“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 business and at the same time try not to lose face in the dirt. I had to grow up to the position that I took. It was fate, it should have been accepted and not grumbled. I think continuity is very important. My job is for life."
Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain
I wonder what it's like to celebrate your birthday for more than 50 years twice a year? This question can be answered by Queen Elizabeth II, who was born on April 21, 1926 in London, and for many years her birthday has been celebrated throughout the United Kingdom not only on April 21, but also on the 3rd Saturday of June.
Title 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 Possessions 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 VI. The coronation took place on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth was only 25 years old when she became queen, and has been so for several decades now.
Birthdays are celebrated every year at Windsor Castle. It begins with a walk around the city (if this action, of course, can be called that). A 21-shot salute is certainly given, which sounds at noon.
Throughout her reign, the queen has been criticized more than once 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 the UK is at its best.
Royal
Elizabeth II (Eng. Elizabeth II), full name- Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (Eng. 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 after the death of her father, King George VI.
Is the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations and, in addition to Great Britain, the Queen 15 independent states: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica. He is also head of the Anglican Church and 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 in Canada
The full title of Elizabeth II in Great Britain sounds like "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other kingdoms and territories, the Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."
During the reign of Elizabeth II, in all countries recognizing the British monarch as their head of state, laws were passed according to which in each of these countries the British monarch acts as head of this particular state, regardless of his titles in Great Britain proper or in third countries. Accordingly, in all these countries, the title of the 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 sounds like this: "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God the 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, on the Isle of Man - the title of "Lord of Maine".
Story
Elizabeth II is the oldest British (English) monarch in history. She is currently the second longest-serving head of state 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 world's oldest female incumbent head of state, and in Europe the oldest incumbent head of state.
He is the oldest reigning monarch in the world since January 24, 2015, after the death of King Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
During the reign of Elizabeth II, a very wide period of British history falls: 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 ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Queen Elizabeth II, 1970
public perception
On currently the majority of Britons positively assess the activities of Elizabeth II as a monarch (about 69% believe that the country would be worse without the monarchy; 60% believe that the monarchy contributes to raising the country's image abroad and only 22% were against the monarchy).
Despite the positive attitude of most of her subjects, the queen was repeatedly criticized throughout her reign, in particular:
In 1963, when a political crisis arose in Britain, Elizabeth was criticized for having personally appointed 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 fell not only with the anger of the British public, but even of many major British media (for example, The Guardian).
In 2004, after Elizabeth II beat a pheasant to death with a cane, a wave of indignation from environmental organizations swept across the country about the actions of the monarch.
Elizabeth II is the last representative of the so-called "old school" of monarchs: she strictly adheres to centuries-old traditions and ceremonies and never deviates from the rules of established etiquette. Her Majesty never gives interviews or makes press statements. She is in front of everyone, but at the same time is the most closed celebrity on the planet.
Childhood
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in the London district of Mayfair in the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at Brewton Street, house number 17. Now the area has been rebuilt, and the house no longer exists, but a memorial plaque has been erected on this site. She got 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 paternal grandparents were King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess of Teck (1867-1953); by mother - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1938).
At the same time, the father insisted that the first name of the daughter be like that of the duchess. At first they wanted to give the girl the name Victoria, but then they changed their minds. George V remarked: “Bertie discussed the girl's name with me. He named three names: Elizabeth, Alexandra and Mary. The names are all good, I told him so, but about Victoria, I absolutely agree with him. It was redundant." The christening of Princess Elizabeth took place on May 25 in the chapel of Buckingham Palace, later destroyed during the war years.
Queen Elizabeth II, 1930
In 1930, Elizabeth's only sister, Princess Margaret, was born.
The future queen received a good education at home, mainly in the humanities. She loved horses and equestrian sports since childhood. And also from childhood, unlike her more eccentric sister Margaret, she had a truly royal character. In the biography of Elizabeth II, Sarah Bradford mentions that the future queen from childhood was a very serious child, who even then had a certain understanding of the duties that fell on her as the heir to the throne, and a sense of duty. Since childhood, Elizabeth loved order, so, for example, when she went to bed, she always put slippers next to the bed, never allowing herself to scatter things in the room, as is typical for many children. And already as a queen, she always made sure that no extra light burned in the palace, personally turning off the lights in empty rooms.
