Elizabeth II (Elizabeth II), full name - Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary). Born April 21, 1926 in London. Queen of Great Britain since 1952.

She ascended the throne on February 6, 1952 at the age of twenty-five, after the death of her father, King George VI. Is among all the monarchs in the history of Great Britain.

The oldest British (English) monarch in history.

She also ranks second in the world in terms of the length of tenure as head of state among all current heads of state (after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand). She is the oldest female incumbent in the world and the oldest incumbent in Europe.

He is the oldest active monarch in the world since January 24, 2015, after the death of the King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud.

Comes from the Windsor dynasty.

She is the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations and, in addition to Great Britain, the queen of fifteen independent states: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica.

He is also the head of the Church of England and the Supreme Commander of the British Armed Forces.

Queen of Great Britain

Eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI, 1895-1952) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002). Her grandparents: on her father's side - King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess of Teck (1867-1953); maternal - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1862-1938).

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in Mayfair, London, at 17 Brewton Street, the Earl of Strathmore's residence. She received 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 his daughter was 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 Maria. The names are all good, I told him so, and about Victoria, I absolutely agree with him. It was superfluous ".

Princess Elizabeth's christening took place on May 25 at the Buckingham Palace chapel, which was later destroyed during the war.

In 1930, Elizabeth's only sister, Princess Margaret, was born.

She received a good education at home, mainly in the humanities - she studied the history of the constitution, jurisprudence, religious studies, art history, and also (practically independently) the French language.

From a young age she was interested in horses and was engaged in horse riding. She has been faithful to this hobby for many decades.

At birth, Elizabeth became Princess of York and was the 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 and, as it was believed, was supposed to marry and have children, Elizabeth was not initially seen as a real candidate for the throne.

However, Edward was forced to abdicate eleven months after the death of George V in 1936. Prince Albert (George VI) became king, and 10-year-old Elizabeth became the heir to the throne and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace. However, she remained in the role "Heir presumptive"("Prospective heir"), 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 spoke on the radio for the first time - with an appeal to children affected by the scourge of war.

In 1943, her first independent appearance in public took place - a visit to the regiment of guards grenadiers.

In 1944 she became one of the five "state advisers" (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" - the women's self-defense squads - and trained as a driver-mechanic of an ambulance, receiving the military rank of lieutenant. Her military service lasted five months, which gives reason to consider her the last not yet retired participant in World War II (the penultimate was Pope Benedict XVI, who served as an anti-aircraft gunner in the German armed forces).

In 1947, Elizabeth accompanied her parents on a trip to South Africa and, on her 21st birthday, she spoke on the radio with a solemn promise to devote her life to the service of the British Empire.

King George VI, Elizabeth's father, died on February 6, 1952. Elizabeth, while vacationing with her husband in Kenya, was proclaimed Queen of Great Britain.

The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. This was the first televised coronation of a British monarch and is believed to have contributed significantly to the rise in popularity of television broadcasts.

Coronation of Elizabeth II

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 its other kingdoms and territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".

After that, in 1953-1954. the queen made a six-month tour of the Commonwealth states, the British colonies and other countries of the world.

Elizabeth II became the first monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand.

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 was to appoint a new head of government from among the Conservatives. After consultation with prominent party members 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. She also spoke for the first time at a session of the UN General Assembly. She attended the opening session of the Canadian Parliament (for the first time in history with the participation of a British monarch). She continued her travels in 1961, when she made visits to Cyprus, the Vatican, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Iran, as well as Ghana.

In 1963, following the resignation of Prime Minister Macmillan, on his advice, Elizabeth appointed Alexander Douglas-Hume as Prime Minister.

In 1976, Elizabeth II inaugurated (as Queen of Canada) the XXI Olympic Games in Montreal.

1977 became an important date for the Queen - the 25th anniversary of Elizabeth II's stay on the British throne was celebrated, in honor of which many solemn enterprises were held in the countries of the Commonwealth.

