Quebec in 1964, there were press reports that extremists within the Quebec separatist movement were planning an assassination attempt on Elizabeth. No attack was attempted, but while she was in Montreal, a riot broke out. The press noted the queen's "calmness and courage in the face of violence."

The only exceptions during her reign when the Queen did not attend the Opening of the British Parliament were during her pregnancies with Prince Andrew and Edward in 1959 and 1963. In addition to participating in traditional ceremonies, she also introduced new traditions. In 1970, during a tour of Australia and New Zealand, her first royal walk and meeting with ordinary citizens took place.

The process of decolonization of the British Empire

The 1960s and 1970s saw an acceleration in the pace of decolonization in Africa and the Caribbean. More than 20 countries gained independence from Britain as part of a planned transition to self-government. In 1965, however, Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith, in opposition to the move towards a majoritarian system, unilaterally declared independence from Great Britain, without however abandoning his expression of "loyalty and allegiance" to Elizabeth. Although he was formally dismissed by the Queen and the international community imposed sanctions on Rhodesia, his regime lasted for more than ten years. As Britain's ties with its former colonies weakened, the British government sought to join the European Community, a goal it achieved in 1973.

In February 1974, British Prime Minister Edward Heath advised the Queen to call a general election in the middle of her tour of the Austronesian Pacific Rim and demanded that she fly back to Britain. The elections resulted in a hung parliament. Heath's Conservatives did not win a majority but could remain in office if they formed a coalition with the Liberals. Heath resigned only when discussions about forming a coalition failed, after which the Queen asked the leader of the opposition, Labour's Harold Wilson, to form a government.

A year later, at the height of Australia's 1975 constitutional crisis, Australia's Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, was relieved of his post by Governor-General Sir John Kerr after the Opposition-controlled Senate rejected Whitlam's budget proposals. Since Whitlam had a majority in the House of Representatives, Speaker Gordon Scholes asked the Queen to overturn Kerr's decision. She refused, saying she would not interfere with decisions reserved by the Australian Constitution for the Governor-General. The crisis served as a powerful source of republican sentiment in Australia.

Elizabeth II in the eyes of the British

In 1977, Elizabeth celebrated the silver jubilee of her accession to the throne. There were celebrations and events throughout the Commonwealth, many of which coincided with her domestic and international travel. The celebrations brought renewed popularity to the Queen, despite the negative press coverage of Princess Margaret's divorce from her husband at almost the same time. In 1978, the Queen hosted a state visit to the United Kingdom by Romania's communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena, although she privately believed that "there was blood on their hands." The following year brought with it two blows: the first was the exposure of Anthony Blunt, the Queen's former painting appraiser, as a communist spy, the second was the murder of her relative and brother-in-law Lord Mountbatten by the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

According to Paul Martin Sr., by the late 1970s the Queen was concerned that the Crown "meant little" to Pierre Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada. Tony Benn noted that the Queen found Trudeau "rather disappointing." Trudeau's supposed republicanism seemed to be confirmed by his antics, such as sliding down the railings of Buckingham Palace and pirouettes behind the Queen in 1977, and the abolition of various Canadian royal symbols during his term. In 1980, Canadian politicians sent to London to discuss the patriation of the Canadian constitution found the Queen "better informed... than any of the British politicians or officials." She was especially interested after the defeat of Bill C-60, which would have affected her role as head of state. Patriation abolished the role of the British Parliament in the Canadian constitution, but the monarchy was retained. Trudeau wrote in his memoirs that the Queen supported his attempt to reform the Constitution, and that he was impressed by the "tact she showed in public" and the "wisdom she showed in private."

Attempts on the life of Queen Elizabeth II

In 1981, during the Trooping Ceremony, six weeks before the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer, the Queen was shot six times at close range as she walked down the Mall on her horse, a Burmese. Police later discovered that the shots had been blanks. The 17-year-old attacker, Marcus Sargeant, was sentenced to five years in prison and released after three. Many subsequently praised the queen's composure and her horsemanship.

From April to September 1982, the Queen was concerned about, but also proud of, her son Prince Andrew, who served in the British forces during the Falklands War. On July 9, the Queen woke up in her bedroom at Buckingham Palace to find a man illegally entering the premises. It was Michael Fagan. Remaining calm even after two calls to the Palace police switchboard, she spoke to Fagan, who sat at the foot of her bed, until help arrived seven minutes later. After she hosted US President Ronald Reagan at Windsor Castle in 1982, and visited his California ranch in 1983, the Queen was outraged when his administration ordered an attack on Grenada, one of its Caribbean possessions, without prior communication. .