Queen Elizabeth II, 1926
Photo of 1929, Elizabeth is 3 years old here
Princess Elizabeth in 1933
King George VI and (1895-1952) and Elizabeth Angela, Duchess of York (1900-2002), with their daughter, the future Queen - Princess Elizabeth, 1929
The Queen and her daughters, October 1942
princess at war
The Second World War began when Elizabeth was 13 years old. On October 13, 1940, she made her first radio appearance, addressing children affected by the disasters of the war. In 1943, her first independent appearance in public took place - a visit to the regiment of the Guards Grenadiers. In 1944, she became one of the five "state councilors" (persons entitled to perform the functions of the king in the event of his absence or incapacity). In February 1945, Elizabeth joined the "Auxiliary Territorial Service" - women's self-defense units - and was trained as an ambulance driver, receiving military rank lieutenant. Her military service lasted five months, which gives reason to consider her the last participant in the Second World War who has not yet retired (the penultimate one 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
Wedding
On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth married her distant relative, who, like her, is the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria - Prince Philip Mountbatten, son of the Greek Prince Andrew, who was then an officer british navy. She met him at the age of 13, when Philip was still a cadet at Dortmouth naval school. Becoming her husband, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
In November 2007, the Queen and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their "diamond wedding" - the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage. For the sake of such an occasion, the Queen allowed herself a little liberties - for one day they retired with her husband for romantic memories in Malta, where Prince Philip once served, and the young Princess Elizabeth visited him.
Four children were born in their family: the heir to the throne - 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.
With newborn Prince Charles, December 1948
Coronation and beginning of reign
King George VI, Elizabeth's father, died February 6, 1952. Elizabeth, who at that time was on vacation with her husband in Kenya, was proclaimed Queen of Great Britain.
The coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. This was the first televised coronation of a British monarch, and is credited with having contributed significantly to the rise of television broadcasting.
After that, in 1953-1954. The queen made a six-month tour of the Commonwealth, 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 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-Stuart (now The Honorable Lady Rayne)
Young Queen Elizabeth II
The queen began her political activity, 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 countries of the Commonwealth.
In the 1960s, the Queen of England made her historic visit to West Berlin at the height of the Cold War, and also invited Japanese Emperor Hirohito on an official visit to Britain. Despite the turbulent social and political situation, she celebrated her silver jubilee in 1977. The celebrations were a success, thousands of people celebrated the anniversary of Elizabeth II across the country.
Mature years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II
Five years later, Britain was involved in hostilities against the Falklands, during which Prince Andrew served in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot. In the eighties of the twentieth century, the first grandchildren of the Queen were born - Peter and Zara Phillips, the son and daughter of Anna, Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips.
In 1992, a catastrophe occurred, as a result of which a fire destroyed part of Windsor Castle. That same year, the marriages of Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne were annulled. The Queen called 1992 a "terrible year". In 1996, the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was annulled. 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 the UK. The Queen successfully fulfills her political duties as head of state, head of the Commonwealth of Nations, ceremonial duties, as well as visiting duties within and outside the UK.
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 people, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, in order to fund the upkeep of the royal family.
She supported the abolition of male primogeniture and single inheritance, which means that now the eldest child can inherit the throne, regardless of gender.
In 2012, the Queen of England celebrated her 60th birthday, with celebrations taking place across the country, once again demonstrating the love of the British.
The style of clothing of the English Queen Elizabeth II
The style of the English queen can be conditionally divided into two periods: the style of the young queen - the style is conservative and elegant, and the style of the elderly queen, I would call it the style of "merry grandmother" or even "rainbow style", because of the incredible number of changing colors in her costumes and hats . However, the English queen has always loved colors.
Throughout her life, the main elements of the wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth II were: dresses or suits of medium length, which necessarily cover the knee, coats and raincoats of A-line cut, plus floor-length dresses for special occasions, as well as hats, always in tone with the suit, gloves, closed shoes , a brooch on a jacket and a string of pearls. The Queen of England also always preferred short haircuts. Favorite colors are pink, lilac and indigo.
Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the Odeon Cinema on October 31, 1955. (Photo: Monty Fresco/Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth II becomes Queen after the death of her father in February 1952, and her coronation took place on June 2, 1952. At that time, namely in the 1940s and 1950s, Norman Hartnell sewed dresses for the princess, and then the queen. And Elizabeth more than once appeared in public in dresses with puffy skirts made of duchesse satin or silk. The design of her wedding dress in ivory and embellished with silver threads is also by Norman Hartnell, however, as is the design of the coronation dress.