Late 1970s - early 1980s a number of assassination attempts were made on the royal family... In particular, in 1979 there was the murder by terrorists of the "Provisional Irish Republican Army" of the uncle of Prince Philip (the Queen's husband) - an influential statesman and military leader Lord Louis Mountbatten. And in 1981, there was an unsuccessful attempt on the life of Elizabeth II herself during a military parade in honor of the Queen's “official birthday”.

In 1981, the wedding of the son of Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, took place, which would later become a big problem for the royal family.

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 state of Canada. 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 Church of England, received him personally).

In 1991, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to speak at a joint session of the chambers of the United States Congress.

1992 was a "terrible year" by the definition of Elizabeth II herself. Two of the Queen's four children - Prince Andrew and Princess Anne - divorced their spouses, Prince Charles divorced Princess Diana, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire, an obligation for the Queen to pay income tax was introduced, and funding for the royal court was significantly reduced.

In 1996, at the insistence of the Queen, an official divorce was signed between Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

A year later, in 1997, there was the tragic death of Princess Diana in a car accident in Paris, 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 fell on the Queen.

In 2002, solemn events were held in honor of the 50th anniversary of the stay of Elizabeth II on the British throne (Golden Jubilee). But in the same year, the death of the queen's sister, Princess Margaret, and the queen mother, Queen Elizabeth, took place.

In 2008, for the first time in history, the Anglican Church, of which Elizabeth is the head, held a service on Maundy Thursday, in which the reigning monarch traditionally participates, outside England or Wales - at St. Patrick in Armagh, Northern Ireland.

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 saving anchor of our era."

In 2011, the first-ever state visit of 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 in London were held, inaugurated by Elizabeth II, and a new law was approved, changing the order of succession, according to which male heirs lose priority over women.

In 2012, the 60th ("diamond") anniversary of Elizabeth II's rule on the throne was solemnly celebrated in Great Britain and other countries. On June 3, a solemn water parade of more than a thousand ships and boats took place on the Thames. It is believed to be the most grandiose river procession in history. On June 4, 2012, a concert was held 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 event was organized by Take That lead singer Gary Barlow.

In 2013, Elizabeth II for the first time in 40 years refused to go to the summit of the heads of the British Commonwealth countries, taking place in Sri Lanka. Britain was represented at the summit by Prince Charles, which indicates the gradual transfer of power from Elizabeth to her son.

Among the interests of the queen are dog breeding (among them corgi, spaniels and labradors), photography, horse riding, as well as travel. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige as the queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively through her possessions, and also happens to other countries of the world: she has more than 325 foreign visits to her account.

Since 2009, she began to engage in gardening.

In addition to English, he is also fluent in French.

The rise of Elizabeth II: 163 centimeters

Personal life of Elizabeth II:

In 1947, at the age of 21, she married 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten (born June 10, 1921) - an officer in the British Navy, a member of the Greek (son of the Greek Prince Andrew) 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 in 1939, where Philip studied.

Becoming the consort of the princess, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

A year after the wedding - in 1948 - the eldest son was born to Elizabeth and Philip. And on August 15, 1950 - a daughter, Princess Anne.

Elizabeth II and Philip Mountbatten

In 1960, the Queen had a second son, Prince Andrew. In 1964, she gave birth to her third son, Prince Edward.

Children of Elizabeth II:

Born November 14, 1948. On July 29, 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer. On August 28, 1996, the couple filed for divorce. They had two sons: the Duke of Cambridge and Wales.

Prince William, married to, has two children: Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.

Princess anna, "Princess Royal" - was born on August 15, 1950. She was married to Mark Phillips from November 14, 1973 to April 28, 1992 (divorced). The couple had two children: Peter Phillips and Zara Phillips.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York- was born on February 19, 1960. He was married to Sarah Ferguson between July 23, 1986 - May 30, 1996 (divorced). The couple had two daughters: Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie (Eugenia) of York.

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex- was born on March 10, 1964. Married to Sophie Rhys-Jones (married on June 19, 1999). The couple have two children: Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.

The role of Elizabeth II in the political and public life of Great Britain:

In accordance with the British tradition of a parliamentary 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 with the Prime Minister), reading annual messages to parliament, presenting awards, knighting, etc.