Increased media interest in the royal family's beliefs and private lives during the 1980s led to a series of sensational press stories, not all of which were true. As Kelvin McKenzie, editor of The Sun, told his staff: “Give me the overnight scoop on the royal family. Don't worry if it's not true as long as it doesn't make too much of a fuss about itself." The Observer's editor, Donald Trelford, writes on September 21, 1986: "The Royal Soap Opera has now reached such a height of public interest that that the line between fact and fiction has completely blurred... it's not just that some newspapers don't check facts or accept refutations: they don't really care whether stories are true or not." As reported, in particular in The Sunday Times 20 In July 1986, the Queen was concerned that Margaret Thatcher's economic policies were contributing to social stratification, and was also alarmed by high unemployment, a series of riots, the violence of the miners' strikes, and Thatcher's refusal to impose sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa.Sources of rumors include the Royal Assistant Michael Shea and Commonwealth Secretary-General Shridath Ramphal But Shea claimed his remarks were taken out of context and embellished with speculation. Thatcher allegedly said that the Queen would vote for the Social Democratic Party, Thatcher's political opponents. Margaret Thatcher biographer John Campbell argued that "the report was a piece of journalistic intrigue." Refuting reports of tension between them, Thatcher later expressed her personal admiration for the Queen, and the Queen gave her two personal awards - membership of the Order of Merit and the Order of the Garter. This happened after she was replaced as Prime Minister by John Major. Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney claims that Elizabeth was a "behind-the-scenes force" in ending apartheid.

Criticism of the British Queen Elizabeth II

In Canada in 1987, Elizabeth publicly supported politically controversial constitutional amendments, drawing criticism from opponents of the proposed changes, including Pierre Trudeau. That same year, Fiji's elected government was overthrown by a military coup. As monarch of Fiji, Elizabeth supported the efforts of the Governor-General, Ratu Sir Penaia Nganilau, to assert executive authority and negotiate a settlement. Coup leader Sitiveni Rabuka overthrew Nganilau and declared Fiji a republic. By early 1991, republican sentiment in Britain had risen due to speculative estimates of the Queen's private wealth that contradicted those from the palace, and reports of affairs and cases of adultery among the Queen's relatives. The participation of young members of the royal family in the charity show “It's a Royal Knockout” was ridiculed, and the Queen became the object of satire.

British royal family in the 1990s

In 1991, as a result of the coalition victory in the Gulf War, the Queen became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the United States Congress.

In her speech on November 24, 1992, on the 40th anniversary of her accession to the throne, Elizabeth called 1992 her "terrible year." In March, her second son, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and his wife, Sarah, separated, and in April, her daughter, Princess Anne, divorced Captain Mark Phillips. During a state visit to Germany in October, angry demonstrators in Dresden threw eggs at her, and in November a serious fire broke out at Windsor Castle, one of her official residences. The monarchy has come under increased scrutiny and scrutiny from the public. In an unusually personal speech, the Queen says any institution should expect criticism, but suggests this should be done with "a touch of humour, gentleness and understanding". Two days later, Prime Minister John Major announced reforms to the royal finances planned last year, including the fact that the Queen would pay income tax from 1993 onwards, as well as a reduction in the size of the civil tax roll. Prince Charles and his wife Diana officially divorced in December. The year ended with a lawsuit as the Queen sued The Sun newspaper for copyright infringement when it published the text of the royal annual Christmas message two days before the official broadcast. The newspaper was forced to pay her legal costs and donated £200,000 to charity.

In subsequent years, public revelations about the state of affairs in Charles and Diana's marriage continued. Even though support for republicanism in England seemed to be wider than at any time in living memory, republican views were still in the minority, and the Queen herself had high popularity ratings. Criticism was directed at the institution of the monarchy itself and the Queen's more distant relatives, rather than at her own behavior and actions. After consulting with her husband and Prime Minister John Major, as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey and her private secretary Robert Fellows, she wrote to Charles and Diana in late December 1995, insisting on the desired divorce.