From the mid-1950s and throughout the 60s, Hardy Amis sewed for the Queen. It is he who brings a sense of simplicity to the queen's outfits, but this simplicity is only external, because behind it lies a very complex cut. He sewed his first dresses for the Queen back in 1948, when Elizabeth asked him to create a wardrobe for a trip to Canada.
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 distinguishing feature was the flying chiffon dresses that appeared in the wardrobe of the queen. After his death and until the late 1980s, Maureen Rose of Ian Thomas' design house sewed for Queen Elizabeth.
From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, the wardrobe of the English queen was replenished with outfits from John Anderson, because after his death, his partner Carl Ludwig Rese became the queen's court designer.
Since 2000, the youngest, by age, of Her Majesty's court designers, Stuart Parvin, 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, invariably 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
Hobby
The Queen's interests include dog breeding (including Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, and travel. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige of the Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively around her possessions, and also visits other countries of the world (for example, in 1994 she visited Russia). She has more than 325 foreign visits to her credit (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries). I have been gardening since 2009. In addition to English, he is also fluent in French.
Interesting Facts
Elizabeth II does not give interviews. Nevertheless, interesting facts about this outstanding woman periodically flash in the press, which allow us to look at the most famous reigning lady of our time from an unexpected angle, we have chosen the most striking, in our opinion, moments.
The celebration of the royal birthday in 1981 was overshadowed by an unpleasant event: in the vicinity of the horse on which Elizabeth was sitting, taking the parade, shots rang out, making everyone around shudder. The queen, to the delight of the public, did not even raise an eyebrow and managed to stay in the saddle.
Her self-control came in handy a year later, when, while waiting for the police, for several minutes she had to conduct a conversation 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 a "combat" grandmother inspired the young princes William and Harry, who also did not evade military service.
Family values for Elizabeth II is not an empty phrase. For the sake of her son's happiness, she stepped over rigid rules and blessed the second marriage of the Prince of Wales Charles to socialite Camilla Parker-Bowles, despite the hype about this.
On April 17, 2013, for the second time in the history of her reign, the Queen attended the funeral of a British politician: she said goodbye to Margaret Thatcher.
Despite the solid image, the queen is not alien to female coquetry and small weaknesses. Rogue paparazzi more than once caught the moment when she at social events, not embarrassed by the crowd and her high position, publicly corrected her makeup. Etiquette is etiquette, and a real queen should look gorgeous!
The Queen's passion is horses and Corgi dogs. In her youth, Elizabeth rode well, but now she pays more attention to 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.
In honor of Elizabeth II, the rose variety Rosa "Queen Elizabeth" was named.
Films about Elizabeth II
In 2004, the film Churchill: The Hollywood Years was released - "Churchill Goes to War!", Where the role of Elizabeth was played by Neve Campbell.
In 2006, the biopic The Queen was released. The role of the queen was played by actress Helen Mirren. The film is a BAFTA winner in the Best Film category. Actress Helen Mirren, who played the title role in the film, won the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for Best Actress. In addition, the film was nominated for an Oscar as Best Picture.
In 2009, the 4th channel of British television (Channel 4) filmed a 5-episode fictional mini-series "The Queen" ("The Queen", directed by Edmund Coulthard, Patrick Reams). Queen in different periods 5 actresses played 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 parachute from a helicopter over the arena of the Olympic Stadium. On April 5, 2013, for this role, the Queen was awarded the BAFTA Award for the best performance of the role of a James Bond girl.
In architecture
The Queen Elizabeth Avenue 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.
A bridge in Duford, completed in 1991, is also named after the Queen.
On August 1, 2013, the Elizabeth II Olympic Park was opened in London.
Lifetime monuments
Being the bride of a prince is not like that simple task. At one time, Kate Middleton did a great job with her. American actress Meghan Markle, who since her engagement to Prince Harry has been getting used to her new role already felt the weight of responsibility. We have compiled a list of some of the rules, prohibitions and restrictions that the future Duchess of Wales will have to follow.
1. You can't sign autographs
Meghan Markle has a huge fan base. Having become the wife of the prince, she will be able to take pictures with them and respond to handshakes, but she will not be allowed to sign autographs. According to the rules, the signature of the royal person can only appear under official documents. This rule was introduced by Elizabeth II, fearing that someone could forge her signature and thereby harm the royal family. Kate Middleton once deviated from this rule by signing a guest book during an official visit to Germany. Prince Charles did not resist either. While visiting flood victims in the south of England a few years ago, he responded to a request from one of the victims by writing “Charles 2010” on a piece of paper handed to him.
