Queen Elizabeth II was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary at 2.40 am (GMT) on April 21 1926 at her maternal grandfather's London house: 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair. The house in which she was born is now a fancy Cantonese restaurant called Hakkasan.
Queen Elizabeth had two birthdays: one on her actual birthday, April 21, and one the second Saturday of June, because April weather is too cold for a parade.
She was the first child of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), the second son of King George V and Queen Mary.
Her mother was Elizabeth, Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth), the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon.
She was named after her mother. Her nickname was "Lilibet".
Princess Elizabeth had one sister, Princess Margaret, who was born in 1930.
The two little princesses Elizabeth and Margaret did not go to school but were taught by a governess, Miss Marion Crawford, a young Scottish woman.
Princess Elizabeth never went to school, her early education was confined to learning French, the piano and dancing under Scottish governess Marion Crawford.
Princess Elizabeth's daily routine varied little from day to day. At the age of 5, Elizabeth rose at 6 AM and went out for a riding lesson with a groom. After breakfast she and her sister went to their parents' room. They spent the rest of the morning with their governess. After lunch they had lessons in French, voice, and piano. In the afternoon they played in the garden, usually with their governess.
The Princess' rarely had the company of other children, but they had many pets, particularly horses and dogs.
Queen Elizabeth became a homeowner at six years old, when the people of Wales gifted her a house on the grounds of Windsor’s Royal Lodge.
12-year-old Princess Elizabeth performed her first public duty without the King or Queen on March 4, 1939. The occasion was the National Pony Society show at the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington, where, with Princess Margaret, she presented rosettes.
Elizabeth was 13 years old when World War II started. When London was bombed. Elizabeth and Margaret were moved to Windsor Castle.
Elizabeth acted in a number of Pantomimes during World War II including playing the part of Prince Florizel in Cinderella in 1941.
On April 26, 1942, shortly after her 16th birthday, Princess Elizabeth registered for war service and joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) as a mechanic. She was the first female member of the British royal family to join the armed forces and one of the few female members of the royal family to have served in the military.
In 1947, Princess Margaret made her first official trip outside Britain when she went with her parents to South Africa.
Elizabeth became Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and Head of the Commonwealth when her father, King George VI, died on February 6, 1952. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a tree house at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya.
Princess Elizabeth proclaimed herself Queen a couple of days later, watched by 150 dignitaries at St James’s Palace. She said: "My heart is too full for me to say more to you today than I shall always work, as my father did throughout his reign, to advance the happiness and prosperity of my peoples, spread as they are all the world over."
Queen Elizabeth II of Britain was crowned in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, 16 months after the death of her father. It was the first coronation to be televised and millions watched worldwide.
One of the reasons for choosing June 2nd was that meteorological records identified the date as the most likely day of the year to be sunny. It turned out gloomy, cloudy, windy and very rainy.
Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of sixteen countries in the world: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The Queen's speech was televised for the first time in 1957. It was recorded in the Long Library at Sandringham.
On February 8, 1960 Queen Elizabeth II issued an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants would take the name "Mountbatten-Windsor".
During the Trooping the Color in 1981, the Queen was shot at, but she carried on. It was later discovered that the shots were blanks.
In 1982, a man called Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace in the morning, and found the Queen's bedroom. He woke her up, and sat on her bed, until the guards came to take him away.
In 1991, she became the first British monarch to speak to a joint session of the United States Congress.
In May 2007, the Queen and Prince Philip made a state visit to the United States, in honor of the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.
Elizabeth II, as the Monarch of the United Kingdom, was the "Supreme Governor" of the Church of England and sworn protector of the Church of Scotland.
The Queen was a committed Christian and regularly went to church wherever she was: at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, St. Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham House, Crathie Kirk at Balmoral Castle, and Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, when she stayed in Holyroodhouse, her official home in Scotland.
The Queen often met with leaders from other religions as well. On October 17, 1980, she became the first British Monarch to visit the Vatican, where she was welcomed by Pope John Paul II. She gave Pope John Paul II gifts of a book on Windsor Castle and two signed photographs. Queen Elizabeth made another visit twenty years later in 2000 to mark the 20th anniversary of their first meeting.
On December 20, 2007 Elizabeth II became the oldest ever monarch of the United Kingdom, surpassing Queen Victoria, who lived for 81 years, 7 months and 29 days.