Death of Princess Diana

In 1997, a year after the divorce, Diana died in a car accident in Paris. The Queen was on holiday with her family at Balmoral. Diana and Charles' sons, Princes William and Harry, wanted to visit the church, so the Queen and Prince Philip took them along that morning. After this single public appearance, for five days the Queen and Duke shielded their grandchildren from undue press interest by leaving them at Balmoral Castle to grieve at home, but the royal family's reclusiveness and refusal to lower the flag at Buckingham Palace sparked public outrage. Under pressure from the hostile reaction, the Queen decided to return to London and perform live on September 5th, the day before Diana's funeral. On air, she expressed her admiration for Diana and talked about her feelings “as a grandmother” to the two princes. As a result, much of the public hostility faded.

Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain

In 2002, Elizabeth celebrated her golden jubilee. Her sister and mother died in February and March, respectively, and the media theorized whether the anniversary celebration would be a success or a failure. She again embarked on an extensive tour of her estates, starting in Jamaica in February, where she held an "unforgettable" farewell banquet despite a power failure plunging the official government residence, Kings House, into darkness. As in 1977, street celebrations and commemorative events were held, and monuments were named in honor of the event. Millions of people attended each day of the three-day major jubilee celebrations in London, and the intense public interest in the Queen's personality was even greater than many journalists expected.

Although she was generally healthy throughout her life, in 2003 the Queen underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees. In October 2006, she missed the opening of the new Emirates Stadium after straining a back muscle that had been bothering her since the summer.

In May 2007, The Daily Telegraph, citing unnamed sources, reported that the Queen was "frustrated and upset" by the policies of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, concerned about the excessive presence of British military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that she expressed concerns about Blair's problems with rural areas. However, she was said to have admired Blair's efforts to bring peace to Northern Ireland. On 20 March 2008, the Queen attended the first ever Holy Week service held at St Patrick's Cathedral, the Anglican Church of Ireland in Armagh. The service was held outside England and Wales. At the invitation of Irish President Mary McAleese, the Queen made her first state visit as British monarch to the Republic of Ireland in May 2011.

The Queen addressed the United Nations for a second time in 2010, again in her role as Queen of all Commonwealth Dominions and Head of the Commonwealth. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called it "the saving anchor of our era." During her visit to New York, which followed a tour of Canada, she officially opened a memorial garden for British victims of the September 11 attacks. The Queen's visit to Australia in October 2011, her sixteenth visit since 1954, was described in the press as a "farewell tour" due to her age.

Elizabeth II - symbol of the British Empire

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 marked 60 years of her reign. Celebrations took place throughout her kingdoms, the entire Commonwealth, and beyond. In a message published on Accession Day, Elizabeth wrote:

“In this special year, I again dedicate myself to serving you, and I hope that we will all remember the need for unity and the creative power of family, friendship and good neighborliness... In this anniversary year, I want to thank everyone for the great strides that have been made since since 1952, and look forward to the future with a clear head and a warm heart."

She and her husband went on an extensive tour of Britain, while her children and grandchildren went on royal tours of other Commonwealth states on her behalf. On June 4, anniversary beacons were lit all over the world. On December 18, the Queen became the first British monarch to attend a Cabinet meeting in peacetime since George III did so in 1781.

The Queen, who opened the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, also opened the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This fact made her the first head of state to open two Olympiads in two different countries. For the London Olympics, she played herself in a short film as part of the opening ceremony, alongside Daniel Craig as James Bond. On April 4, 2013, she received an honorary BAFTA Award for her support of the film industry, and was also named "the most memorable Bond girl to date" at the awards ceremony.

On March 3, 2013, Elizabeth was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital as a precaution after developing symptoms of gastroenteritis. She returned to Buckingham Palace the next day. A week later she signed the new charter of the Commonwealth. Due to her age and the need to limit her travel, in 2013 she decided not to attend the biennial meeting of Commonwealth heads of government for the first time in 40 years. At the summit in Sri Lanka, her son, Prince Charles, represented her.

Records of Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen surpassed her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, to become the longest-living British monarch in December 2007, and the longest-reigning British monarch on 9 September 2015. In Canada, she was noted as "the longest reigning monarch in the country's modern history." (King Louis XIV of France ruled Canada (New France) longer.) She is also the longest-reigning queen regnant in history, and the oldest reigning monarch in the world. She became the longest-serving head of state in modern times following the death of King Bhumibol of Thailand on October 13, 2016. On February 6, 2017, she became the first British monarch to celebrate her sapphire jubilee.