2. You can not work in the office
Before becoming a duchess, Kate Middleton worked for her parents' company for a while. Now her activities, in addition to educating the heirs to the throne, is to attend charity events, official ceremonies and meetings. With the entry into the family of Meghan Markle, a new ban appeared in the royal family: acting in films.
3. You can not eat oysters and many other seafood
4. No bright manicure
Ladies in the royal family are allowed to use nail polish, however, in accordance with the established dress code, from now on Meghan will have to choose only discreet shades. Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, has been observed to favor Bourjois' light pink 28 Rose Lounge or Essie's neutral 423 Allure.
Before getting approval to marry Prince Harry, Meghan Markle had to delete her Instagram and Twitter accounts. Official pages of the royal family in in social networks exist, but they are run by professionals who carefully select photos and create all the entries in the news feed themselves.
6. You can't kiss your lover in public.
This rule is especially difficult to follow for Meghan and Harry, who are in love, who, obviously, can hardly restrain themselves from overwhelming their emotions. But it is also obvious that in the photos appearing in the press, they, like Kate and William, do not even hold hands. This rule was established by Her Majesty, who believes that it is indecent to show your emotions in public. Elizabeth almost never takes Prince Philip by the hand and counts on the fact that her grandchildren will continue this good, from her point of view, tradition.
7. You can't go shopping unaccompanied
Megan, like Kate, is not even averse to walking through the supermarkets and boutiques of London. But they can only do so when accompanied by armed guards.
8. You can not wear clothes made of natural fur
This is one of the oldest rules, established in 1337 by King Edward III, which royals occasionally break. The appearance of the queen in public in a coat with a fur collar invariably infuriates wildlife conservationists.
All members of the royal family are required to remain neutral and maintain a reputation for impartiality and objectivity. Their public role should not be associated with any particular part of society, including minorities and any social groups.
10. You can not wear too provocative clothes
Each outfit of the royal is carefully designed by a team of stylists, because clothes convey a certain message. Now many fashion designers dream of becoming Meghan Markle's personal consultant.
On any trip, each member of the royal court is required to take mourning attire. In the event of the sudden death of a member of the royal family, all those close to him are immediately required to dress in black, no matter where in the world the sad news finds them.
This rule was broken in 1994 by Princess Diana, who appeared on the day of parting with Charles in a little black dress, which was immediately dubbed the “dress of revenge”.
11. You can't play Monopoly
Royal Protocol imposes a ban on gambling, as it is considered vicious and senseless. This became known in 2008 thanks to Prince Andrew, who was presented with Monopoly. He declined the gift, explaining the reason for the refusal.
It is not yet known how Megan will react to this rule. Kate was not upset by this rule. Most importantly, she is allowed to play hockey, which she simply loves.
12. You can not visit beauty salons less than three times a week
A prince's wife must always look gorgeous, and that takes time and effort. Megan, like Kate, will have to visit beauty salons at least three times a week. It is known that Kate is distinguished by enviable constancy and still uses the services of the salon, which she visited before marriage.
13. You can’t walk with bare legs and cross your legs
When sitting on a chair, royals are supposed to keep their knees together. You can also cross your ankles and bend your knees slightly to one side. The rule to always wear stockings or pantyhose Megan already broke on the day of her engagement.
14. You can not appear at official events with a bare head
Ladies are required to wear a hat at official events. If the reception continues after 6 pm, married ladies must change their hat for a tiara.
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain on Wednesday evening, at 19:30 Moscow time, became the longest-reigning monarch in the history of the country. She rules for 63 years and seven months, that is, 23,226 days. Longer than Queen Victoria.
Even under Elizabeth's grandfather, George V, the rules of the English court were changed. The former luxury and brilliance have sunk into oblivion, and they have been replaced by simplicity and comfort. Under these conditions, the upbringing of the famous Elizabeth began, who was prepared from the cradle for the future title and crown. “Poor thing,” her younger sister said when she learned about the life prepared for Lilibet. Elizabeth herself did not care about her lot at all. In the future, the personification of English dignity and conservatism, little Lisa openly stated that she wanted to become a farmer's wife so that there would be many "children, dogs and horses." The future queen fell in love with horse riding from the age of two, when she was presented with her first pony.
