Childhood and family
Elizabeth II is the eldest daughter of Prince Albert, born April 21, 1926 at the Mayfair mansion on Brewton Street during the reign of George V, who was her grandfather. The full name of the royal person is Elizabeth Alexandra Maria, the girl received the name in honor of her mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. 
In 1936, after two decades of reign, King George, who loved his granddaughter very much, died. The throne passed to Edward VIII. In the name of love for the beautiful Wallis Simpson, a divorced American, he abdicated. The story of Edward and Miss Simpson is considered one of the greatest love stories of the 20th century, and it was she who brought Elizabeth's father to the British throne, who was crowned in May 1937 as George VI.
George VI's brother Henry was considered the next contender for the throne, but he refused the role of heir to the throne in favor of Princess Elizabeth, who at that time was barely 11 years old.
As befits a princess, Elizabeth studied the humanities and exact sciences, but paid special attention to law, including international law, and received a decent education without leaving the palace. The princess was proud of her excellent knowledge of the French language, which she learned on her own.
In 1940, Princess Elizabeth made her first radio appearance: a thirteen-year-old girl from Buckingham Palace supported children affected by Nazi bombings. Princess Elizabeth's sincere words have given hope to the British people, and she has won sympathy from even some of the most critical of the crown.
In 1943, the princess officially assumed the position of councillor. Contrary to popular belief, Elizabeth did not serve in the military, but was in the women's self-defense unit, learned to drive an ambulance, thereby setting an example for women in Britain.
In 1947, on her birthday, Elizabeth again spoke on the radio, assuring the British people that her whole life would be dedicated to Britain. In the same year, she was married to Philip, Prince of Denmark.
The gradually deteriorating health of the father and the unfavorable prognosis of doctors required the almost constant presence of the future queen during official receptions, meetings and negotiations. By the beginning of 1951, no one had any doubts that the bill was going on for months, and unofficially, Elizabeth took up the duties of the monarch.
Coronation
The news of the death of George VI overtook the princess in Kenya, where, together with her husband, she spent several days at the Tree Tops Hotel, located among the branches of a huge century-old tree. According to some reports, on February 7, 1952, an entry appeared in the guest registration book of the hotel that for the first time in the history of civilization, a princess climbed a tree, but descended from it as a queen. 
The coronation of the young queen took place on June 2, 1953 in the ancient cathedral of Westminster Abbey. The ceremony was broadcast on national British television, which contributed to the growth of the popularity of the new monarch. Millions of Brits literally froze in front of their TVs, trying not to miss the slightest detail of the most spectacular and beautiful event in the history of Britain.
Despite the fact that in the post-war years the economy had just begun a long period of recovery, a huge amount was allocated from the treasury for the festive decoration of the streets. The white satin dress for the coronation ceremony was made by the court tailor Norman Hartnell, it was embroidered with the national emblems of Britain and the Commonwealth countries - English roses, Canadian maple leaves and Irish clover, as well as other colors that have a symbolic meaning for Britain.
In a golden open front carriage drawn by eight gray horses, the queen, along with her husband, proceeded to Westminster Abbey, where a solemn wedding service was held for the kingdom.
Governing body
In strict accordance with the existing tradition of a parliamentary monarchy, the queen performs functions that are exclusively representative in nature and does not have the right to influence the government of the country. After the coronation, Elizabeth II made a six-month tour of the British colonies, the Commonwealth countries and many countries of the world. 
In the spring of 1956, the Queen received Nikita Khrushchev, who served as the first secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU of the USSR, who arrived in Britain with Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikolai Bulganin. The first persons of the Soviet state presented memorable gifts to Elizabeth and family members, among which was a brooch with a royal blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds, as well as a painting by Ivan Aivazovsky and a sable cape.
During her reign, the Queen met with politicians, big businessmen, scientists and cultural figures. Among the celebrities who were honored to visit Buckingham Palace in different years were Elizabeth Taylor, Yuri Gagarin and The Beatles, as well as presidents of different states.
In 1994, Elizabeth visited Moscow and St. Petersburg, and in 2003 hosted a reception in honor of President Vladimir Putin.
Fearing that the reputation of the British royal house would suffer from rumors that overgrown with the unhappy marriage of Elizabeth's son Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, as well as caring for the happiness of her son, the Queen insisted on a divorce, the procedure of which was launched in 1996. Some part of British society did not approve of the queen's act, but subsequently the British were forced to admit that she was right.
Elizabeth II has been repeatedly called the queen of human hearts in the media. The humanity and kindness of this woman, who remains true to her oath, which she uttered back in 1953, is the key to her popularity among the people.
Personal life of Elizabeth II
In his youth, Prince Philip, the grandson of the King of Greece, was a tall, slender blond, distinguished by amazing beauty. At a tea party on Dartmoor in 1937, the young man did not immediately notice a thirteen-year-old girl who did not take her enthusiastic eyes off him. After the reception ended, this girl, Princess Elizabeth, locked herself in her room and wrote a letter to the handsome prince. 
The friendship that began with correspondence grew into love. King George did not approve of the choice of his daughter: it is known that he did not like the friendship of Philip's father, Prince Andrew of Greece, with Adolf Hitler. In addition, the prince was poor, and apart from the title, blue blood and tender love for Elizabeth, he had nothing.
In early 1940, Elizabeth and Philip became secretly engaged, and the king had to relent and allow a marriage that was destined to be one of the happiest and longest marriages in modern history. The relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Duke Philip is considered exemplary, but few people think that for the sake of his queen, Philip renounced the royal title and changed the Orthodox faith in which he was baptized to Catholicism.
In 1948, Elizabeth gave birth to their first child, Prince Charles. The second child was Princess Anna, who was born 2 years later. The third child of the royal family, Prince Andrew, was born in 1960, and the fourth, Prince Edward, in 1964.
Since her youth, the Queen's main hobbies have been horse riding and breeding dogs, she has a special love for the Corgi breed, which is considered the royal dog throughout Europe.
Queen Elizabeth II now
In 2018, the Queen turned 92 years old, 65 of which she has been a monarch. Headlines regularly appear in the media about the Queen's failing health, in 2017 she missed the Christmas service for the first time, citing a cold. 
As the head of the Windsor dynasty, the Queen remembers the sad events associated with the marriage of Prince Charles to an unloved girl, and, according to her, is personally responsible for the well-being of her family members. That is why she did not give permission for the wedding of Prince Harry Ivar Mountbatten and James Coyle for so long
Despite her age, Elizabeth continues to fulfill her duties and represent the interests of Britain in different countries of the world. Defending the right to her own opinion, in 2017 she openly condemned the inappropriate behavior of Mr. Trump, as well as the militant policies of Kim Jong-un, and in 2018 she expressed the hope that she would wait until the time when Russia was ruled not by Mr. Putin, but by another person who lost touch with reality.
As enshrined in the traditions of a constitutional monarchy, the queen should not interfere in politics, however, the authority of Elizabeth II and her long reign allowed her to influence the course of events in a certain way. Queen Elizabeth II is the most powerful woman in the world, but, as many researchers note, she has never used her influence for personal gain.
She was born on April 21, 1926 in the London area of Mayfair in the family of British monarchs from the Windsor dynasty. Father - Prince Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI, 1895-1952). Mother - Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (future Queen consort Elizabeth, 1900-2002).
Grandparents of the future queen: on her father's side - King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess of Teck (1867-1953); mother - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1938). She also has a younger sister, Princess Margaret Rose (1930-2002).
The princess's christening took place on May 25, 1926 in the chapel of Buckingham Palace. The future queen received the names in honor of her mother - Elizabeth, grandmother - Mary and great-grandmother - Alexandra.
Elizabeth was born when her grandfather, King George V, reigned, and her uncle Edward was considered the heir to the throne. At birth, she became the third in the list of heirs to the throne, after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII), and her father, Prince Albert, and received the title of Duchess of York. The girl's father did not really count on the crown - it was assumed that his older brother would eventually marry and acquire heirs.
The princess received a good education at home. She studied the history of the constitution, jurisprudence, religious studies, art history and independently taught French. From a young age, she practiced horseback riding and was interested in horses.
When the future queen turned 10 years old, leapfrog began on the throne: grandfather George V died, uncle Edward reigned for only 10 months and exchanged the crown for the opportunity to marry his beloved American woman Wallis Simpson. After his abdication, the crown went to Prince Albert, Elizabeth's father, who took the name George VI.
Initially, it was assumed that the throne would be inherited by Albert's younger brother, Henry, but he preferred to lead the free life of the Duke of Gloucester and renounced his rights in advance in favor of Elizabeth. The princess became heir to the throne and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace. At the same time, she remained in the role of "supposed heir", since if George VI had a son, he would have inherited the throne.