The Queen has no plans to abdicate, although Prince Charles is expected to take on more of her workload as Elizabeth, who celebrated her ninetieth birthday in 2016, has fewer public commitments.

The role of Queen Elizabeth II in public life

Since Elizabeth rarely gives interviews, little is known about her personal feelings. As a constitutional monarch, she did not express her own political views from the public platform. She does have a deep sense of religious and civic duty, and takes her coronation oath seriously. In addition to her official religious duties as head of the Church of England, she is a personal member of that church and of the national Church of Scotland. She has demonstrated support for interfaith relations and met with leaders of other churches and religions, including five popes: Pius XII, John XXIII, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. She often displays a personal touch when speaking about her faith in her annual Christmas address to the Commonwealth. In 2000, she spoke about the theological significance of the millennium, which marks the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus:

"For many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me, the teachings of Christ and my personal responsibility before God provide the framework by which I try to live. I, like many of you, have found great comfort in difficult times by listening to the word God's, and following the example of Christ."

She is a patron of more than 600 organizations and charities. Her main interests are equestrianism and dogs, especially her Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Her cherished love for corgis began in 1933 with Dookie, the first corgi her family acquired. From time to time, scenes of her relaxed family life appeared in the press. The Queen and her family sometimes cook meals together and wash the dishes afterwards.

In the 1950s, as a young woman at the start of her reign, Elizabeth was portrayed as a glamorous "fairytale queen". After the trauma of the Second World War came a time of hope, a period of progress and achievement, heralding the "new Elizabethan era". Lord Altrincham's accusation in 1957 that her speeches sounded like those of a "pedantic schoolgirl" was an extremely rare expression of criticism. In the late 1960s In the 1980s, attempts were made to portray a more modern image of the monarchy in the television documentary The Royal Family, as well as through the televised showing of Prince Charles's formal installation as Prince of Wales.In public, she tends to wear mostly plain coats and decorative hats that allow her to stand out from the crowd.

Elizabeth II's approval ratings

In 1977 people celebrated her Silver Jubilee with great enthusiasm, but in the 1980s public criticism of the royal family increased as the personal and work lives of Elizabeth's children came under intense media scrutiny. Elizabeth's popularity fell to its lowest point in the 1990s. Under pressure from public opinion, she began paying income tax for the first time, and Buckingham Palace was opened to the general public. Dissatisfaction with the monarchy reached its peak after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, although Elizabeth's personal popularity and support for the monarchy were restored after she gave a live speech to the world five days after Diana's death.

In November 1999, a referendum held in Australia on the future of the Australian monarchy decided to retain the monarchy rather than choose the head of state through indirect elections. British opinion polls in 2006 and 2007 found strong support for Elizabeth, and in 2012, her Diamond Jubilee year, approval ratings reached 90 percent. Referendums in Tuvalu in 2008 and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2009 rejected a proposal to become republics for these countries.

Media portrayals of the British Queen

Elizabeth has been portrayed in various media by many famous artists, including Pietro Annigoni, Peter Blake, Chinwe Chunkwuogo-Roy, Terence Kaneo, Lucian Freuda, Damien Hirst, Juliet Pannett, and Tai-Shan Schierenberg. Famous photographers who have photographed Elizabeth include Cecil Beaton, Yusuf Karsh, Annie Leibovitz, Lord Lichfield, Terry O'Neill, John Swannell, and Dorothy Wilding. The first official portrait of Elizabeth was painted by Marcus Adams in 1926.

Queen Elizabeth II's net worth

Elizabeth's personal fortune has been the subject of speculation for many years. Jock Colville, her former private secretary and director of her bank Coutts, estimated her wealth in 1971 at £2 million (equivalent to about £25 million today). In 1993, Buckingham Palace said estimates of the £100 million fortune were "grossly exaggerated". She inherited the estate, valued at £70 million, from her mother in 2002. The Sunday Time Rich List published in 2015 estimated her personal wealth at £340 million. With such indicators, she is in 302nd place among the richest people in the UK.