Also, the queen looks through the main British newspapers every day and, with the help of the servants, answers some letters that are sent to her in huge quantities (200-300 pieces daily).

Throughout her tenure on the throne, the queen maintained correct relations with all prime ministers. At the same time, she always remained faithful to the tradition of the English kings of modern times - to be above political battles. As a constitutional monarch, Elizabeth II should not publicly express her political sympathies or antipathies. She has always complied with this rule, acting non-publicly - therefore, her political views remain unknown.

Three times during her reign, the Queen had constitutional problems with the formation of the British government.

In 1957 and 1963, in the absence of a clear mechanism for electing a leader in the Conservative Party, it was the queen who had to decide who to entrust the formation of the government after the resignations of Anthony Eden and Harold Macmillan.

In 1957, Anthony Eden refused to advise the Queen on whom to appoint as his successor, and she turned for advice to, as the only living conservative prime minister at the time (following the precedent for which, after the resignation of Andrew Bonar Law in 1923, King George V consulted with Lord Salisbury's father and former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour).

In 1963, Harold Macmillan himself advised the appointment of Alec Douglas-Home as his successor. And in 1974, after the resignation of Edward Heath as a result of an unclear election outcome, Elizabeth II appointed opposition leader Harold Wilson as prime minister.

In all these cases, the Queen acted in accordance with British constitutional tradition, according to which she should not make any important decisions without the advice of her ministers and privy councilors.

Other than that, British premieres meet with the Queen every week. The Queen is more knowledgeable on most issues than meets the eye. In addition, the Queen has regular meetings with other ministers and prime ministers of the Commonwealth states when they visit the UK. Also, during her stay in Scotland, she meets with the first minister of Scotland. The UK ministry and diplomatic missions send her regular reports.

Although it is accepted that the queen does not interfere in politics, but due to the fact that during her long reign she had the opportunity to work with many prime ministers and leaders of other countries, her advice is always carefully considered. In her memoirs, she wrote about her weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth: "Anyone who thinks that they [meetings] are mere formality or social convention is deeply mistaken. In fact, they take place in a calm business atmosphere, and Her Majesty always demonstrates her ability to cover a wide range of issues and her extensive experience.".

Elizabeth II is actively involved in charity and social activities. The Queen of Britain is the trustee of over 600 different community and charitable organizations.

In addition to her duties, Elizabeth II also has certain inalienable rights as a monarch (royal prerogatives). For example, she can dissolve parliament, reject the candidacy of the prime minister (which she finds unsuitable), and so on.

Financial costs for the queen:

So, according to data from Buckingham Palace, in the 2008-2009 financial year for the maintenance of the monarchy, every Briton spent $ 1 14 cents, which totaled $ 68.5 million.

In 2010-2011, due to the new economic program of the government, the Queen was forced to reduce her spending to $ 51.7 million.

Starting in 2012, Elizabeth's income began to grow again (at an approximate rate of 5% per year).

Such figures cause discontent among the republican-minded part of the UK population, which considers it necessary to cut them.

States, the head of which was or is Elizabeth II:

Upon her 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. Simultaneously, as a result of the decolonization process, 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.

The abolition of the monarchy in the original possessions of Elizabeth II:

Pakistan - in 1956 (formerly Dominion Pakistan)
South Africa - in 1961 (formerly South Africa)
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - in 1972 (formerly the Dominion of Ceylon).

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

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Studio "Kvartal 95" goes on a world tour with concerts of "Evening Quarter" The "Evening Quarter" project is a humorous show with a unique format of intellectual humor. And the humor in Vecherny Kvartal is always fresh and topical, sharp and precise. The special recognizable style of Kvartal 95 is a combination of good humor and a positive outlook on life, relevance and sharp political satire, as well as an orientation towards universal and family values. "Vecherniy Kvartal" has been the most popular show on Ukrainian television for many years, traditionally gathering millions of viewers from the screens.

The English Irregular Verb Trainer will help you memorize their spelling and meaning. Fill in empty cells. If you spell it correctly, the word will change color from red to green. Refresh the page or click the Start Over button and you will see a new order of blank cells. Train again!