World War II began when Princess Elizabeth was 13 years old. On October 13, 1940, she made a radio address to 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 five "Counselors of State" entitled to act as the King in the event of his absence or incapacity. In February 1945, the future queen joined the women's self-defense units and was trained as an ambulance driver, receiving the military rank of lieutenant.
During a visit by King George VI to the Naval College at Dartmouth, Elizabeth met her future husband, Philip. They had known each other since 1934, but it was after this meeting that a correspondence began between them, and in 1946 Philip asked the king for permission to marry the heir to the throne.
Before marriage, Philip adopted the surname Mountbatten (the anglicised version of his mother's surname Battenberg) and converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism. In addition, he renounced the titles of "Prince of Greece" and "Prince of Denmark" and accepted British citizenship.
On November 20, 1947, 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten and 21-year-old Elizabeth were married. After the official coronation of Elizabeth in 1953, Philip, an officer in the British Navy, a member of the Greek and Danish royal families and great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria, received the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron of Greenwich from King George VI.
Four children were born in the family of Elizabeth and Philip: Prince Charles (11/14/1948), Princess Anne (08/15/1950), Prince Andrew (01/19/1960) and Prince Edward (03/10/1964).
On February 6, 1952, King George VI died of lung cancer. Elizabeth, who was on vacation at that time, was proclaimed Queen of Great Britain and head of the British Commonwealth of Nations, which includes 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.
According to British tradition, Queen Elizabeth II became Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces.
On June 2, 1953, the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey. It was the first televised coronation of a British monarch.
In 1953-1954, Elizabeth II made a six-month tour of the states of the Commonwealth of Nations, the British colonies and other countries of the world. She became the first monarch to visit New Zealand and Australia.
Between 1957 and 1961, Elizabeth II visited the United States and Canada as Queen of Canada, spoke at a session of the UN General Assembly, attended the opening session of the Canadian Parliament for the first time in history, and also traveled to India, the Vatican, Pakistan, Iran, Ghana and Cyprus .
On April 29, 1970, during a trip to Australia, an assassination attempt was made on Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. On the way of the train, in which the monarchs were, there was a large wooden log. The Queen and her husband narrowly escaped a train accident.
In 1976, Elizabeth II, being the Queen of Canada, solemnly opened the XXI Olympic Games in Montreal.
In 1981, another attempt was made to assassinate Elizabeth II. During the military parade, the queen rode on horseback in front of a crowd of people. Suddenly, several shots rang out from the crowd in her direction. Police and spectators quickly apprehended the assailant. It turned out to be a seventeen-year-old unemployed man with a starting pistol loaded with blanks.
On July 29, 1981, the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer took place (1961). The marriage was accompanied by scandals, mutual betrayals and brought many problems to the royal family. Charles and Diana had two sons: William, Duke of Cambridge (06/21/1982) and Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales (09/15/1984).
In 1992, the Queen's children - Prince Andrew and Princess Anne - divorced their spouses, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire, funding for the royal court was severely reduced, and Prince Charles and Princess Diana began to live separately.
In 1996, at the insistence of Elizabeth II, an official divorce was signed between Charles and Diana. On August 31, 1997, Lady Diana tragically died in a car accident in Paris. Prince Charles rekindled his relationship with his longtime lover Camilla Parker Bowles (1947), who married on April 9, 2005.
In 2002, Elizabeth II celebrated her golden jubilee - the 50th anniversary of her tenure on the British throne.
On February 9, 2002, the younger sister of Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, died, and on March 30, 2002, her mother, Queen Elizabeth, died.
In 2010, Elizabeth II spoke for the second time at a meeting of the UN General Assembly.
On April 9, 2011, the Queen's grandson Prince William of Wales married Kate Middleton (nee Katherine Elizabeth Middleton), the daughter of an air traffic controller and flight attendant, who later founded their own mail order company. They met in 2001 while studying at St. Andrews University. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth II granted the newlyweds the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
On December 3, 2012, an official representative of the British royal court announced that William's wife was pregnant, and on July 22, 2013, Kate gave birth to her first child, who was named George (George) Alexander Louis. He received the name George (George) in honor of King George VI, Alexander - in honor of the middle name of Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary), Louis (Louis) - in honor of Louis Mountbatten - military leader, uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
In 2012, the XXX Olympic Games were held in London, which were solemnly opened by Queen Elizabeth II. In the same year, a new law was approved, changing the order of succession, according to which male heirs lose priority over women.
During 2012, in the UK and the states of the British Commonwealth of Nations, a solemn celebration of the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Elizabeth II - the diamond jubilee of the Queen's reign - was held.
In her years of honor, Elizabeth II continues to fulfill all the duties inherent in her high position. However, age makes itself felt and the queen decided to shift part of the work onto the shoulders of her eldest son, Prince Charles.
In 2013, for the first time in 40 years, Elizabeth II refused to go to the summit of the heads of the countries of the British Commonwealth, held in Sri Lanka. Instead, Prince Charles went to the summit, which indicates the beginning of the transfer of royal powers to him.
The transfer of the throne will take place in stages, according to the principle of “gradual succession”. It lies in the fact that Elizabeth II will continue to work and give audiences, but gradually the queen will begin to abandon some of the traditional duties of the monarch, which Prince Charles will begin to perform. The British court society considers this move "wise" and "natural". The first step was the merger of the press services of Elizabeth II and Prince Charles.
Ranks
▪ Royal title of Elizabeth II in the UK: "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, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."
▪ Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces (since 1952)
▪ Chief of the Australian Civil Air Force (since 1953)
▪ Honorary Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (since 1953)
▪ Chief of the New Zealand Territorial Air Force (since 1953)
▪ Captain-General of the youth organization of the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain, the United Cadet Forces (since 1953)
▪ Chief of the Royal Tank Regiment (since 1953)
▪ Honorary Colonel of The Queen's Own Warwickshire and Wochestershire Yeomanry (since 1956)
▪ Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces (since 1968)
▪ Commander-in-Chief of the New Zealand Defense Force (since 1990)
Awards
(in total, Elizabeth II has more than 50 awards, the most significant are listed)
▪ King George V Silver Jubilee Medal (1935)
▪ King George VI Coronation Medal (1937)
▪ Defense Medal (1945)
▪ Military medal 1939–1945 (1945)
▪ Badge of the Armed Forces (1951)
▪ Knight First Class of the Order of King George V (1952)
▪ Knight First Class of the Order of King George VI (1952)
▪ Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter (1952)
▪ Commander of the Order of the Imperial Order of the Indian Crown (1952)
▪ Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (1952)
▪ Sovereign of the Order of Canada (1967)
▪ Sovereign of the Order of Military Merit of Canada (1972)
▪ Sovereign of the Order of Australia (1975)
▪ Sovereign of the Order of Barbados (1980)
▪ Sovereign of the Order of New Zealand (1987)
▪ Honorary Bachelor of Music from the University of London (1946)
▪ Honorary Doctor of Civil Law from the University of Oxford (1948)
▪ Honorary Doctor of Music 1949 from the University of Wales (Wales, 1949)
▪ Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland, 1951)
▪ Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of London (1951)
Family
Husband - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (06/10/1921)
Father - George VI, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia and South Africa (1895 - 1952)
Mother - Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom as Queen Elizabeth (1900 - 2002)
Sister - Princess Margaret Rose (08/21/1930 - 02/09/2002)
Son - Prince of Wales Charles (11/14/1948), the first heir to the throne
Daughter - Princess Anna (08/15/1950), eleventh heir to the throne
Son - Prince Andrew, Duke of York (02/19/1960), fifth heir to the throne
Son - Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (03/10/1964), eighth heir to the throne
Daughter - Princess Diana of Wales (07/01/1961 - 08/31/1997)
Daughter - Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (07/17/1947)
Grandson - William, Duke of Cambridge (06/21/1982), second heir to the throne
Grandson - Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales (09/15/1984), fourth heir to the throne
Great-grandson - George Alexander Louis (22.07.2013), son of Prince William and Kate Middleton
Great-granddaughter - Charlotte Elizabeth Diana (02.05.2015), daughter of Prince William and Kate Middleton
Great-grandson - Louis Arthur Charles (04/23/2018), son of Prince William and Kate Middleton
Hobby
Breeding dogs (among them Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, traveling
Who is Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, born April 21, 1926) is the Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand since February 6, 1952. She is the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as the Queen of 12 countries that gained their independence after her accession to the throne. Among them: Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Brief biography of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth was born in London, she was the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. She was educated at home. Her father ascended the throne following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936. From that moment on, she became the most likely heir to the throne. She began public duties during World War II, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In 1947 she married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, former Prince of Greece and Denmark, with whom they had four children: Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne, Princess of Great Britain, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
Elizabeth's many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and meetings with five popes. She witnessed major constitutional changes such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation and the decolonization of Africa. During her reign there were many different wars and conflicts in which many of her kingdoms and territories were involved. She is the oldest reigning monarch in the world and also Britain's longest-lived queen. In 2015, she surpassed her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, in terms of the duration of the reign, and became the longest-reigning monarch of Britain, the longest-reigning queen and female head of state in world history. In October 2016, she became the longest-reigning monarch and head of state of modern times since the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
Events of personal significance to the Queen include the birth and marriage of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, her coronation in 1953, and the celebration of major dates such as her silver, gold and diamond jubilees in 1977, 2002 and 2012 respectively. In 2017, she became the first British monarch to celebrate her sapphire jubilee. Sad moments in her life were the death of her father in 1952 at the age of 56, the murder of her uncle Prince Philip, Lord Mountbatten in 1979, the breakdown of her children's marriages in 1992 (her "terrible year"), the death in 1997 of her son's ex-wife , Diana, Princess of Wales, and the death of her mother and sister in 2002. Elizabeth periodically faced republican sentiment and criticism of the royal family in the press. However, support for the monarchy remains at a very high level, as does her personal popularity.