The British Royal Collection, which includes thousands of historical works of art and jewelry of the British royal family, is not owned by the Queen personally, but is under her royal protection, as are her official residences such as Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and the Duchy of Lancaster. The property portfolio was valued in 2014 at £442 million. Sandringham Palace and Balmoral Castle are privately owned by the Queen. The property of the British Crown - with land holdings worth £9.4 billion as of 2014 - is under its protection and cannot be sold or acquired by Elizabeth for personal ownership.

Titles of Elizabeth II

Titles and awards of Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth holds many titles and honorary military positions throughout the Commonwealth. She is the sovereign of many orders in her own countries and has also received honors and awards from around the world. In each of her kingdoms she has a specific title, and it sounds the same: Queen of Jamaica and other kingdoms and territories in Jamaica, Queen of Australia and her other kingdoms and territories in Australia, etc. In the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, which are crown fiefs rather than separate realms, she is known as the Duke of Normandy and Lord of Man respectively. Additional titles call her Defender of the Faith and (Duke of) Lancaster. When speaking to the Queen, it is customary to first address her as Your Majesty and then as Ma'am.

Coat of arms of Elizabeth II

From 21 April 1944 until her accession to the throne, Elizabeth's coat of arms consisted of a lozenge on which was depicted the coat of arms of Great Britain, the distinctive feature of which was a lambelle with three silver ribbons. The central one featured a Tudor rose, and the first and third ones featured the cross of St. George. Upon her accession to the throne, she inherited her father's various coats of arms, which distinguished him as sovereign. The Queen also owns royal standards and personal flags for use in Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, and elsewhere.

Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain

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“In general, no one taught me to be a queen: my father died too early and it happened so unexpectedly - I had to immediately get involved in the matter and at the same time try not to lose face in the dirt. I had to grow into the position I took. It was fate, it had to be accepted and not complained. I think continuity is very important. My job is for life."
Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain

The title of Her Royal Majesty in the United Kingdom is: "Elizabeth the Second, by the grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other Dominions and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George Six. The coronation took place on June 2, 1953 in Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth was only 25 years old when she became queen, and has remained so for decades.

Every year the birthday is celebrated magnificently at Windsor Castle. It begins with a walk around the city (if this action, of course, can be called that). A 21-shot fireworks display is required, which sounds at noon.

Throughout her reign, the Queen has been repeatedly criticized not only by British Republicans, but also by various British media, as well as by the general public. Nevertheless, Elizabeth II was able to maintain the prestige of the British monarchy, and her popularity in Great Britain is at its highest.

Royal

Elizabeth II (English Elizabeth II), full name - Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (English Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; April 21, 1926, London) - Queen of Great Britain from 1952 to the present.

Elizabeth II comes from the Windsor dynasty. She ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, at the age of 25, following the death of her father, King George VI.

She is the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations and, in addition to Great Britain, the queen of 15 independent states: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica. He is also the head of the Church of England and the Supreme Commander of the British Armed Forces.

Coats of arms in different periods of time and in different countries

Coat of arms of Princess Elizabeth (1944–1947)

Coat of arms of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (1947–1952)

Royal coat of arms in Great Britain (except Scotland)

Royal coat of arms in Scotland

Royal coat of arms of Canada

During the reign of Elizabeth II, in all countries that recognize the British monarch as their head of state, laws were passed according to which in each of these countries the British monarch acts as the head of that particular state, regardless of his titles in Great Britain itself or in third countries. Accordingly, in all these countries the title of queen sounds the same, with the name of the state replaced. In some countries, the words “defender of the faith” are excluded from the title. For example, in Australia the title reads as follows: “Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God Queen of Australia and her other kingdoms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth.”

On the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, Elizabeth II also bears the title of Duke of Normandy, and on the Isle of Man - the title of “Lord of Man”.

Story

Elizabeth II is the oldest British (English) monarch in history. She is currently the second longest-serving British throne in history (after Queen Victoria) and also the second-longest serving head of state in the world (after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand). She is also the oldest female sitting head of state in the world, and the oldest sitting head of state in Europe.

He is the oldest sitting monarch in the world since January 24, 2015, after the death of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.

The reign of Elizabeth II covers a very broad period of British history: the process of decolonization was completed, which was marked by the final collapse of the British Empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations. This period also included many other events, such as the long-term ethnopolitical conflict in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1970

At the moment, the majority of British people have a positive assessment of Elizabeth II’s activities as a monarch (about 69% believe that the country would be worse off without the monarchy; 60% believe that the monarchy helps improve the country’s image abroad and only 22% were against the monarchy).