Queen Elizabeth II became Britain's longest-reigning monarch on September 9, 2015 when she passed the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria at 17:30 BST. At that moment, The Queen had reigned for 23,226 days (63 years and seven months), 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes.
On January 31, 2019, Queen Elizabeth II became the world’s longest reigning female ruler ever, overtaking Eleanor of Aquitaine, who died in 1204. Eleanor, who was also queen consort of France and England, was Duchess of Aquitaine for 66 years and 358 days.
Queen Elizabeth had two birthdays: one on her actual birthday, April 21, and one the second Saturday of June, because April weather is too cold for a parade.
EARLY LIFE
She was the first child of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), the second son of King George V and Queen Mary.
Her mother was Elizabeth, Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth), the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon.
She was named after her mother. Her nickname was "Lilibet".
Princess Elizabeth had one sister, Princess Margaret, who was born in 1930.
The two little princesses Elizabeth and Margaret did not go to school but were taught by a governess, Miss Marion Crawford, a young Scottish woman.
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| Princess Elizabeth aged 3, April 1929 |
Princess Elizabeth never went to school, her early education was confined to learning French, the piano and dancing under Scottish governess Marion Crawford.
Princess Elizabeth's daily routine varied little from day to day. At the age of 5, Elizabeth rose at 6 AM and went out for a riding lesson with a groom. After breakfast she and her sister went to their parents' room. They spent the rest of the morning with their governess. After lunch they had lessons in French, voice, and piano. In the afternoon they played in the garden, usually with their governess.
The Princess' rarely had the company of other children, but they had many pets, particularly horses and dogs.
Queen Elizabeth became a homeowner at six years old, when the people of Wales gifted her a house on the grounds of Windsor’s Royal Lodge.
12-year-old Princess Elizabeth performed her first public duty without the King or Queen on March 4, 1939. The occasion was the National Pony Society show at the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington, where, with Princess Margaret, she presented rosettes.
Elizabeth was 13 years old when World War II started. When London was bombed. Elizabeth and Margaret were moved to Windsor Castle.
Elizabeth acted in a number of Pantomimes during World War II including playing the part of Prince Florizel in Cinderella in 1941.
On April 26, 1942, shortly after her 16th birthday, Princess Elizabeth registered for war service and joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) as a mechanic. She was the first female member of the British royal family to join the armed forces and one of the few female members of the royal family to have served in the military.
During her time with the ATS, Princess Elizabeth trained as a driver and mechanic and learned how to maintain and repair vehicles. She served in England and Wales and attained the rank of Junior Commander. Her service in the ATS was an important part of her personal and public development, as it gave her a chance to experience life outside the royal family and to contribute to the war effort.
In 1947, Princess Margaret made her first official trip outside Britain when she went with her parents to South Africa.
REIGN
Elizabeth became Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and Head of the Commonwealth when her father, King George VI, died on February 6, 1952. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a tree house at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya.
Princess Elizabeth proclaimed herself Queen a couple of days later, watched by 150 dignitaries at St James’s Palace. She said: "My heart is too full for me to say more to you today than I shall always work, as my father did throughout his reign, to advance the happiness and prosperity of my peoples, spread as they are all the world over."
Queen Elizabeth II of Britain was crowned in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, 16 months after the death of her father. It was the first coronation to be televised and millions watched worldwide.
One of the reasons for choosing June 2nd was that meteorological records identified the date as the most likely day of the year to be sunny. It turned out gloomy, cloudy, windy and very rainy.
Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of sixteen countries in the world: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The Queen's speech was televised for the first time in 1957. It was recorded in the Long Library at Sandringham.
On February 8, 1960 Queen Elizabeth II issued an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants would take the name "Mountbatten-Windsor".
During the Trooping the Color in 1981, the Queen was shot at, but she carried on. It was later discovered that the shots were blanks.
In 1982, a man called Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace in the morning, and found the Queen's bedroom. He woke her up, and sat on her bed, until the guards came to take him away.
In 1991, she became the first British monarch to speak to a joint session of the United States Congress.
In May 2007, the Queen and Prince Philip made a state visit to the United States, in honor of the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.
Elizabeth II, as the Monarch of the United Kingdom, was the "Supreme Governor" of the Church of England and sworn protector of the Church of Scotland.