Early years of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth was born at 02:40 (GMT) on 21 April 1926 during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King George V. Her father, Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), was the second son of the King. Her mother, Elizabeth, Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth), was the youngest daughter of the Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. She was born by caesarean section at her maternal grandfather's London home at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair. She was baptized by the Archbishop of York of the Church of England, Cosmo Gordon Lang, in the private chapel of Buckingham Palace on 29 May. She was named Elizabeth after her mother, Alexandra after the mother of George V, who had died six months earlier, and Mary after her paternal grandmother. Close relatives called her "Lilibet", as she herself called herself in childhood. Her grandfather George V cherished and cherished her, and during his serious illness in 1929, her regular visits to him were covered in the popular press. In addition, later biographers noted that these visits greatly lifted his spirits and helped in his recovery.
Elizabeth's only sister, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930. The princesses were educated at home under the guidance of their mother and governess, Marion Crawford, known informally as "Crawphy". The lessons mainly covered history, languages, literature and music. Miss Crawford published a biography of Elizabeth and Margaret's childhood called The Little Princesses in 1950, to the disappointment of the royal family. The book describes Elizabeth's love for horses and dogs, her accuracy and special responsibility. Others have also noted this: Winston Churchill called Elizabeth at the age of two "a strong character. She has such influence and self-reflection that it is very surprising in a child." Her cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as "a cheerful little girl, but fundamentally prudent, and well brought up."
Succession to the British throne
During her grandfather's reign, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, and father, the Duke of York. Although her birth generated public interest, no one expected her to become queen as the Prince of Wales was still young. Many believed that he would marry and have children of his own. After her grandfather's death in 1936, and after her uncle became Edward VIII, she became second in line to the throne after her father. Later that year, Edward abdicated after his marriage to divorced socialite Wallis Simpson led to a constitutional crisis. As a result, Elizabeth's father became king, and she became the heir presumptive. Had her parents had a son after her, she would have lost her position as first heir, as her brother would become the direct heir and surpass her in the line of succession.
Education of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth was privately tutored in constitutional history by Henry Marten, Associate Provost of Eton College, and studied French under numerous native-speaker governesses. The Girl Scout Company, the first company at Buckingham Palace, was set up specifically so that she could connect with girls her own age. She later enlisted in the military as a Marine Ranger.
In 1939, Elizabeth's parents traveled to Canada and the United States. As in 1927, when her parents toured Australia and New Zealand, Elizabeth remained in Britain because her father thought she was too young to make public tours. Elizabeth "looked tearful" when her parents departed. They corresponded regularly and also held the first royal transatlantic telephone calls on 18 May.
Elizabeth II during World War II
In September 1939, Great Britain entered World War II, which lasted until 1945. During the war, many children from London were evacuated to avoid constant aerial bombardment. A proposal by high-ranking politician Lord Hailsham to evacuate the two princesses to Canada was rejected by Elizabeth's mother, who stated: "The children will not go without me. I will not leave without the king. And the king will never leave the country." Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret stayed at Balmoral Castle in Scotland until Christmas 1939 and then moved to Sandringham Palace in Norfolk. From February to May 1940, they lived in the royal country house in Windsor, after which they moved to Windsor Palace, where they lived for almost the entire next five years. At Windsor, the princesses performed pantomimes on stage at Christmas to help the Royal Woolen Trust, which bought yarn to knit military clothing. In 1940, 14-year-old Elizabeth made her first radio appearance on the BBC's "Children's Hour" and addressed other children who had been evacuated from the cities. She stated: "We are trying to do everything possible to help our valiant sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we also try to share with them the dangers and sorrows of war. All of us, each of us knows that in the end everything will be fine" .
In 1943, at the age of 16, Elizabeth made her first public appearance alone on a visit to the Guards Grenadier Regiment, in which she had been appointed colonel the year before. On the eve of her 18th birthday, parliament changed the law so that she could act as one of the five state councilors in the event of her father's inability to perform his functions or his absence from the country, as for example during his visit to Italy in July 1944. In February 1945, she joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service as an honorary second junior officer with personal number 230873. She trained as a driver and mechanic and was promoted to honorary junior commander five months later.
At the end of the war, on the day of the celebration of victory in Europe, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret mingled anonymously with the crowds of celebrating on the streets of London. Elizabeth later said in one of his rare interviews: “We asked our parents for permission to go and see for ourselves. I remember we were very scared that they would recognize us ... I remember crowds of strangers holding hands and walking down the Whitehall, we were all just riding a wave of happiness and relief."
During the war, a plan was devised to suppress Welsh nationalism by forging closer ties with Elizabeth to Wales. Proposals, such as appointing her steward of Caernarvon Castle, or head of the Welsh Youth League ("Urdd Gobaith Cymru"), were rejected for various reasons, among which was the fear of linking Elizabeth to those who refuse to perform military service, while Britain was at war. Welsh politicians offered to make her the Princess of Wales on her 18th birthday. The Home Secretary, Herbert Morrison, supported the idea, but the King rejected it because it seemed to him that such a title belonged exclusively to the wife of the Prince of Wales, and the Prince of Wales was always the heir apparent. In 1946, she was admitted to the Welsh Bard Society at the National Eistetfod Festival in Wales.
In 1947, Princess Elizabeth made her first overseas tour, accompanying her parents on a trip to South Africa. During a radio tour broadcast to the British Commonwealth on her 21st birthday, she promised the following: "I declare to you all that my entire life, whether long or short, will be devoted to the service of you and our great royal family. to which we all belong."
Elizabeth met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, in 1934 and 1937. They are second cousins to King Christian IX of Denmark and fourth cousins to Queen Victoria. After another meeting at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in July 1939, Elizabeth, although she was only 13 years old, said that she had fallen in love with Philip, and they began to correspond. She was 21 when their engagement was officially announced on July 9, 1947.
The engagement was not without controversy. Philip had no financial standing, was of foreign origin (although he was a British subject who served in the Royal Navy during World War II), and his sisters married German nobles with Nazi connections. Marion Crawford wrote: "Some of the king's advisers felt that he was not good enough for her. He was a prince without a home or kingdom. Some newspapers played long and tediously the card of Philip's foreign origin." Later biographies reported that Elizabeth's mother initially opposed the union, calling Philip "The Hun". However, the Queen Mother later told biographer Tim Hild that Philip was "an English gentleman."
Before marriage, Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles, converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, and became Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, taking the surname of his mother's British family. Shortly before the wedding, he became the Duke of Edinburgh and received the title of His Royal Highness.
Elizabeth and Philip were married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey. They received 2500 wedding gifts from all over the world. Since England had not yet fully recovered from the devastation of the war, Elizabeth needed coupons to buy material for her wedding dress, which was designed by Norman Hartnelloom. In post-war Britain, it was unacceptable for the Duke of Edinburgh to invite his German relatives, including his three surviving sisters, to a wedding. The Duke of Windsor, former King Edward VIII, was also not invited.
Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles, on November 14, 1948. A month earlier, the king had issued a charter of grant allowing his children to use the title of crown prince and princess, which they otherwise would not have been entitled to, since their father was no longer crown prince. The second child, Princess Anne, was born in 1950.
