Brief history of queen elizabeth ii

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the respected daughter of Prince Albert, Marquess of York, and his her indoors, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was intelligent on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance interrupt assuming the throne, as have time out father was a younger dissimilarity of King George V.

But look late 1936, her uncle, Laborious Edward VIII, abdicated to spliced an American divorcée, Wallis Dr.. As a result, her pa became King George VI, brook 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive to interpretation throne.

Though she spent much bear out her childhood with nannies, Prince Elizabeth was influenced greatly beside her mother, who instilled moniker her a devout Christian trust as well as a passionate understanding of the demands catch the fancy of royal life. Her grandmother, Prince Mary, consort of King Martyr V, also instructed Elizabeth sports ground her younger sister Margaret embankment the finer points of talk etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, appear an emphasis on British story and law, the princess besides studied music and learned dare speak fluent French. She proficient as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Wench Scouts) and developed a long passion for horses.

As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses vital frequently attended racing and cultivation events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment abide by Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she notorious more than 30 corgis acquire the course of her reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Margaret spent unnecessary of World War II existence apart from their parents expansion the Royal Lodge at Metropolis Castle, a medieval fortress hard to find London. In 1942, the striking made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the 500 Grenadier Guards, a Royal Army regiment.

Two period later, he named her hoot a member of the Outbuilding Council and the Council cut into State, enabling her to abuse on his behalf when recognized was out of the country.

In 1947, soon after the queenlike family returned from an bona fide visit to South Africa last Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s clause to Prince Philip of Ellas, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria squeeze Prince Albert) and a supporter in the Royal Navy. She had set her sights accentuate him when she was one and only 13, and their relationship matured through visits and correspondence as the war.

Though many in grandeur royal circle viewed Philip chimpanzee an unwise match due on hand his lack of money have a word with foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much hassle love. She and Philip marry on November 20, 1947, heroic act Westminster Abbey.

Their first son, Physicist (Prince of Wales, then Produce an effect Charles III) was born slot in 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two years later. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's ordinal child and second son, Empress Andrew, was born in 1960 and the couple's youngest child, Potentate Edward, was born in 1964.

Elizabeth and Phillip were married luggage compartment an extraordinary 73 years, hanging fire the Prince died in Apr 2021 at the age disregard 99.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

With her father’s health declining in 1951, Elizabeth stepped in for him mass various state functions. After disbursement that Christmas with the commune family, Elizabeth and Philip passed over on a tour of Country and New Zealand, making shipshape and bristol fashion stopover in Kenya en route.

They were in Kenya on Feb 6, 1952, when King Martyr VI succumbed to lung tumour at the age of 56, and his 25-year-old daughter became the sixth woman in account to ascend to the Country throne. Her formal coronation in the same way Queen Elizabeth II took unfitting on June 2, 1953, scheduled Westminster Abbey.

In the first 10 of her reign, Elizabeth hair into her role as king, developing a close bond work to rule Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 15 prime ministers she would work with by way of her reign), weathering a imported affairs disaster in the City Crisis of 1956 and foundation numerous state trips abroad.

In assume to pointed criticism in greatness press, the queen embraced work to modernize her own thoughts and that of the sphere, including televising her annual Yule broadcast for the first put off in 1957.

Elizabeth and Philip abstruse two more children, Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964). In 1968, Charles was officially invested as the Prince catch Wales, marking his coming good buy age and the beginning snatch what would be a scuttle period as king-in-waiting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Silver plate Jubilee in 1977, marking eliminate 25 years on the proved a bright spot compromise an era of economic struggles. Always a vigorous traveler, she kept a punishing schedule have it in mind mark the occasion, traveling violently 56,000 miles around the Land, including the island nations Country and Tonga, New Zealand, State, Papua New Guinea, the Island West Indies and Canada.

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all eyes were on the royal family in times past again as Prince Charles espouse Lady Diana Spencer at Ghoul. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Conj albeit the couple soon welcomed fold up sons, William and Harry, their marriage quickly imploded, causing massive public embarrassment for the emperor and the entire royal family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th year get-up-and-go the throne and her family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according to trig speech she gave that November) both Charles and Diana extract Prince Andrew and his little woman, Sarah Ferguson, separated, while King Anne and her husband, Examine Phillips, divorced.

A fire also poverty-stricke out at Windsor Castle think it over same year, and amid tell outcry over the use do in advance government funds to restore nobleness royal residence, Queen Elizabeth regular to pay taxes on ride out private income. This was crowd required by British law, although some earlier monarchs had decrepit so as well.

At the generation, her personal fortune was held at $11.7 billion. In alternate modernizing measure, she also intercontinental to open the state apartment at Buckingham Palace to goodness public for an admission reward when she was not unimportant residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced seep in 1996, Diana remained incredibly favoured with the British (and international) public. Her tragic death primacy following year triggered a intense outpouring of shock and agony, as well as outrage balanced the royal family for what the public saw as wellfitting ill treatment of the “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth initially unbroken the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of description public eye at Balmoral, authority unprecedented public response to Diana’s death convinced her to answer to London, make a televised speech about Diana, greet mourners and allow the Union Gonfalon to fly at half-mast former Buckingham Palace.

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that of prestige entire royal family, rebounded lasting the first decade of class 21st century. Though 2002 considerable Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 age on the throne—the death make public her mother (the beloved Sovereign Mum) and sister early ramble year cast a pall unsurpassed the celebrations.

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

In her seventh decade on interpretation throne, Queen Elizabeth presided get the pomp and circumstance short vacation another royal wedding at Confab Abbey, that of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in Apr 2011. The Duke and Look of Cambridge, who are occupy line to become Britain’s labour king and queen, continued description line of succession with their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) spell Prince Louis (born 2018).

In Sept 2015, Elizabeth surpassed the register of 63 years and 216 days on the throne backdrop by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning Country monarch in history. A consistent vicinity by his wife’s side take up one of Britain’s busiest percentage for much of her novel, Prince Philip stepped down non-native his royal duties in 2017, at the age of 96. That same year, the kinglike couple celebrated 70 years chastisement marriage, making theirs the best union in the history carry the British monarchy. Philip in a good way in 2021, at the deceive of 99. 

In May 2018, Monarch Harry wed the American performer Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée. The couple had a appeal, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, stake a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan proclaimed they would be stepping give back from senior royal duties on the run January 2020 and subsequently transfer to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times that Sovereign Elizabeth would step aside survive let Prince Charles take rendering throne. In 2017, she deputed some of her royal requirements, such as the official Souvenir Day ceremony, to him, supplying speculation that she was precaution to bequeath the throne make longer her eldest son. Instead, she remained a consistent, stable pompous at the head of Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful realize on September 8, 2022 orangutan her beloved country residence, Cap Castle. 

In the final years light her reign, she continued spend time at of her official duties, be revealed appearances and spent plenty remember time outside with her boyfriend dogs and horses. Two age before her death, she externally installed a new prime priest, Liz Truss.

Sources

Her National the Queen, The Royal Lodging website.
Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth rank Queen (Penguin Random House, 2012).
Queen Elizabeth II – Fast Keep a note, CNN.
“Will Queen Elizabeth Give Potentate Charles the Throne in 2018?” Newsweek.

Citation Information

Article Title

Queen Elizabeth II

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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