Despite the positive attitude of the majority of her subjects, the queen was repeatedly criticized during her reign, in particular:

In 1963, when a political crisis arose in Britain, Elizabeth was criticized for personally appointing Alexander Douglas-Home as Prime Minister of Great Britain.
In 1997, for the lack of an immediate reaction to the death of Princess Diana, the queen was attacked not only by the wrath of the British public, but also even by many major British media (for example, The Guardian).
In 2004, after Elizabeth II beat a pheasant to death with a cane while hunting, a wave of outrage from environmental organizations over the monarch's actions swept across the country.

Elizabeth II is the last representative of the so-called “old school” of monarchs: she strictly adheres to age-old traditions and ceremonies and never deviates from the rules of established etiquette. Her Majesty never gives interviews or makes statements in the press. She is in everyone's sight, but at the same time she is the most private celebrity on the planet.

Childhood

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London's Mayfair at the Earl of Strathmore's residence at No. 17 Brewton Street. The area has now been rebuilt and the house no longer exists, but there is a memorial plaque on the site. She received her name in honor of her mother (Elizabeth), grandmother (Maria) and great-grandmother (Alexandra).

Eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI, 1895–1952) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900–2002). Her grandparents: on her father's side - King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess of Teck (1867-1953); on the mother's side - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1938).

At the same time, the father insisted that his daughter’s first name be like the duchess. At first they wanted to give the girl the name Victoria, but then they changed their minds. George V remarked: “Bertie was discussing the girl's name with me. He named three names: Elizabeth, Alexandra and Maria. The names are all good, that’s what I told him, but about Victoria I absolutely agree with him. It was unnecessary." Princess Elizabeth's christening took place on May 25 in the chapel at Buckingham Palace, which was later destroyed during the war.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1930

The future queen received a good education at home, mainly in the humanities. Since childhood, she loved horses and equestrian sports. And also from childhood, unlike her more eccentric sister Margaret, she had a truly royal character. In the book biography of Elizabeth II by Sarah Bradford, it is mentioned that the future queen from childhood was a very serious child, who even then had a certain understanding of the responsibilities that fell on her as the heir to the throne, and a sense of duty. Since childhood, Elizabeth loved order; for example, when she went to bed, she always put her slippers next to the bed, never allowing herself to scatter things around the room, as is typical for many children. And already as a queen, she always made sure that no unnecessary lights were on in the palace, personally turning off the lights in empty rooms.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1926

Photo from 1929, Elizabeth is 3 years old here

Princess Elizabeth in 1933

King George VI (1895-1952) and Elizabeth Angela, Duchess of York (1900-2002), with their daughter, the future Queen, Princess Elizabeth, 1929

The Queen with her daughters, October 1942

World War II began when Elizabeth was 13 years old. On October 13, 1940, she spoke on the radio for the first time - with an appeal to children affected by the disasters of war. In 1943, her first independent appearance in public took place - a visit to the regiment of Guards Grenadiers. In 1944, she became one of the five "councilors of state" (persons authorized to perform the functions of the king in the event of his absence or incapacity). In February 1945, Elizaveta joined the “Auxiliary Territorial Service” - women's self-defense units - and was trained as an ambulance driver, receiving the military rank of lieutenant. Her military service lasted five months, which gives reason to consider her the last not yet retired participant in the Second World War (the second to last was Pope Benedict XVI, who served as an anti-aircraft gunner in the German armed forces).

Princess Elizabeth (left, in military uniform) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace (from left to right) her mother Queen Elizabeth, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, King George VI and Princess Margaret, May 8, 1945

On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth married her distant relative, who, like her, is the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria - Prince Philip Mountbatten, the son of the Greek Prince Andrew, who was then an officer in the British Navy. She met him at the age of 13, when Philip was still a cadet at the Dortmouth Naval Academy. Having become her husband, Philip received the title Duke of Edinburgh.

In November 2007, the Queen and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their Diamond Wedding - sixty years of marriage. For the sake of this occasion, the queen allowed herself a little liberty - for one day she and her husband retired for romantic memories in Malta, where Prince Philip once served, and the young Princess Elizabeth visited him.