Queen is a warrior
Elizabeth is often called a woman "with a soft heart and an iron character." When did the second World War she was only 13 years old. Despite the prepared evacuation, the royal family decided to stay with the people. During one of the air raids, a bomb hit Buckingham Palace. On that day, the Queen Mother wrote in her diary: “I am glad that we were bombed. Now we can look into the eyes of the people in the Eastend.” At that difficult time, Elizabeth for the first time addressed her people, condoling with the children who suffered as a result of the fascist offensive. And after a while, the young princess obtained from her father the right to join the women's self-defense units, where she became a lieutenant and learned to drive trucks. Elizabeth became the only queen to actually complete military service.
wedding with cousin
The war brought the queen not only hard experience and "steel endurance", which she would never lose again, but also family happiness. Elizabeth met her future husband Philip Mountbatten in the difficult year 1943. Young Lilibet fell in love with "her prince" at first sight. They say that she even made an offer herself, against the will of her parents, who did not approve of her daughter's choice - supposedly she was too young, besides, Philip was her cousin. Although, there could be other reasons for this, because early and related marriages were not uncommon for monarchical dynasties. But the decision was successful - the marriage of Elizabeth and Philip became one of the rare happy marriages of monarchs, where powers are clearly divided: Elizabeth is the Queen of England, and Philip is the owner of the Queen's heart.
Irreconcilable enmity
One of the biggest scandals the royal family has ever been involved in is that of Princess Diana. The ideal, at first glance, contender for the place of the wife of Prince Charles, the beautiful, aristocratic, innocent Diana refused to obey the centuries-old traditions of the royal family. As soon as problems began in relations with the prince, the open nature of the young princess was not long in coming. She did not keep anything in herself - she openly made contact with people, turning into a real symbol of female emancipation. There were rumors that Diana went to the "poor neighborhoods", trying to discourage girls of easy virtue from prostitution, offering them money. People loved her, and Elizabeth II could not forgive such behavior, discrediting the prestige of the dynasty. She refused to recognize Diana even after the tragic death of the princess and her lover, in which the public blamed the royal couple. In that year, the queen lost the love of England for a long time, but did not compromise.
Slap Thatcher
Being very restrained, Elizabeth always perfectly controlled herself, not giving vent to emotions. But everywhere there are exceptions. The person who pissed the Queen off was Margaret Thatcher. “There should not be a woman more popular than the queen” - the iron lady was a well-known political figure, her influence in some matters exceeded the opinion of the monarch. But Elizabeth did not give in to a woman who was respected and feared throughout Great Britain. At one of the receptions, the ladies came in the same dresses! Thatcher stressed that henceforth it is worth stipulating such moments, for which Elizabeth slapped her in the face: “The Queen does not notice what other people are wearing!”.
The personification of fashion
The fathers of the fashion world often scold Elizabeth for the extraordinary conservatism of her image. How can a queen's hairstyle not change over the years? However, thanks to her unchanging style, the Queen of England is one of the most recognizable figures in the fashion world. She seems to follow the advice of the famous couturier Karl Lagerfeld - "to be recognized - you need to be dressed in such a way that it is easy to draw a cartoon on you." The remarkableness of her style more than once played into the queen's hands. For example, during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in London, when the queen was supposed to jump with a parachute, a stuntman dressed in a dress and a wig performed the trick instead.
All the details of Elizabeth's wardrobe are clearly calculated - nothing superfluous: a matching hat, a brooch, a pearl thread, gloves, an umbrella and a handbag. To go out without these things for the queen is as indecent as without stockings. And let her be criticized for the invariability of style - "queens do not chase fashion, they personify it."
Silence at Sandringham
The monarch is to some extent an unhappy person - he does not have personal space, a quiet corner - his whole life is in plain sight. But when free time is given out, Elizabeth seeks to spend it in her country residence Sandringham, away from annoying journalists who almost never manage to get even a small interview with the royal person. Everything in Sandringham is subject to her rules - calm walks in the garden, during which no one has the right to disturb Elizabeth, including close relatives; classical english hour at five o'clock in the afternoon; dinners in the family circle, after which the queen can even wash the dishes herself. And most importantly, no mobile calls! If you want to communicate, write letters. You can use electronic ones - the queen does not shy away from time.
She is a woman of the 20th and 21st centuries, the ruler of the British Commonwealth of Nations and 15 independent states, the reigning queen from 1952 to the present day. Who is this? Of course, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, who also holds the title of the longest-reigning monarch in British history. What interesting facts are known about this unique and strong woman.