After their marriage, the couple rented Windlesham Moor estate near Windsor Castle until July 1949, when they settled at Clarence House in London. At various times between 1949 and 1951, the Duke of Edinburgh lodged in Malta, a British Crown colony, as a serving officer in the Royal Navy. He and Elizabeth periodically lived in Malta for several months in the village of Guardamanga, at the Villa Guardamangia, a house rented by Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten. The children stayed in the UK.
Reign of Elizabeth II
The beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II
During 1951, George VI's health deteriorated and Elizabeth often stood in for him at public events. When she visited Canada and met with President Harry S. Truman in Washington, D.C., in October 1951, her private secretary, Martin Charteris, had with him a draft declaration of her assumption of office in the event of the king's death during her trip. In early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip went on a business trip to Australia and New Zealand via Kenya. On February 6, 1952, they had just returned to their Kenyan home, Sagana Lodge, after spending a night at the Treetops Inn, when news arrived of the king's death and consequently Elizabeth's immediate accession to the throne. Philip told the bad news to the newly-made queen. Martin Charteris asked her to choose a throne name. She "of course" decided to remain Elizabeth. She was proclaimed queen of all her kingdoms and territories, after which the royal couple hastily returned to the United Kingdom. She and the Duke of Edinburgh moved to Buckingham Palace.
After Elizabeth's accession to the throne, it seemed likely that the royal house would take on her husband's surname, becoming the House of Mountbatten. It is customary for a wife to take her husband's surname after marriage. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Elizabeth's grandmother, Queen Mary, advocated that the name Windsor be retained. Thus, on April 9, 1952, Elizabeth issued a declaration stating that the royal house would continue to bear the name of the Windsors. The Duke complained: "I am the only person in the country who has no right to give his name to his own children." In 1960, following the death of Queen Mary in 1953 and the resignation of Churchill in 1955, the male heirs of Philip and Elizabeth who did not hold royal titles were given the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.
Coronation of Elizabeth II
In preparation for her coronation, Princess Margaret informed her sister that she would like to marry Peter Townsend, a divorced man 16 years older than Margaret, with two sons from a previous marriage. The queen asked them to wait a year. According to Martin Charteris, "Naturally the Queen sympathized with the Princess, but I believe that she thought, she hoped that time would pass and this connection would fade away." High-ranking politicians were against this union, and the Church of England did not allow remarriage after a divorce. If Margaret entered into a civil marriage, it would be expected that she would have to renounce her right to inherit. In the end, she and Townsend decided to abandon their plans. In 1960, she married Anthony Armstrong-Jones, who became the Earl of Snowdon a year later. They divorced in 1978; she never remarried.
Despite the death of Queen Mary on March 24, the coronation proceeded as planned on June 2, 1953, as Mary had requested before her death. For the first time, the coronation ceremony was televised from Westminster Abbey. The exceptions were the rituals of anointing and communion. Elizabeth's coronation dress was embroidered at her direction with Commonwealth floral symbols: the English Tudor rose, the Scottish thistle, the Welsh leek, the Irish shamrock, the Australian locust, the Canadian maple leaf, the New Zealand silver fern, the South African protea, the lotus flowers symbolizing India and Ceylon, as well as Pakistani wheat, cotton, and jute.
The role of Elizabeth II in the political life of Great Britain
From the very birth of Elizabeth, the British Empire continued to transform itself into the Commonwealth of Nations. By the time of her accession to the throne in 1952, she had already become the head of several independent states. In 1953, the Queen and her husband embarked on a seven-month world tour, visiting 13 countries and traveling over 40,000 miles by land, sea, and air. She became the first reigning monarch of Australia and New Zealand to visit those countries. During her visit there were huge crowds wishing to see her. It has been estimated that about three-quarters of the Australian population saw the queen. Throughout her reign, the Queen made hundreds of state visits to other countries and trips to Commonwealth countries. She is the head of state who traveled the most.
In 1956, British and French Prime Ministers Sir Anthony Eden and Guy Mollet discussed the possibility of France joining the Commonwealth. The proposal was not accepted, and the following year France signed the Treaty of Rome, which marked the beginning of the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union. In November 1956, England and France invaded Egypt in an attempt to seize the Suez Canal, which ultimately proved completely unsuccessful. Lord Mountbatten claimed that the Queen was opposed to the invasion, although Eden denied this. Eden resigned after two months.
The absence of a formal mechanism for electing a leader within the Conservative Party meant that after Eden's resignation, the Queen had to decide who to commission to form the government. Eden recommended that she enlist the help of Lord Salisbury, Lord President of the Council. Lord Salisbury and Lord Kilmuir, then Lord Chancellor, consulted with the British Cabinet, Winston Churchill, and the Chairman of the 1922 Committee Backbenchers, whereby the Queen appointed a recommended candidate: Harold Macmillan.
The Suez crisis and the choice of Eden's successor led in 1957 to the first serious criticism of the Queen's personality. Lord Altrincham, in his journal, of which he was editor, accused the Queen of being "out of touch with real life." Altrincham was condemned by public figures, and a simple citizen, shocked by his comments, even hit him. Six years later, in 1963, Macmillan resigned and advised the Queen to appoint the Earl of Hume as Prime Minister. She followed this advice. The Queen was again criticized for appointing the prime minister on the advice of a small number of ministers, or a single minister. In 1965, the Conservatives approved a formal mechanism for electing a leader, thereby freeing her from participation in this matter.
In 1957, she made a state visit to the United States, where she addressed the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the Commonwealth. During the same visit, she opened the 23rd Parliament of Canada, becoming the first monarch of Canada to open a session of Parliament. Two years later, exclusively in her role as Queen of Canada, she again visited the United States and Canada. In 1961 she traveled to Cyprus, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Iran. During a visit to Ghana the same year, she allayed fears for her safety, although her host President Kwame Nkrumah, who succeeded her as head of state, became a target for assassins. Harold Macmillan wrote: "The Queen was determined ... She does not tolerate being treated like ... a movie star ... She really has a "male core" hidden ... She loves her duties and is determined to be a queen." Before her tour of some areas of Quebec in 1964, there were reports in the press that extremists within the Quebec separatist movement were planning an assassination attempt on Elizabeth. No attempt was made to attack, but while she was in Montreal, a riot broke out. The press noted in the queen "calmness and courage in the face of violence."
The only exceptions during her reign when the Queen did not participate in the opening ceremonies of the British Parliament were the periods of her pregnancies with Prince Andrew and Edward in 1959 and 1963. In addition to participating in traditional ceremonies, she also introduced new traditions. In 1970, during a tour of Australia and New Zealand, her first royal walk and meeting with ordinary citizens took place.
Decolonization of the British Empire
The 1960s and 1970s saw an acceleration in the pace of decolonization in Africa and the Caribbean. More than 20 countries have gained independence from Britain as part of a planned transition to self-government. In 1965, however, Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith, in opposition to the movement towards a majoritarian system, unilaterally declared independence from Great Britain, without renouncing, however, the expression of "loyalty and devotion" to Elizabeth. Although the Queen dismissed him with an official statement and the international community imposed sanctions on Rhodesia, his regime endured for more than a decade. As Britain's ties with its former colonies weakened, the British government sought to join the European Community, and achieved this goal in 1973.
In February 1974, British Prime Minister Edward Heath advised the Queen to call a general election in the middle of her tour of the Austronesian Pacific Rim and demanded that she fly back to the UK. The elections resulted in a hung parliament. Heath's conservatives did not win a majority, but could have remained in office if they had formed a coalition with the Liberals. Heath only resigned when discussions about forming a coalition failed, after which the Queen asked the leader of the opposition, Labor Harold Wilson, to form a government.
A year later, in the midst of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was relieved of his post by Governor General Sir John Kerr after the opposition-controlled Senate rejected Whitlam's budget proposals. Since Whitlam had a majority in the House of Representatives, Speaker Gordon Scholes petitioned the Queen to reverse Kerr's decision. She refused, stating that she would not interfere in the decisions reserved by the Australian Constitution to the Governor General. The crisis served as a powerful source of Republican sentiment in Australia.
