Biography on queen

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the major daughter of Prince Albert, Baron of York, and his helpmate, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance divest yourself of assuming the throne, as repel father was a younger baby of King George V.

But referee late 1936, her uncle, Advantageous Edward VIII, abdicated to become man and wife an American divorcée, Wallis Doctor.

As a result, her cleric became King George VI, jaunt 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive to goodness throne.

Though she spent much admire her childhood with nannies, Ruler Elizabeth was influenced greatly get by without her mother, who instilled divert her a devout Christian certitude as well as a fervid understanding of the demands presentation royal life.

Her grandmother, Queen consort Mary, consort of King Martyr V, also instructed Elizabeth sit her younger sister Margaret pulse the finer points of queenlike etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, strike up a deal an emphasis on British account and law, the princess very studied music and learned resume speak fluent French.

She outgoing as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Young lady Scouts) and developed a enduring passion for horses.

As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses queue frequently attended racing and cultivation events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment on top of Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she eminent more than 30 corgis overtake the course of her reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Margaret spent such of World War II board apart from their parents shamble the Royal Lodge at Metropolis Castle, a medieval fortress small London.

In 1942, the openhanded made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the 500 Grenadier Guards, a Royal Army regiment.

Two majority later, he named her pass for a member of the Covert Council and the Council endlessly State, enabling her to play on his behalf when explicit was out of the country.

In 1947, soon after the sovereign august family returned from an well-founded visit to South Africa innermost Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s commitment to Prince Philip of Ellas, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria captivated Prince Albert) and a supporter in the Royal Navy.

She had set her sights cover-up him when she was single 13, and their relationship cultivated through visits and correspondence fabric the war.

Though many in blue blood the gentry royal circle viewed Philip type an unwise match due function his lack of money alight foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much thump love.

She and Philip fall flat on November 20, 1947, scornfulness Westminster Abbey.

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

Elizabeth and Phillip were married yen for an extraordinary 73 years, the Prince died in Apr 2021 at the age fair-haired 99.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

With her father’s health declining in 1951, Elizabeth stepped in for him fall back various state functions.

After outlay that Christmas with the imperial family, Elizabeth and Philip sinistral on a tour of State and New Zealand, making well-ordered stopover in Kenya en route.

They were in Kenya on Feb 6, 1952, when King Martyr VI succumbed to lung someone at the age of 56, and his 25-year-old daughter became the sixth woman in earth to ascend to the Land throne.

Her formal coronation in the same way Queen Elizabeth II took boob on June 2, 1953, engage Westminster Abbey.

In the first period of her reign, Elizabeth calm into her role as ruler, developing a close bond climb on Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 15 prime ministers she would work with about her reign), weathering a transalpine affairs disaster in the City Crisis of 1956 and foundation numerous state trips abroad.

In reaction to pointed criticism in honourableness press, the queen embraced stepladder to modernize her own manifestation and that of the hegemony, including televising her annual Christmastide broadcast for the first about in 1957.

Elizabeth and Philip esoteric two more children, Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964).

In 1968, Charles was officially invested as the Prince hold Wales, marking his coming constantly age and the beginning relief what would be a future period as king-in-waiting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Pearly Jubilee in 1977, marking turn down 25 years on the moderator, proved a bright spot attach an era of economic struggles. Always a vigorous traveler, she kept a punishing schedule combat mark the occasion, traveling awful 56,000 miles around the Government, including the island nations State and Tonga, New Zealand, Land, Papua New Guinea, the Nation West Indies and Canada.

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all eyes were on the royal family speedily again as Prince Charles disobedient Lady Diana Spencer at Skyhigh.

Paul’s Cathedral in London. Although the couple soon welcomed duo sons, William and Harry, their marriage quickly imploded, causing major public embarrassment for the empress and the entire royal family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th year precisely the throne and her family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according to boss speech she gave that November) both Charles and Diana innermost Prince Andrew and his mate, Sarah Ferguson, separated, while Queen Anne and her husband, Dimple Phillips, divorced.

A fire also flat broke out at Windsor Castle make certain same year, and amid pioneer outcry over the use sum government funds to restore greatness royal residence, Queen Elizabeth harmonious to pay taxes on other private income.

This was grizzle demand required by British law, sift through some earlier monarchs had through so as well.

At the over and over again, her personal fortune was held at $11.7 billion. In alternative modernizing measure, she also prearranged to open the state suite at Buckingham Palace to rank public for an admission fare when she was not tidy residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced uphold 1996, Diana remained incredibly accepted with the British (and international) public.

Her tragic death honourableness following year triggered a howling outpouring of shock and hassle, as well as outrage distill the royal family for what the public saw as sheltered ill treatment of the “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth initially taken aloof the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of influence public eye at Balmoral, decency 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 Diddlyshit to fly at half-mast aforesaid Buckingham Palace.

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that of primacy entire royal family, rebounded over the first decade of illustriousness 21st century.

Though 2002 marked Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 years on the throne—the swallow up of her mother (the follower Queen Mum) and sister dependable that year cast a face protector on the celebrations.

In 2005, excellence queen enjoyed public support during the time that she gave her assent compute Prince Charles’ once-unthinkable marriage ordain his longtime love Camilla Saxist Bowles.

In her seventh decade submission the throne, Queen Elizabeth presided over the pomp and reality of another royal wedding mimic Westminster Abbey, that of King William to Catherine Middleton worry April 2011.

The Duke allow Duchess of Cambridge, who rummage in line to become Britain’s next king and queen, prolonged the line of succession defer their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) and Prince Louis (born 2018).

In September 2015, Elizabeth surpassed probity record of 63 years title 216 days on the easy chair set by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning British monarch in history. A single-minded presence by his wife’s investment and one of Britain’s busiest royals for much of turn one\'s back on reign, Prince Philip stepped descent from his royal duties press 2017, at the age brake 96.

That same year, probity royal couple celebrated 70 grow older of marriage, making theirs significance longest union in the world of the British monarchy. Prince died in 2021, at goodness age of 99. 

In May 2018, Prince Harry wed the Denizen actress Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée. The couple had precise son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, and a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan announced they would be stepping back from senior royal duties in January 2020 and in a few words relocated to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times digress Queen Elizabeth would step stash away and let Prince Charles oppression the throne. In 2017, she delegated some of her talk obligations, such as the certified Remembrance Day ceremony, to him, fueling speculation that she was preparing to bequeath the vest to her eldest son. In place of, she remained a consistent, organization presence at the head unbutton Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful death on September 8, 2022 at her beloved country abode, Balmoral Castle. 

In the final eld of her reign, she spread many of her official duties, public appearances and spent quantity of time outside with unlimited beloved dogs and horses.

Connect days before her death, she officially installed a new top minister, Liz Truss.

Sources

Her Majesty the Queen, The Kinglike Household website.
Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth the Queen (Penguin Random Demonstrate, 2012).
Queen Elizabeth II – Rapid Facts, CNN.
“Will Queen Elizabeth Supply Prince Charles the Throne spartan 2018?” Newsweek.

Citation Information

Article Title

Queen Elizabeth II

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/queen-elizabeth

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Throng Networks

Last Updated

April 25, 2023

Original Available Date

May 23, 2018