Four children were born into their family: the heir to the throne is the eldest son, Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales (born 1948); Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise (born 1950); Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward, Duke of York (born 1960), Edward Anthony Richard Louis, Earl of Wessex (born 1964).

On December 29, 2010, Elizabeth II became a great-grandmother for the first time. On this day, her eldest grandson - Princess Anne's eldest son Peter Phillips - and his Canadian wife Autumn Kelly had a daughter. The girl became 12th in the British line of succession to the throne.

With newborn Prince Charles, December 1948

King George VI, Elizabeth's father, died on February 6, 1952. Elizabeth, who was on holiday in Kenya at the time with her husband, was proclaimed Queen of Great Britain.

The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. It was the first televised coronation of a British monarch, and the event is credited with significantly boosting the popularity of television broadcasting.

After that, in 1953-1954. The queen made a six-month tour of the Commonwealth states, British colonies and other countries of the world. Elizabeth II became the first monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand.

Elizabeth II after her coronation in 1953

The Queen with her six ladies-in-waiting
From left to right:
Lady Moira Hamilton (now Lady Moyra Campbell), Lady Anne Cox (now the Right Honorable Lady Glenconner), Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill (now Lady Rosemary Muir), Lady Mary Bailey-Hamilton (now Lady Mary Russell), Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond- Willoughby (now Baroness de Willoughby de Eresby), Lady Jane Van-Tempest-Stewart (now the Right Honorable Lady Rayne)

The Queen began her political activities, which included the opening of Parliament and the reception of prime ministers. In the fifties of the twentieth century, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip made many visits to the territory of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth countries.

In the sixties, the Queen of England made her historic visit to West Berlin at the height of the Cold War, and also invited Japanese Emperor Hirohito for an official visit to Britain. Despite the turbulent social and political situation, she celebrated her silver jubilee in 1977. The celebrations were a success, with thousands of people celebrating Elizabeth II's jubilee across the country.

The mature years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II

Five years later, Britain was involved in the war against the Falkland Islands, during which Prince Andrew served in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot. In the 1980s, the Queen's first grandchildren were born - Peter and Zara Phillips, the son and daughter of Anne, Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips.

In 1992, a disaster occurred in which fire destroyed part of Windsor Castle. That same year, the marriages of Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne were dissolved. The Queen called 1992 a "terrible year". In 1996, the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was dissolved. Tragedy followed in 1997 when Diana died in a car accident.

2002 was a sad year for Queen Elizabeth II of England as her sister Princess Margaret died.

Reign of Queen Elizabeth II

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of England, many changes were made in Great Britain. The Queen successfully carries out her political duties as head of state, head of the Commonwealth of Nations, ceremonial duties, as well as visiting responsibilities within the UK and abroad.

Elizabeth II introduced many reforms to the monarchy. In 1992, she proposed taxes on profits and capital gains. She opened official royal residences to the public, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, to finance the upkeep of the royal family.

She supported the abolition of male primogeniture and unity of inheritance, which means that the eldest child can now inherit the throne, regardless of gender.

In 2012, the Queen of England celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of her reign, celebrations were held throughout the country, which once again demonstrated the love of the British.

The style of the English queen can be roughly divided into two periods: the style of the young queen - a conservative and elegant style, and the style of the elderly queen, I would call it the “cheerful grandmother” style or even the “rainbow style”, because of the incredible number of changing colors in her suits and hats . However, the Queen of England always loved colorful flowers.

Throughout her life, the main elements of Queen Elizabeth II's wardrobe were: dresses or suits of medium length, always covering the knee, coats and raincoats of a trapeze cut, plus floor-length dresses for special occasions, as well as hats, always matching the suit, gloves, closed shoes , a brooch on a jacket and a string of pearls. The Queen of England also always preferred short hair. Favorite colors are pink, lilac and indigo.

Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the Odeon Cinema, October 31, 1955. (Photo: Monty Fresco/Getty Images)

Since the 1970s, Ian Thomas, a former assistant to Norman Hartnell and now the owner of his own salon, has been sewing for the Queen. Its distinctive feature was the flowing chiffon dresses that appeared in the queen’s wardrobe. After his death and until the late 1980s, Queen Elizabeth was sewn by Maureen Rose from the design house of Ian Thomas.