Elizabeth II in the eyes of the British
In 1977, Elizabeth celebrated the silver jubilee of her accession to the throne. There were celebrations and events throughout the Commonwealth, many of which coincided with her travels around the country and abroad. The festivities brought back the popularity of the Queen, despite the fact that almost at the same time the press was negatively covering the divorce of Princess Margaret from her husband. In 1978, the Queen accepted a state visit to the United Kingdom by Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena, although she privately believed "their hands were covered in blood". The following year brought with it two blows: the first was the exposure of Anthony Blunt, the Queen's former art appraiser, as a communist spy; the second was the assassination of her relative and brother-in-law Lord Mountbatten by the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
By the late 1970s, the Queen was concerned that the Crown meant "little" to Pierre Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, according to Paul Martin Sr. Tony Benn noted that the Queen found Trudeau "quite disappointing." Trudeau's supposed Republican leanings seemed to be borne out by his antics, such as rolling down the railings of Buckingham Palace and pirouettes behind the Queen in 1977, and the abolition of various Canadian royal symbols during his term. In 1980, Canadian politicians sent to London to discuss the patriation of the Canadian constitution found the Queen "better informed... than any of the British politicians or officials". She was especially interested after the failure of Bill C-60, which would have affected her role as head of state. Patriation abolished the role of the British Parliament in the Canadian constitution, but the monarchy was retained. Trudeau wrote in his memoirs that the Queen supported his attempt to reform the constitution, and that he was impressed by "the tact she showed in public" and "the wisdom she showed in private."
Attempts on the life of Queen Elizabeth II
In 1981, during a banner-raising ceremony, six weeks before the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer, the Queen was shot six times at close range as she rode down Mole Street on her horse, a Burmese. The police later discovered that they had fired blanks. The 17-year-old attacker, Marcus Sargeant, was sentenced to five years in prison and released after three. Many subsequently praised the queen's composure and her skill in riding.
From April to September 1982, the Queen was concerned about the fate of her son Prince Andrew, who served in the British forces during the Falklands War, but was also proud of him. On July 9, the Queen woke up in her bedroom at Buckingham Palace to find a man had broken into the premises. It was Michael Fagan. Remaining calm even after two calls to the switchboard of the Palace police, she spoke to Fagan, who was sitting at the foot of her bed, until help arrived seven minutes later. After she received U.S. President Ronald Reagan at Windsor Castle in 1982 and visited his California ranch in 1983, the Queen was outraged when his administration ordered an attack on Grenada, one of her Caribbean possessions, without prior notice. .
The heightened media interest in the royal family's beliefs and private lives during the 1980s led to a series of sensational stories in the press, not all of which were true. As Kelvin McKenzie, editor of The Sun, told his staff, “Give me a one-day scoop on the royal family. Don't worry if it isn't true as long as it doesn't make too much noise." Donald Threlford, editor of The Observer, writes on September 21, 1986: "The Royal Soap Opera has now reached such a height of public interest that that the line between fact and fiction has been completely blurred... it's not just that some newspapers don't check the facts or accept denials: they don't really care if the stories are true or not. July 1986, the Queen was concerned that Margaret Thatcher's economic policies were contributing to social stratification, as well as high unemployment, a series of riots, the brutality of mining strikes, and Thatcher's refusal to impose sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa.Sources of rumors include the royal Assistant Michael Shea and Commonwealth Secretary-General Sridath Ramphala. expected his remarks to be taken out of context and embellished with speculation. Thatcher allegedly said that the Queen would vote for the Social Democratic Party, political opponents of Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher's biographer John Campbell argued that "the report was a piece of journalistic intrigue." Denying reports of tensions between them, Thatcher later expressed her personal admiration for the Queen, and the Queen presented her with two awards - membership in the Order of Merit and the Order of the Garter - as a personal gift. This happened after she was replaced as prime minister by John Major. Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney claims that Elizabeth was a "power behind the scenes" in the elimination of apartheid.
Criticism of the British Queen Elizabeth II
In 1987 in Canada, Elizabeth publicly supported politically controversial constitutional amendments, drawing criticism from opponents of the proposed changes, including Pierre Trudeau. That same year, the elected government of Fiji was overthrown in a military coup. As monarch of Fiji, Elizabeth supported the efforts of the Governor General, Ratu Sir Penay Nganilau, to establish executive power and negotiate a settlement. Coup leader Sitiveni Rabuka overthrew Nganilau and declared Fiji a republic. By early 1991, Republican sentiment in the UK was on the rise over speculative estimates of the queen's private wealth that contradicted palace estimates and reports of love affairs and adultery among the queen's relatives. The participation of young members of the royal family in the charity show "Royal Knockout" (It's a Royal Knockout) was ridiculed, and the queen became the object of satire.
British Royal Family in the 1990s
In 1991, as a result of the coalition's victory in the Gulf War, the Queen became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the United States Congress.
In her speech on November 24, 1992, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of her accession to the throne, Elizabeth called 1992 her "terrible year." In March, her second son, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and his wife, Sarah, separated; in April, her daughter, Princess Anne, divorced Captain Mark Phillips. During a state visit to Germany in October, angry demonstrators in Dresden threw eggs at her, and in November a serious fire broke out at Windsor Castle, one of her official residences. The monarchy came under increased criticism and scrutiny from the public. In an unusually personal speech, the Queen says that any institution should expect criticism, but suggests that it be done with "a touch of humor, gentleness and understanding." Two days later, Prime Minister John Major announced reforms to the royal finances planned last year, including the fact that the Queen would pay income tax from 1993 onward and a reduction in the civil list. In December, Prince Charles and his wife Diana officially divorced. The year ended in litigation as the Queen sued The Sun for copyright infringement when it published the text of the royal annual Christmas address two days before the official broadcast. The newspaper was forced to pay her legal fees and donated £200,000 to charity.
In later years, public revelations about the state of affairs in Charles and Diana's marriage continued. Even though support for republicanism in England seemed to be greater than at any time in living memory, republican views were still in the minority, and the queen herself enjoyed high popularity ratings. Criticism was directed at the very institution of the monarchy and the Queen's more distant relatives, rather than her own behavior and actions. After consulting with her husband and Prime Minister John Major, as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, and her private secretary, Robert Fellows, she wrote to Charles and Diana in late December 1995, insisting on a desirable divorce.
Death of Princess Diana
In 1997, a year after the divorce, Diana died in a car accident in Paris. The Queen was on holiday with her family in Balmoral. Diana and Charles' sons, Princes William and Harry, wanted to attend the church, so the Queen and Prince Philip took them along that morning. After that one public appearance, for five days the Queen and Duke protected their grandchildren from excessive media interest by leaving them at Balmoral Castle where they could mourn at home, but the royal family's reclusiveness and refusal to half-mast the flag over Buckingham Palace caused public outrage. Under pressure from a hostile backlash, the Queen decided to return to London and perform live on September 5th, the day before Diana's funeral. On the air, she expressed her admiration for Diana and spoke about her feelings "like a grandmother" of the two princes. As a result, much of the public hostility faded away.
Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain
In 2002, Elizabeth celebrated her golden jubilee. Her sister and mother died in February and March, respectively, and the media theorized whether the anniversary celebrations would succeed or fail. She again undertook an extensive tour of her holdings, starting in Jamaica in February, where she hosted an "unforgettable" farewell banquet even as a power outage plunged the official government residence, Kings House, into darkness. As in 1977, there were street celebrations and celebrations, and monuments were named after the event. Millions of people attended every day of the three-day celebration of the main anniversary in London, and the public's fervent interest in the Queen's personality was even greater than many journalists expected.
Although she has been generally healthy throughout her life, in 2003 the Queen underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees. In October 2006, she missed the opening of the new Emirates Stadium after pulling back muscles that had been bothering her since the summer.
In May 2007, The Daily Telegraph, citing unnamed sources, reported that the Queen was "vexed and upset" by the policies of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, concerned about the excessive presence of British military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that she expressed concern about Blair's problems with the countryside. However, it was said that she admired Blair's efforts to bring peace to Northern Ireland. On March 20, 2008, the Queen attended the first ever service held at St Patrick's Cathedral, the Anglican Church of Ireland in Armagh, during Holy Week. The service was held outside of England and Wales. At the invitation of Irish President Mary McAleese, the Queen made her first state visit to the Republic of Ireland in May 2011 as a British monarch.
The Queen addressed the United Nations for the second time in 2010, again in her role as Queen of all Commonwealth dominions and head of the Commonwealth. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called her "the saving anchor of our era." During her visit to New York, which followed a tour of Canada, she officially opened a memorial garden for the British victims of the 9/11 attacks. The Queen's visit to Australia in October 2011, her sixteenth visit since 1954, was described in the press as her "farewell tour" due to her age.
Elizabeth II - the symbol of the British Empire
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 marked 60 years of government. Celebrations were held throughout its kingdoms, throughout the Commonwealth, and beyond. In a message published on Ascension Day, Elizabeth wrote:
"In this special year, I again dedicate myself to serving you, and I hope that we all remember the need for unity and the creative power of family, friendship and good neighborliness ... In this anniversary year, I want to thank everyone for the great successes that have been made since since 1952, and look forward to the future with a clear head and a warm heart."