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Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the royal family

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has remained for centuries parliamentary monarchy... Since February 6, 1952, the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been Queen Elizabeth II.

The system of constitutional monarchy is believed to smooth out the contradictions of multi-party politics and ensure stability and continuity in times of political and social change.

The current monarch performs two important functions - is head of state and head of nation .

As head of state, Queen of Great Britain performs the following duties: participates in the annual opening ceremony of Parliament, meets weekly with prime ministers, receives foreign ambassadors and delegations, makes official visits to foreign countries to maintain diplomatic and economic relations of his country with others. Many of the official powers of the monarch or "royal prerogatives" are exercised by the monarch only nominally, after consultation with the prime minister and the cabinet of ministers, who are responsible to the House of Commons of Parliament. Most of the prerogatives are put into practice by UK Cabinet Ministers. The monarch formally appoints the prime minister (a ceremony of "kissing hands"), in practice, he is the head of the party that won the parliamentary elections. In the event that none of the parties won a majority, the monarch has the right to appoint a prime minister. The incumbent Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, took advantage of this opportunity only once - in 1974, when she appointed Harold Wilson to the post of Labor Prime Minister. On the advice of the Prime Minister, the monarch has the right to dismiss ministers or the entire Cabinet (a prerogative that British monarchs never exercise). All parliamentary laws are passed in the name of the monarch and come into force after his formal approval.

Formally, the monarch has the right to convene, dissolve and renew the Parliament. But in practice, according to the Parliament Act of 1911, Parliament is elected for a term of 5 years and upon the expiration of this term it is automatically dissolved.

An oath of allegiance is taken to the monarch, British passports are issued on behalf of the monarch, the country's anthem is called "God Save the Queen." The image of the monarch is present on banknotes, coins and postage stamps. The current monarch is the head of the Royal Armed Forces and has the formal prerogative to declare war and make peace, conclude international treaties and ratify agreements.

Despite their venerable age, the royal couple continues to perform official duties. In April 2014, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the Vatican and met with Pope Francis.

The monarch is considered A source of justice- has the right to appoint judges.

The monarch is A source of honor(conducts investiture ceremonies) - appoints peers, awards orders, knights and other honors (usually on the advice of the prime minister).

Monarch - head of the Church of England... He has the power to appoint archbishops and bishops (at the suggestion of the prime minister).

Since 1760, funding for the maintenance of the royal family has been according to the Civil List. This means that the proceeds from the royal inheritance - the Crown Estate - go to the budget of Great Britain, and then are allocated to the needs of the royal family.

The monarch only formally owns his estate, since it cannot be sold, but can only be transferred to the heir to the throne. Formally, the current monarch owns the county of Lancastershire, the proceeds from which go to replenish the monarch's "personal wallet" and are spent on those needs that are traditionally not recorded in the Civil List. Cornwall is formally owned by the heir to the throne of the United Kingdom.

As Head of the Nation, Queen Elizabeth II fulfills an equally important cultural and social function in the UK. It provides national identity, symbolizes the unity and pride of the nation, giving the British a sense of stability and confidence in the future.

The Queen regularly visits different parts of the United Kingdom, her presence is mandatory at ceremonies on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance of those killed in wars, at significant sporting events. Everyone remembers the appearance of the Queen in the video with James Bond at the opening of the London Olympic Games in 2012. In 1976, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Montreal Summer Olympics, Canada, as Canada's head of state. The Royal Office sends out thousands of messages of congratulations to citizens celebrating their centenary and 60th wedding anniversary. Every year, Queen Elizabeth II addresses her subjects with a Christmas speech.

Members of the British royal family form the line of succession to the throne. First in line is the Queen's eldest son, Charles. The second and third are Charles' eldest son Prince William and his son George. The order of inheritance was determined by the Federal Act of 1800, which established the rule of inheritance according to the primogeniture with the priority of the male sex. The Act of Succession to the Throne of 1701 established the rule that only a monarch professing the Anglican faith can inherit the British throne. According to this law, not only Catholics, but also Anglicans who are married to Catholics cannot ascend the British throne.