From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, the Queen of England's wardrobe was replenished with outfits from John Anderson, because after his death his partner Karl Ludwig Rese became the queen's court designer.

Since 2000, Stuart Parvin, the youngest of Her Majesty's court designers, a graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art, has been sewing for Elizabeth II. In 2002, Angela Kelly became his assistant.

The Queen of England is 86 years old. But she still steadily fulfills all the duties assigned to her and appears in public, always following her style.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh with their children, Prince Andrew (center), Princess Anne (left) and Charles, Prince of Wales near Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Queen Victoria's husband purchased Balmoral Castle in 1846. Queen Victoria visited Scotland frequently with her family, especially after the death of her husband in 1861, and Balmoral is still a favorite holiday destination for the royal family. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). September 9, 1960.

The Queen's interests include breeding dogs (including corgis, spaniels and Labradors), photography, horse riding, and travel. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige as Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively throughout her possessions, and also visits other countries of the world (for example, in 1994 she visited Russia). She has made more than 325 foreign visits (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries). I started gardening in 2009. In addition to English, he is also fluent in French

Interesting Facts

Elizabeth II does not give interviews. Nevertheless, interesting facts about this extraordinary woman periodically appear in the press, which allow us to look at the most famous reigning person of our time from an unexpected side; we have selected the most striking, in our opinion, moments.

The celebration of the royal birthday in 1981 was overshadowed by an unpleasant event: shots rang out near the horse on which Elizabeth was sitting, taking part in the parade, causing everyone around to flinch. The Queen, to the delight of the public, did not even raise an eyebrow and managed to stay in the saddle.

Self-control came in handy a year later, when, while waiting for the police, she had to conduct a conversation for several minutes with a madman who managed to get into the chambers.

In 1945, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, the future Queen of England, served as a mechanic in a reserve battalion of the British Army with the rank of junior officer. Obviously, the example of the “combat” grandmother inspired the young princes William and Harry, who also did not shy away from military service.

Family values ​​for Elizabeth The second is not an empty phrase. For the sake of her son’s happiness, she crossed strict rules and blessed the second marriage of Prince Charles of Wales with socialite Camilla Parker Bowles, despite the uproar about it.

On April 17, 2013, the Queen attended the funeral of a British politician for the second time in the history of her reign: she said goodbye to Margaret Thatcher.

Despite her solid image, the queen is no stranger to female coquetry and small weaknesses. Slick paparazzi more than once caught the moment when she publicly adjusted her makeup at social events, not embarrassed by the crowd or her high position. Etiquette is etiquette, but a real queen should look chic!

The Queen's passion is horses and corgi dogs. In her youth, Elizabeth rode horses very well, but now she pays more attention to the charming red dogs, which thanks to her have become one of the symbols of the British monarchy.

Elizabeth II is the oldest English monarch in history and the second longest-serving British monarch. She is also the oldest female current head of state.

The rose variety Rosa "Queen Elizabeth" was named in honor of Elizabeth II.

Films about Elizabeth II

In 2004, the film Churchill: The Hollywood Years was released, where Neve Campbell played the role of Elizabeth.

In 2006, the biographical film “The Queen” was released. The role of the queen was played by actress Helen Mirren. The film is a BAFTA Award winner in the Best Film category. Actress Helen Mirren, who played the main role in the film, received Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA awards, as well as the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for Best Actress. In addition, the film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

In 2009, Channel 4 of British television produced a 5-part feature mini-series “The Queen”, directed by Edmund Coulthard and Patrick Reams. The Queen was played by 5 actresses at different periods of her life: Emilia Fox, Samantha Bond, Susan Jameson, Barbara Flynn, Diana Quick.

On July 27, 2012, the television broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in London began with a video featuring James Bond (Daniel Craig) and the Queen (cameo). At the end of the video, they both jump with parachutes from a helicopter over the arena of the Olympic Stadium. On April 5, 2013, for this role, the queen was awarded a BAFTA award for best performance as a James Bond girl.

In architecture

The Queen Elizabeth Walk in Esplanade Park in Singapore is named after the queen.
The famous Big Ben, the symbol of London, has been officially called the “Elizabeth Tower” since September 2012.
The Duford Bridge, built in 1991, is also named after the Queen.
On August 1, 2013, the Elizabeth II Olympic Park was opened in London.

Lifetime monuments