She and her husband embarked on an extensive tour of the UK, while her children and grandchildren embarked on royal tours of other Commonwealth states on her behalf. On June 4, commemorative beacons were lit around the world. On December 18, the Queen became the first British monarch to attend a peacetime Cabinet meeting since George III did so in 1781.
The Queen, who opened the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, also opened the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This fact made her the first head of state to open two Olympiads in two different countries. For the London Olympics, she played herself in a short film as part of the opening ceremony alongside Daniel Craig as James Bond. On April 4, 2013, she received a BAFTA honorary award for her support of the film industry, and was also named "the most memorable Bond girl to date" at the awards ceremony.
On March 3, 2013, Elizabeth was admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital as a precautionary measure after she developed symptoms of gastroenteritis. She returned to Buckingham Palace the next day. A week later, she signed a new charter for the Commonwealth. Due to her age and the need to limit travel, in 2013 she decided not to attend the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for the first time in 40 years. At the Sri Lanka summit, her son, Prince Charles, represented her.
Records of Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria to become the longest-lived British monarch in December 2007, and the longest-reigning British monarch on September 9, 2015. In Canada, she was noted as "the longest-reigning monarch in the country's modern history." (King Louis XIV of France ruled Canada (New France) longer.) She is also the longest-reigning queen regnant in history, and the oldest reigning monarch in the world. She became the longest-serving head of state in modern times following the death of Thailand's King Bhumibol on 13 October 2016. On February 6, 2017, she became the first British monarch to celebrate a sapphire jubilee.
The Queen is not about to abdicate, although Prince Charles is expected to take on more of her workload as Elizabeth, who celebrated her 90th birthday in 2016, has fewer public engagements.
The role of Queen Elizabeth II in public life
Since Elizabeth rarely gives interviews, little is known about her personal feelings. As a constitutional monarch, she did not express her own political views from a public platform. She does have a deep sense of religious and civic duty, and takes her coronation oath seriously. In addition to her official religious functions as the head of the Anglican Church, she is personally a member of this church, as well as the national church of Scotland. She has shown support for interfaith relations and has met with leaders of other churches and religions, including five popes: Pius XII, John XXIII, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. She often displays a personal touch as she speaks of her faith in her annual Christmas address to the Commonwealth. In 2000, she spoke about the theological significance of the millennium, marking the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus:
"For many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me, the teachings of Christ and my personal responsibility to God represent some framework in accordance with which I try to live. Like many of you, I received great comfort in difficult times by listening to the word of God, and following the example of Christ."
She is a patron of over 600 organizations and charities. Her main interests are equestrianism and dogs, especially her Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Her cherished love for corgis began in 1933 with Dookie, the first Corgi her family had. From time to time, scenes of her laid-back family life got into the press. The Queen and her family sometimes cook meals together and then wash the dishes afterwards.
In the 1950s, as a young woman at the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth was portrayed as a glamorous "fairy queen". After the trauma of World War II came a time of hope, a period of progress and achievement, ushering in a "new Elizabethan era". 1990s, attempts were made to portray a more modern image of the monarchy in the television documentary The Royal Family, as well as by showing on television the formal introduction of Prince Charles to the office of Prince of Wales.In public, she usually wears mostly plain coats and decorative hats, which make her stand out from the crowd.
Elizabeth II approval ratings
In 1977, people celebrated her silver jubilee with great enthusiasm, but in the 1980s, public criticism of the royal family increased as the personal and work lives of Elizabeth's children came under intense media scrutiny. Elizabeth's popularity sank to its lowest point in the 1990s. Under pressure from public opinion, she began to pay income tax for the first time, and Buckingham Palace was opened to the general public. Dissatisfaction with the monarchy peaked after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, although Elizabeth's personal popularity and support for the monarchy recovered after she delivered a live speech to the world five days after Diana's death.
In November 1999, a referendum held in Australia on the future of the Australian monarchy decided to retain the monarchy, rather than choose a head of state through indirect elections. Opinion polls in the UK in 2006 and 2007 found strong support for Elizabeth, and in 2012, her Diamond Jubilee celebration, approval ratings reached 90 percent. In referendums in Tuvalu in 2008 and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2009, the proposal to become republics for these countries was rejected.
Media portrayals of the British Queen
Elizabeth has been portrayed in various media by many famous artists, including Pietro Annigoni, Peter Blake, Chinwe Chunkwuogo-Roy, Terence Kaneo, Lucian Freida, Damien Hirst, Juliet Punnett, and Tai-Shan Shirenberg. Famous photographers who captured Elizabeth include Cecil Beaton, Yusuf Karsh, Annie Leibovitz, Lord Lichfield, Terry O'Neill, John Swannell, and Dorothy Wilding. The first official portrait of Elizabeth was painted by Marcus Adams in 1926.
State of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth's personal fortune has been the subject of speculation over the years. Jock Colville, her former private secretary and director of her bank Coutts, estimated her net worth in 1971 at £2 million (equivalent to about £25 million today). In 1993, Buckingham Palace called estimates of £100 million "grossly exaggerated". She inherited an estate valued at £70 million from her mother in 2002. A wealthy list published by The Sunday Time in 2015 estimated her personal wealth at £340m. With such indicators, she is in 302nd place among the richest people in the UK.
The British Royal Collection, which includes thousands of historic art and jewelry from the British Royal Family, is not personally owned by the Queen, but is under her royal protection, as are her official residences such as Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and the Duchy of Lancaster. The property portfolio was valued in 2014 at £442 million. Sandringham Palace and Balmoral Castle are privately owned by the Queen. The property of the British crown - with land holdings of 9.4 billion pounds in 2014 - is under her protection and cannot be sold or acquired by Elizabeth in personal possession.
Titles of Elizabeth II
Titles and awards of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth holds many titles and honorary military posts throughout the Commonwealth. She is the sovereign of many orders in her own countries, and has received honors and awards from all over the world. In each of her kingdoms, she has a certain title, and it sounds the same: Queen of Jamaica and other kingdoms and territories in Jamaica, Queen of Australia and her other kingdoms and territories in Australia, etc. In the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, which are crown dependencies rather than separate realms, she is known as Duke of Normandy and Lord of Man, respectively. Additional titles name her Defender of the Faith and (Duke of) Lancaster. When talking to the queen, it is customary to first address her Your Majesty, and then, ma'am.
Coat of arms of Elizabeth II
From April 21, 1944, until her accession to the throne, Elizabeth's coat of arms consisted of a diamond, which depicted the coat of arms of Great Britain, the hallmark of which was a lambel with three silver ribbons. The central one featured a Tudor rose, while the first and third featured the cross of St. George. Upon her accession to the throne, she inherited her father's various coats of arms, which distinguished him as a sovereign. The Queen also owns the royal standards and personal flags for use in Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, and elsewhere.
Elizabeth II(Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, English Elizabeth II, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor) - Queen and Head of State of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and 15 Commonwealth countries - Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Grenada , Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis. In all of these countries, except the United Kingdom, she is represented by governors-general appointed by her.
In addition, Elizabeth II also rules the British Overseas Territories, but not as their queen, but as the queen of the United Kingdom.
Chairman of the Commonwealth of Nations, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Lord of the Isle of Man, Supreme Steward of the Church of England, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Normandy.
Formally, Elizabeth II is the most powerful monarch in the world.
Place of Birth. Education. Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21, 1926 in the London district of Mayfair at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at Brewton Street, house number 17 in the family of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, the Duchess of York (Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Mother) . Her christening in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace was performed by Cosmo Langa, Archbishop of York on May 29 of that year. The princess' godparents were: George V, Queen Mary, Princess Mary, Earl of Strathmore, Duke of Connaught and Lady Elphinstone. She received her names in honor of her mother, Queen Alesandra - her paternal great-grandmother and Queen Mary - grandmother. In the family, she was called by the affectionate name "Lilibet" (Lilibet).
As the king's granddaughter in the male line, she received the title of British princess and was called - Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York. At the time of her birth, she was third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, the Prince of Wales and her father, the Duke of York, and her younger brother, the Prince of Wales. At that time, no one considered her a future queen.
She grew up surrounded by the love and care of her family. The future queen was educated at home, mainly with a humanitarian focus. Her governess was Marion Crawford, known as "Crawfie". She studied history under S. G. K. Merten of Eton and studied modern languages, especially French. Religious instruction was provided by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Heir to the Throne. On December 11, 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated and Elizabeth's father became king, he took the name George VI. Thus, Princess Elizabeth became the heiress presumptive, and if George VI had a son, he would have inherited the throne.