1. Queen's birthday
Elizabeth II celebrates her birthday twice: on April 21 (born 1926) with her family, and in early June - officially.
2. When Elizabeth ascended the throne
In 1937, Elizabeth became the heir apparent after her father George VI of the Windsor dynasty was crowned. And on February 6, 1952, at the age of 25, she ascended the throne.
3. Education of the Queen
During the war years, Elizabeth joined the women's self-defense units, where she was trained as a driver. No matter how strange it may sound, the queen in her younger years drove an ambulance and a truck. She later received a water lifeguard certificate.
4. Who is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II
The spouse of Elizabeth II, Philip Mountbatten, is a Greek prince in exile, as well as a senior lieutenant in the British navy. In addition, he is also the fourth cousin of Elizabeth. The couple first met when they were 8 and 13 years old. So the age difference is 5 years. The wedding took place in 1947, when Elizabeth was 21 years old. We add that the parents of the future queen opposed the marriage with Philip, since he did not have a fortune. It sounds ridiculous, but at that time, Elizabeth was given as many as 200 additional coupons for tailoring a wedding dress.
5. How many children does Elizabeth have
The Queen has four children: Prince Charles, Andrew, Edward and Princess Anne. In addition, the Queen is a grandmother of many children, great-grandmother and godmother: she has 30 godchildren and goddaughters. Here are some of the lucky ones.
6. What are the powers of Queen Elizabeth
Despite her high status, the queen reigns, but does not rule the country: she officially does not influence foreign and domestic policy in any way, but nevertheless, all decisions in the state are made on her behalf.
7. How much money does Queen Elizabeth II have?
It is not customary to talk about the Queen's property, but there are rumors that she is one of the richest people on earth. At the same time, the queen never carries money with her. In principle, why are they needed if you are the Queen. In addition, the queen does not have a passport, everyone will recognize her anyway.
The Queen is also not required to disclose the status of her personal accounts. In addition, despite the fact that the royal art collection is estimated at 10 billion pounds, this is not the queen's personal fortune, like the palaces, castles in which the queen and her relatives live. All of this property is owned by the state or is in the possession of the "Property of the Crown" (an independent commercial enterprise that manages royal real estate).
8. What awards does the Queen of Great Britain have?
9. What does the Queen of Great Britain drive?
You can envy the royal fleet: Bentley, Rolls-Royce Daimler, Jaguar and Land Rover. In addition, Elizabeth is a first-class driver and easily drives the wheel of a car.
10. The Queen's Pets
The Queen is very fond of dogs. She has a particular preference for the Corgi breed. There are about 30 corgis in the royal court today. Elizabeth II also loves horses: despite her age, she constantly rides horses.
11. Where Queen Elizabeth II likes to relax
But Her Majesty loves to spend her holidays in the Scottish estate of Balmoral. When the queen has breakfast, a piper walks around the castle and plays folk melodies.
12. The main residence of the British monarchs
Buckingham Palace is the main residence of all British monarchs, in which to this day Elizabeth II holds official meetings.
13. What does the Queen of Great Britain like to wear?
Elizabeth II prefers only British designers, her wardrobe has bright outfits, and the queen can only appear in black during mourning. The monarch likes to wear handbags again from the British brand Launer London with short handles. But what is contained in the royal handbag is a secret behind seven locks. The purse also serves the queen and to signal to the servants that if Her Majesty is about to leave the meal, she puts the purse on the table.
And the main highlight of the royal image is a hat, how many of them are in the wardrobe of Elizabeth II, it is difficult to calculate. Rumor has it that more than 5 thousand.
As for shoes, these are Anello & Davide shoes with a small heel with a rounded toe. The Queen is very careful about shoes and therefore tries to change shoes less often, and more often put heels. But the new shoes for the royal person are broken in by the so-called Cinderella, who has the same foot size as Elizabeth II.
And a few more interesting facts about Elizabeth II:
- no one but her husband has the right to touch the queen in public. History knows only 4 violators who allowed themselves to do this: Michelle Obama, Canadian cyclist Louis Garneau and two Australian prime ministers, Paul Keating and John Howard;
- the queen never raises her voice, even when she is furious, and never gives interviews.
How long Elizabeth II will reign is an open question, since the queen is not going to give up her throne in favor of her heirs, and considers her reign to be a matter of life, and for many Britons she is the “bastion of stability” of the state.
