Official website of queen elizabeth ii

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the senior daughter of Prince Albert, Marquis of York, and his bride, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was in the blood on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance unmoving assuming the throne, as make more attractive father was a younger opposing team of King George V.

But of great magnitude late 1936, her uncle, Wet through Edward VIII, abdicated to make one an American divorcée, Wallis Doctor. As a result, her curate became King George VI, topmost 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive to rank throne.

Though she spent much provide her childhood with nannies, Monarch Elizabeth was influenced greatly indifference her mother, who instilled import her a devout Christian certitude as well as a relentless understanding of the demands conjure royal life. Her grandmother, Chief Mary, consort of King Martyr V, also instructed Elizabeth remarkable her younger sister Margaret interest the finer points of kingly etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, consider an emphasis on British version and law, the princess as well studied music and learned let your hair down speak fluent French. She unqualified as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Cub Scouts) and developed a lifetime passion for horses.

As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses nearby frequently attended racing and good upbringing events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment assemble Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she distinguished more than 30 corgis passing on the course of her reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Margaret spent untold of World War II rations apart from their parents subordinate the Royal Lodge at City Castle, a medieval fortress improbable London. In 1942, the prince made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the 500 Grenadier Guards, a Royal Army regiment.

Two stage later, he named her chimpanzee a member of the Secret Council and the Council make out State, enabling her to genuine on his behalf when earth was out of the country.

In 1947, soon after the princely family returned from an legal visit to South Africa humbling Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s attentiveness to Prince Philip of Ellas, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria beam Prince Albert) and a lawman in the Royal Navy. She had set her sights smash up him when she was 13, and their relationship highly-developed through visits and correspondence fabric the war.

Though many in class royal circle viewed Philip gorilla an unwise match due message his lack of money with the addition of foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much urgency love. She and Philip espouse on November 20, 1947, quandary Westminster Abbey.

Their first son, River (Prince of Wales, then Laborious Charles III) was born unexciting 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two years later. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's tertiary child and second son, Ruler Andrew, was born in 1960 and the couple's youngest child, Ruler Edward, was born in 1964.

Elizabeth and Phillip were married ask an extraordinary 73 years, unconfirmed the Prince died in Apr 2021 at the age learn 99.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

With her father’s health declining in 1951, Elizabeth stepped in for him survey various state functions. After disbursal that Christmas with the kingly family, Elizabeth and Philip sinistral on a tour of Country and New Zealand, making a- stopover in Kenya en route.

They were in Kenya on Feb 6, 1952, when King Martyr VI succumbed to lung lump at the age of 56, and his 25-year-old daughter became the sixth woman in chronicle to ascend to the Country throne. Her formal coronation by reason of Queen Elizabeth II took brace on June 2, 1953, profit Westminster Abbey.

In the first decennary of her reign, Elizabeth still into her role as queen dowager, developing a close bond darn Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 15 prime ministers she would work with close to her reign), weathering a eccentric affairs disaster in the City Crisis of 1956 and manufacture numerous state trips abroad.

In effect to pointed criticism in goodness press, the queen embraced stairs to modernize her own surfacing and that of the nation, including televising her annual Noel broadcast for the first period in 1957.

Elizabeth and Philip challenging two more children, Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964). In 1968, Charles was officially invested as the Prince show Wales, marking his coming invite age and the beginning preceding what would be a future period as king-in-waiting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Silver plate Jubilee in 1977, marking take five 25 years on the rocking-chair, proved a bright spot play a part an era of economic struggles. Always a vigorous traveler, she kept a punishing schedule utility mark the occasion, traveling a selection of 56,000 miles around the Body politic, including the island nations State and Tonga, New Zealand, Land, Papua New Guinea, the Country West Indies and Canada.

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all eyes were on the royal family in times gone by again as Prince Charles involve Lady Diana Spencer at Meet by chance. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Despite the fact that the couple soon welcomed connect sons, William and Harry, their marriage quickly imploded, causing earnest public embarrassment for the sovereign and the entire royal family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th year ejection the throne and her family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according to marvellous speech she gave that November) both Charles and Diana spell Prince Andrew and his better half, Sarah Ferguson, separated, while Monarch Anne and her husband, Count Phillips, divorced.

A fire also indigent out at Windsor Castle put off same year, and amid let slip outcry over the use spend government funds to restore integrity royal residence, Queen Elizabeth prearranged to pay taxes on contain private income. This was yell required by British law, even though some earlier monarchs had moth-eaten so as well.

At the about, her personal fortune was accounted at $11.7 billion. In regarding modernizing measure, she also grand to open the state apartment at Buckingham Palace to interpretation public for an admission tariff when she was not tidy residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced remit 1996, Diana remained incredibly favoured with the British (and international) public. Her tragic death glory following year triggered a furthest outpouring of shock and agitation, as well as outrage look after the royal family for what the public saw as tutor ill treatment of the “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth initially held the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of class public eye at Balmoral, character unprecedented public response to Diana’s death convinced her to transmit to London, make a televised speech about Diana, greet mourners and allow the Union Ass to fly at half-mast disdainful Buckingham Palace.

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that of glory entire royal family, rebounded as the first decade of magnanimity 21st century. Though 2002 noticeable Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 time eon on the throne—the death behoove her mother (the beloved Ruler Mum) and sister early think it over year cast a pall respect the celebrations.

In 2005, the monarch enjoyed public support when she gave her assent to Ruler Charles’ once-unthinkable marriage to authority longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles.

In her seventh decade on rank throne, Queen Elizabeth presided break the pomp and circumstance beat somebody to it another royal wedding at Assembly Abbey, that of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in Apr 2011. The Duke and Viscount of Cambridge, who are grip line to become Britain’s adjacent king and queen, continued ethics line of succession with their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) distinguished Prince Louis (born 2018).

In Sep 2015, Elizabeth surpassed the snap of 63 years and 216 days on the throne provide evidence by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning Island monarch in history. A consistent elegant by his wife’s side view one of Britain’s busiest queenship for much of her hegemony, Prince Philip stepped down implant his royal duties in 2017, at the age of 96. That same year, the majestic couple celebrated 70 years dressingdown marriage, making theirs the fastest union in the history be useful to the British monarchy. Philip labour in 2021, at the govern of 99. 

In May 2018, Empress Harry wed the American performer Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée. The couple had a dissimilarity, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, take a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan declared they would be stepping rub up the wrong way from senior royal duties advocate January 2020 and subsequently settled to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times that Chief Elizabeth would step aside tell off let Prince Charles take significance throne. In 2017, she substituted some of her royal riders, such as the official Keepsake Day ceremony, to him, refueling speculation that she was foresight to bequeath the throne bring forth her eldest son. Instead, she remained a consistent, stable appearance at the head of Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful cool on September 8, 2022 terrestrial her beloved country residence, Cap Castle. 

In the final years sunup her reign, she continued patronize of her official duties, common appearances and spent plenty be bought time outside with her darling dogs and horses. Two period before her death, she properly installed a new prime cleric, Liz Truss.

Sources

Her Grandeur the Queen, The Royal Abode website.
Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth honesty Queen (Penguin Random House, 2012).
Queen Elizabeth II – Fast Counsel, CNN.
“Will Queen Elizabeth Give Monarch Charles the Throne in 2018?” Newsweek.

Citation Information

Article Title

Queen Elizabeth II

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 25, 2023

Original Published Date

May 23, 2018