World War II began when Princess Elizabeth was thirteen years old. She and her younger sister Margaret were evacuated to Windsor. Plans were also being made to evacuate the princesses to Canada, but their mother, Queen Elizabeth, is known to have stated: "Children can't go anywhere without me, I will never leave the king, and the king will never leave his country.! » . At the time, the Princess was organizing pantomimes with the children of the Royal Household staff at Windsor, and in 1940 she made her first radio address during the BBC Children's Hour, in which she addressed evacuated children. At the age of thirteen, she met Philip Mountbatten, a cadet at the Dortmund Naval School, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece, and fell in love with him. They corresponded constantly during his service in the Royal Navy.
In 1945, Elizabeth was able to persuade her father to allow her to make her direct contribution to the victory. She joined the "Auxiliary Territorial Service" - Women's Self-Defense Squads, where she was known as No. 230873 Lieutenant Elizabeth Windsor, and trained as a driver. She was trained as an ambulance driver and received the military rank of lieutenant. Her military service lasted five months. This was the first time in the history of the royal family that a woman served in a military unit.
Elizabeth made her first foreign visit in 1947, when she visited South Africa with her father. In honor of her coming of age, which came when she was 21 years old, she made a radio address to the commonwealth and empire with the words: "I proclaim before you that all my life,be it longorshort, mustbutbe dedicatedbutserving you and our great imperial seveneto which we all belong".
Ascension to the throne. 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.
Residence. The Queen's official residence is Buckingham Palace, but she reportedly prefers Windsor Castle. In addition, her residences are the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh, Balmoral and Sandringham Palace.
Popularity. Today, the Queen is one of the most popular faces in the UK. According to the latest polls, it is supported by about 80% of citizens. Although Princess Diana's case shook the Queen's popularity and the authority of the monarchy for a while, in the long run, according to public opinion studies, it did not affect her.
Length of reign. From 5:30 pm on September 9, 2015, Elizabeth II became the second longest-reigning monarch in British history. Longer than her, the crown belonged only to Queen Victoria, who ruled the country for 63 years, 226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes from 1837 to 1901.
Visits. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige as the Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively in her possessions, and also happens in other countries of the world.
In February 1961, she visited Turkey at the invitation of President Kemal Gürsel, and later India and Pakistan for the first time. Elizabeth II visited most European countries and many non-European ones. In 2011, she became the first British monarch to visit independent Ireland.
She has more than 325 foreign visits to her credit (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries).
role in government. Formally, the Queen has legislative, executive and judicial powers in the states she leads, but in fact her role is rather ceremonial due to the fact that she always acts on the advice of the Cabinet of Ministers, and most often appoints the chairman of the party who wins the election as prime minister. .
British premiers meet with the Queen on a weekly basis, which is taken very seriously. One of the prime ministers even said that he prepares more seriously for meetings with the queen than for parliamentary meetings, because the queen is aware of most issues. In addition, the Queen has regular meetings with other Commonwealth ministers and prime ministers when they are in the UK. Also, during her stay in Scotland, she meets with the First Minister of Scotland. British ministries and diplomatic missions send her regular reports.
Although it is customary that the queen does not interfere in politics, but because during her long reign she had the opportunity to work with many prime ministers and leaders of other countries, her advice is always taken seriously. In her memoirs, Margaret Thatcher wrote about her weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth : “Everyone who thinks that they [meetings] are a mere formality or social convention is deeply mistaken. In fact, they are held in a relaxed business atmosphere, and Her Majesty always demonstrates her ability to cover a wide range of issues and her wide experience.
Awards. Elizabeth II in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries, as well as in other states, is the head of a number of knightly orders, and also has military ranks, numerous honorary titles, academic degrees. In addition, she is a holder of various domestic British awards, as well as a number of various awards from foreign countries.
Interests. From a young age, Elizabeth was interested in horses and was engaged in horseback riding. She has been faithful to this hobby for many decades. The Queen's interests include dog breeding (including Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, and travel. I have been gardening since 2009.
Family. At the age of thirteen, she met Philip Mountbatten, a cadet at the Dortmund Naval School, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece, and fell in love with him. They corresponded constantly during his service in the Royal Navy. On the eve of the wedding with the princess, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh. On 20 November 1947, she married the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip (born Prince of Greece and Denmark), who is her fourth cousin (they are both great-great-grandsons of King Christian IX of Denmark) and he is also a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria.
On November 14, 1948, she gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles. Earlier, by a special open letter, the king granted the right to the children of the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh to be called princes. On August 15, 1950, their second child, Princess Anne, was born.
On February 19, 1960, the Queen's third child was born - Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and on March 10, 1964 - Prince Edward, Earl of Essex.
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth II) Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - since February 6, 1952
Coronation: June 2, 1953
Predecessor: George VI
Heir apparent: Charles, Prince of Wales
Head of the Commonwealth of Nations
Religion: Anglicanism
Birth: 21 April 1926
London, Great Britain
Genus: Windsor dynasty
Birth name: Elizabeth Alexandra Maria
Father: George VI
Mother: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Spouse: Philip Mountbatten
biography of queen elizabeth 2
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 descended 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.
She is the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations and, in addition to Great Britain, the queen of 15 independent states: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica. He is also head of the Anglican Church and supreme commander of the British armed forces.
Elizabeth II- 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 oldest female head of state in the world.
For the reign Elizabeth a very wide period of British history falls out: 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.
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.
Childhood and youth of Elizabeth II
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); mother - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1961).
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London's Mayfair at 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).
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 name of the girl 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.
In 1930, Elizabeth's only sister, Princess Margaret, was born.
Elizabeth received a good education at home, mostly in the humanities - she studied the history of the constitution, law, religious studies, art history, and also (actually independently) French. From a young age, Elizabeth was interested in horses and was engaged in horseback riding. She has been faithful to this hobby for many decades.
At birth Elizabeth became the Duchess of York and was third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII) and father. Since Prince Edward was young enough to be expected to marry and have children, Elizabeth was not initially considered a viable candidate for the throne. However, Edward was forced to abdicate just a few months after the death of George V in 1936. Prince Albert (George VI) became king, and 10-year-old Elizabeth became heir to the throne and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace. At the same time, she remained in the role of "heir presumptive" ("supposed heir") (English) Russian, and if George VI had a son, he would have inherited the throne.
World War II 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 the military rank of lieutenant.
In 1947, Elizabeth accompanied her parents on a trip to South Africa and, on her 21st birthday, went on the radio with a solemn promise to devote her life to the service of the British Empire.
That same year, 21-year-old Elizabeth married 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten, a British navy officer, member of the Greek and Danish royal families, and great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. They met in 1934, and fell in love, it is believed, after Elizabeth visited the Naval College in Dartmouth, where Philip studied, in 1939. Having become the spouse of the princess, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
A year after the wedding, in 1948, the eldest son, Prince Charles, was born to Elizabeth and Philip. And on August 15, 1950, the daughter is Princess Anna.
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain
Coronation and beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II
King George VI, father Elizabeth, 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.
The second half of the 1950s - the beginning of the 1990s
In 1957, after the resignation of Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden, due to the lack of clear rules for choosing a leader in the Conservative Party, Elizabeth II had to appoint a new head of government from among the Conservatives. After consultations with prominent members of the party and former Prime Minister Churchill, 63-year-old Harold Macmillan was appointed head of government.
In the same year, Elizabeth made her first visits to the United States and Canada as Queen of Canada. In the same year, she spoke for the first time at a session of the UN General Assembly. She was present at the opening session of the Canadian Parliament (for the first time in history with the participation of the British monarch). She continued her travels in 1961 when she made visits to Cyprus, the Vatican, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Iran, and Ghana.
Meeting of Elizabeth II with the heads of the Commonwealth countries in 1960
In 1960, the Queen had a second son, Prince Andrew, and in 1964, a third son, Prince Edward.
In 1963, following the resignation of Prime Minister Macmillan, on his advice, Elizabeth appointed Alexander Douglas-Home as prime minister.
In 1974, a political crisis began to brew after parliamentary elections, in which none of the parties received a majority of votes. Although the Conservative Party turned out to be the largest party in Parliament, Labor leader Harold Wilson was appointed Prime Minister. A year later, a political crisis also occurred in Australia (English) Russian, during which Elizabeth II refused to cancel the decision of the governor general to resign the country's prime minister.
In 1976 Elizabeth II solemnly opened (as Queen of Canada) the XXI Olympic Games in Montreal.