The Queen was a committed Christian and regularly went to church wherever she was: at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, St. Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham House, Crathie Kirk at Balmoral Castle, and Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, when she stayed in Holyroodhouse, her official home in Scotland.
The Queen often met with leaders from other religions as well. On October 17, 1980, she became the first British Monarch to visit the Vatican, where she was welcomed by Pope John Paul II. She gave Pope John Paul II gifts of a book on Windsor Castle and two signed photographs. Queen Elizabeth made another visit twenty years later in 2000 to mark the 20th anniversary of their first meeting.
On December 20, 2007 Elizabeth II became the oldest ever monarch of the United Kingdom, surpassing Queen Victoria, who lived for 81 years, 7 months and 29 days.
Queen Elizabeth II became Britain's longest-reigning monarch on September 9, 2015 when she passed the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria at 17:30 BST. At that moment, The Queen had reigned for 23,226 days (63 years and seven months), 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes.
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| The Queen, 2015. By UK Home Office - Wikipedia Commons |
On January 31, 2019, Queen Elizabeth II became the world’s longest reigning female ruler ever, overtaking Eleanor of Aquitaine, who died in 1204. Eleanor, who was also queen consort of France and England, was Duchess of Aquitaine for 66 years and 358 days.
Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022 at Balmoral Castle. She was succeeded by her son King Charles III.
At the start of her reign Queen Elizabeth II reigned over 70 nations, by the end of it only 14. She is also credited with founding the Commonwealth, an institution that brings together 56 nations 52 of which were formerly part of the collapsed British Empire.
Queen Elizabeth II visited 116 countries in the world, but Greece wasn't one of them, despite her husband having been born there. The reason is believed to be that Philip hated his birth country, because of how they treated his family over the years.
The Queen’s working day, according to Vanity Fair magazine, started at 8am with kippers or kidneys with toast — and a crossword puzzle before the Bagpiper to the Sovereign begun to play.
PERSONAL LIFE
The Queen was 5 foot 4 inches — 11 inches shorter than her grandson Prince William.
She was famously a lover of corgis, and has had more than 30 of the dogs during her reign. A Pembroke Welsh Corgi called Roseval Golden Eagle was Princess Elizabeth's first corgi of many; it was given to her and sister Margaret in 1933 by their father King Edward VI
Princess Elizabeth was given a corgi called ‘Susan’ as a present for her 18th birthday in 1944.
In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II decided to not breed anymore corgis so that she would not leave any behind when she passed away. Her last corgi died in April 2018.
The Queen learnt to drive in 1945 when she joined the Army.
The Queen was married to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. from 1947 to 2021. They are second cousins once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark and third cousins through Queen Victoria.
Prince Philip was born into the royal families of Greece and Denmark. Just before they were married, he became a citizen of the United Kingdom, and changed his name to Philip Mountbatten. He became the Duke of Edinburgh on the day he married.
Princess Elizabeth fell in love with Philip Mountbatten after they met at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in July 1939, Though she was only 13 years old, they began to exchange letters.
Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten were married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey before 2,000 guests.
Elizabeth and Philip received 2,500 wedding gifts from around the world.
Because Britain had not yet completely recovered from the devastation of the war, Elizabeth required ration coupons to buy the material for her wedding dress, which was designed by Norman Hartnell.
The Queen had four children with Prince Philip. Their first born Charles, Prince of Wales was born 14 November 1948. Their second child is a daughter. She is Anne, Princess Royal. She was born 15 August 1950. The Royal couple had two more sons. Prince Andrew, Duke of York was born 19 February 1960. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex was born 10 March 1964.
With the birth of Prince Andrew in 1960, Her Majesty became the first reigning Sovereign to have a child since 1857 when Queen Victoria welcomed her youngest child, Princess Beatrice.
The Queen used the Latin phrase "annus Horribilis", meaning ‘horrible year’, to sum up 1992. During the 12 months there was a fire at Windsor Castle, Princess Anne divorced Mark Phillips, Prince Andrew separated from Sarah, Duchess of York, and the book Diana: Her True Story revealed the affair between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Elizabeth II was friends with many world leaders. Her first Prime Minister of Australia, Sir Robert Menzies called her "My Dear" and recited a poem that said "I will love her till I die".
When someone talked about the Queen, she was called "The Queen" or "Her Majesty". When someone talked to her, she was called "Your Majesty". After the first time, the person talking to the Queen could say "Ma'am" (pronounced "Mam").
Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, famously could not contain his excitement upon seeing Elizabeth II in the flesh at a 2002 royal gala. On seeing the English monarch, he shouted: “Hey, Queen!” He recalled to The Guardian: “I yelled it out. She didn't say anything back.”
She had a good sense of humor. A TV documentary showed a cushion at Balmoral with the slogan: ‘It’s good to be Queen.’
The first time the Queen was admitted to hospital was at the age of 56, in July 1982, when she had a wisdom tooth removed at King Edward VII Hospital in London. It was headline news.
Elizabeth II was friends with many world leaders. Her first Prime Minister of Australia, Sir Robert Menzies called her "My Dear" and recited a poem that said "I will love her till I die".
When someone talked about the Queen, she was called "The Queen" or "Her Majesty". When someone talked to her, she was called "Your Majesty". After the first time, the person talking to the Queen could say "Ma'am" (pronounced "Mam").
Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, famously could not contain his excitement upon seeing Elizabeth II in the flesh at a 2002 royal gala. On seeing the English monarch, he shouted: “Hey, Queen!” He recalled to The Guardian: “I yelled it out. She didn't say anything back.”
She had a good sense of humor. A TV documentary showed a cushion at Balmoral with the slogan: ‘It’s good to be Queen.’
The first time the Queen was admitted to hospital was at the age of 56, in July 1982, when she had a wisdom tooth removed at King Edward VII Hospital in London. It was headline news.
Queen Elizabeth had an official shoe-wearer who broke in her shoes so they don't give her blisters.
Taking afternoon tea was Her Majesty’s favorite part of the day, including a strong cup of tea with a few drops of milk.
For an aperitif the Queen liked a dry martini, stirred not shaken, finished with a twist of lemon rind.
Queen Elizabeth II had four alcoholic drinks a day - a gin before lunch, a wine during lunch, a dry martini with dinner, and a glass of champagne following dinner.
Queen Elizabeth carried a gold powder compact and dark pink lipstick in her handbag at all times for essential retouching. She also always carried a mirror, mint lozenges, a pen, and reading glasses in her purse.
Queen Elizabeth owned one of the world's largest private collections of postage stamps.
The Queen's wealth was private. She owned Sandringham House, Balmoral Castle, and other large properties but didn't own Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, or the royal collection of art. In 2010, Forbes magazine estimated her personal fortune at about US$450 million (£300 million).
Taking afternoon tea was Her Majesty’s favorite part of the day, including a strong cup of tea with a few drops of milk.
For an aperitif the Queen liked a dry martini, stirred not shaken, finished with a twist of lemon rind.
Queen Elizabeth II had four alcoholic drinks a day - a gin before lunch, a wine during lunch, a dry martini with dinner, and a glass of champagne following dinner.
Queen Elizabeth carried a gold powder compact and dark pink lipstick in her handbag at all times for essential retouching. She also always carried a mirror, mint lozenges, a pen, and reading glasses in her purse.
Queen Elizabeth owned one of the world's largest private collections of postage stamps.
The Queen's wealth was private. She owned Sandringham House, Balmoral Castle, and other large properties but didn't own Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, or the royal collection of art. In 2010, Forbes magazine estimated her personal fortune at about US$450 million (£300 million).
DEATH
At the age of 96, Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle at 15:10 BST on September 8, 2022, with two of her children, Charles and Anne, by her side. Her passing was announced to the public at 18:30, which triggered Operation London Bridge and Operation Unicorn as she had died in Scotland.
It is worth noting that Queen Elizabeth was the first monarch to pass away in Scotland since James V in 1542. Her death certificate cited "old age" as the cause of death.
A state funeral was held in honor of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022. This marked the first time since George II in 1760 that a monarch's funeral service was held at the Abbey. More than a million people lined the streets of central London to pay their respects, and several Commonwealth countries declared the day as a holiday.
In Windsor, a final procession was held, which was witnessed by 97,000 people and involved 1,000 military personnel. Elizabeth's fell pony and two royal corgis were present at the side of the procession.
After a committal service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, Elizabeth was interred with her husband Philip in the King George VI Memorial Chapel later the same day, in a private ceremony attended by her closest family members.
Sources Hello magazine, Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia © 1998 The Learning Company, Inc, Wikipedia, Daily Mail
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