1977 was an important date for the Queen - the 25th anniversary of Elizabeth II's tenure on the British throne was celebrated, in honor of which many ceremonial enterprises were held in the Commonwealth countries.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a number of assassination attempts were made on the royal family. In particular, in 1979, the terrorists of the "Provisional Irish Republican Army" assassinated the uncle of Prince Philip, an influential statesman and military leader, Lord Louis Mountbatten. And in 1981, there was an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Elizabeth II during a military parade in honor of the queen's "official birthday".
In 1981, the wedding of the son of Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Diana Spencer took place, which would later become a big problem for the royal family.
Elizabeth II walking near Windsor Castle with Ronald Reagan (1982)
At this time in 1982, as a result of changes in the Canadian constitution, the British Parliament lost any role in Canadian affairs, but the British Queen still remained the head of the Canadian state. In the same year, the first visit of Pope John Paul II to Great Britain in the last 450 years took place (the Queen, who is the head of the Anglican Church, received him personally).
In 1991, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the US Houses of Congress.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Queen Elizabeth II. London. 2010
Elizabeth II and the Obamas.
Early 1990s - 2000s in the life of Elizabeth II
1992 was a "terrible year", according to the definition of Elizabeth II herself. Two of the Queen's four children - Prince Andrew and Princess Anne - divorced their spouses, Prince Charles separated from Princess Diana, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire, the duty for the Queen to pay income tax was introduced, and funding for the royal court was noticeably reduced.
In 1994, Elizabeth II visited Russia. This was the first visit of the head of the British royal house to the Russian state in the entire history of bilateral relations dating back to 1553.
In 1996, at the urging of the Queen, a formal divorce was signed between Prince Charles and Princess Diana. A year later, in 1997, the tragic death of Princess Diana in a car accident in Paris occurred, which shocked not only the royal family, but also millions of ordinary Britons. For restraint and the absence of any reaction to the death of the former daughter-in-law, critical remarks immediately rained down on the queen.
In 2002, celebrations were held in honor of the 50th anniversary of Elizabeth II on the British throne (Golden Jubilee. But in the same year, the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, and the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, died.
In 2008, for the first time in history, the Church of England, led by Elizabeth, held a Maundy Thursday service, traditionally attended by the reigning monarch, outside of England or Wales, at St. Patrick's in Armagh in Northern Ireland.
Modernity
In 2010, she spoke for the second time at a meeting of the UN General Assembly. Introducing the Queen, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called her "the anchor of our era."
In 2011, the first ever state visit by a British monarch to independent Ireland took place. In the same year, the wedding of Prince William (grandson of Elizabeth II) and Catherine Middleton took place.
In 2012, the XXX Olympic Games were held in London, inaugurated by Elizabeth II, and a new law was approved that changes the order of succession, according to which male heirs lose priority over women.
In the same year, the 60th (“diamond”) anniversary of Elizabeth II on the throne was solemnly celebrated in Great Britain and other countries. The culmination of the festive events was the weekend of June 3-4, 2012:
On June 3, a solemn water parade of more than a thousand ships and boats took place on the Thames. It is believed that this is the most grandiose river procession in history;
On June 4, 2012, a concert took place on the square in front of Buckingham Palace with the participation of such stars of British and world music as Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Cliff Richard, Elton John, Grace Jones, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Tom Jones and others. The evening was hosted by Take That lead singer Gary Barlow.
Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (2013)
In 2013, for the first time in 40 years, Elizabeth II refused to go to the summit of the heads of the countries of the British Commonwealth, held in Sri Lanka. Britain at the summit will be represented by Prince Charles, which indicates the gradual transfer of powers of Elizabeth to her son.
In the same year, the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth II was celebrated in Great Britain, but on a smaller scale.
Role in political and public life
In accordance with the British tradition of a constitutional monarchy, Elizabeth II performs mainly representative functions, with little or no influence on the government of the country. However, during her reign, she successfully maintains the authority of the British monarchy. Her duties include visiting various countries on diplomatic visits, receiving ambassadors, meeting with high-ranking government officials (especially the Prime Minister), reading annual messages to Parliament, presenting awards, knighting, etc. The Queen also looks through the main British newspapers daily and answers with the help of servants for some letters, which are sent to her in huge quantities (200-300 pieces daily).
Throughout her time on the throne, the Queen maintained correct relations with all prime ministers. At the same time, she always remained true to the tradition of the English kings of modern times - to be above political fights.
Elizabeth II is also actively involved in charity work. She is a trustee of over 600 different public and charitable organizations.
Main article: Royal prerogatives
In addition to duties, Elizabeth II also has certain inalienable rights, like a monarch (royal prerogatives), which, however, are quite formal. For example, she can dissolve the parliament, reject the candidacy of the prime minister (which seems unsuitable to her), etc.
Financial expenses
Certain funds are spent on the maintenance of the queen from the so-called civil list, which is controlled by the government.
So, according to data from Buckingham Palace, in the 2008-2009 financial year, each Briton spent $ 1.14 on the maintenance of the monarchy, which amounted to $ 68.5 million in total.
In 2010-2011, due to the government's new economic program, the Queen was forced to cut her spending to $51.7 million.
But, starting in 2012, Elizabeth's income began to grow again (at an approximate rate of 5% per year).
Such figures cause dissatisfaction among the Republican-minded part of the British population, which considers it necessary to cut them.
Family and Children
On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (born June 10, 1921), the son of the Greek Prince Andrew, who received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
Four children were born in their family:
Name Date of birth Marriage Children Grandchildren
Prince Charles,
Prince of Wales 14 November 1948 Lady Diana Spencer 29 July 1981
(divorced: 28 August 1996) Prince William, Duke of Cambridge Prince George of Cambridge
Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales
Camille Shand April 9, 2005
Princess Anna,
"Princess Royal" August 15, 1950 Mark Phillips November 14, 1973
(divorced: April 28, 1992) Peter Phillips Savannah Phillips
Isla Elizabeth Phillips
Zara Phillips
Timothy Lawrence December 12, 1992
Prince Andrew
Duke of York 19 February 1960 Sarah Ferguson 23 July 1986
(divorced: 30 May 1996) Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Eugenie (Eugenie) of York
Prince Edward
Earl of Wessex 10 March 1964 Sophie Rhys-Jones 19 June 1999 Lady Louise Windsor
James, Viscount Severn
Official titles, awards and coat of arms
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 that recognize 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 (English) Russian, 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".
States whose head was or is Elizabeth II
Member countries of the Commonwealth are marked on the map (Fiji membership is suspended)
Upon accession to the throne, in 1952, Elizabeth became queen of seven states: Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon.
During her reign, some of these countries became republics. At the same time, as a result of the process of decolonization, numerous British colonies gained independence. In some of them, the Queen of Great Britain retained the status of head of state, in others she did not.
Abolition of the monarchy in the original possessions of Elizabeth II:
Pakistan - in 1956 (former Dominion of Pakistan).
South Africa - in 1961 (former South Africa).
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - in 1972 (former Dominion of Ceylon).
Blue indicates states that retain the monarchy
Newly independent states that retained the monarchy:
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Grenada
Papua New Guinea
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Solomon islands
Tuvalu
Jamaica
Newly independent states that abandoned the monarchy:
Guyana
Gambia
Ghana
Kenya
Mauritius
Malawi
Malta
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
Tanganyika
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Fiji
Awards
Main article: Titles and honors of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries, as well as in other states, is the head of a number of knightly orders, and also has military ranks, numerous honorary titles, academic degrees. In addition, she is a holder of various domestic British awards, as well as a number of various awards from foreign countries.
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
public perception
At the moment, 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).
Criticism
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.
Hobbies and personal life
Map of visits by Elizabeth II around the world
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 in 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.
Memory
In culture
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). The Queen at different periods of her life was played by 5 actresses: 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
In honor of the queen, Elizabeth Avenue is named next to the espalana in Singapore.
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
Lifetime monuments
Statue of Elizabeth II in Ottawa, Parliament Hill, Canada
Statue in Regina, Saskatchewan, erected in 2005
Statue in Windsor Great Park
In botany
In honor of Elizabeth II, the rose variety Rosa "Queen Elizabeth" was named.
On coins and in philately
Coins and postage stamps
On a Canadian stamp, 1953
On an Australian coronation stamp
On a Northern Ireland stamp, 1958
On a 1953 coin
On a South African coin, 1958
Coin with Elizabeth 1961
In geography
The name of Elizabeth II was repeatedly assigned to various territories, among them:
Princess Elizabeth Land in Antarctica
Queen Elizabeth Land in Antarctica
Queen Elizabeth Islands in Canada