At the Commonwealth Summit in Australia in October 2011, succession changes were made to avoid gender and religious discrimination. In December 2012, this law was approved by the parliaments of the countries of the commonwealth. Now the order of succession is determined by simple seniority and the ban on marriages to Catholics for future monarchs has been lifted. Currently, the line of succession to the throne is 55 members of the royal family- descendants of Elizabeth II, her sister - Princess Margaret and grandfather - George V.

Also members royal family distributed by seniority or priority. Thus, the Queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, is not among the heirs to the throne, but is the second oldest in the family after the Queen. This order of precedence is observed at official events. For example, during the laying of wreaths on Memorial Day, the Queen lays the first wreath, the Duke of Edinburgh the second, Prince Charles the third, etc.

Title of Queen Elizabeth II differs for each country that is part of the Commonwealth.

For the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, it reads like this:

"Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".

"Elizabeth II, by the grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its other countries and territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."

Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926 in London at 17 Bruton Street. This house no longer exists, and a memorial plaque is installed on the new house at this address. At baptism, the daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was named Elizabeth (after her mother) Alexandra (after her great-grandmother) Maria (after her grandmother). Elizabeth II belongs to the Windsor dynasty. Elizabeth's father - Prince Albert was the second in line of succession to the throne. After the abdication of his elder brother, Edward VIII, he became King George VI, and Elizabeth became "heir presumptive" ("supposed heir"). This means that if the king had a son later, he would inherit the throne.

In 1947, Elizabeth's wedding took place with Philip Mountbatten (born June 10, 1921) - an officer of the British Navy belonging to the Greek and Danish royal family, great-great-grandson of the British Queen Victoria and the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. To marry Elizabeth, Philip became a naturalized citizen of Great Britain, changed Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, renounced the titles "Prince of Denmark" and "Prince of Greece". In return, George VI bestowed upon him the title of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merionet and Baron of Greenwich.

When George VI died on February 6, 1952, Elizabeth and her husband were traveling in Kenya. Princess Elizabeth has already returned to Britain as Queen Elizabeth II. The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II, which took place on June 2, 1953, was first televised from Westminster Abbey. The first to take the oath of allegiance to the new queen was her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen has four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward.

Charles, Prince of Wales- was born on November 14, 1948. Full name Charles (Karl) Philip Arthur George (Georg) Mountbatten - Windsor. Heir to the throne of Great Britain, Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Air Force. Upon accession to the throne, he can choose a royal name - Charles (Charles) III by the first name, or George (George) VII by the fourth.

At birth, Charles received the title "His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh" - "His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh". When Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952, Prince Charles automatically received the title "Duke of Cornwall" and became known as "His Royal Highness the Duke of Cornwall." In 1969, Elizabeth II held an investiture ceremony, placing the crown of the Prince of Wales on her son's head. And the official title of Charles was changed to "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales".

On July 29, 1981, the wedding of the heir to the throne took place with Diane Spencer... Charles and Diana had two sons: Prince William (born June 21, 1982) and Prince Henry (Harry) (born September 15, 1984). On April 9, 2005, Prince Charles married a second time - to Camilla Parker Bowles. For the first time in the history of the royal family, the ceremony was performed in a civil order. Due to the fact that the late wife of Prince Charles, Lady Diana, is still very popular among the British, Camila was awarded the title not of the Princess of Wales, but of the Duchess of Cornwall.

By tradition, Charles is involved in charity work, heads more than 350 charitable societies. His areas of interest include nature conservation and agriculture.

Princess anna(Anna Elizabeth Alice Louise) was born on August 15, 1950. He is currently in 11th place in the line of succession to the throne. Since 1987 she has been named Princess Royal. From her first marriage to Mark Phillips, she had two children: Peter Phillips (1977) and Zara Phillips (1981). Princess Anne, Mark Phillips and Zara Phillips have represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games in equestrian sports at various times. After her divorce from Mark Phillips, Princess Anne married Vice Admiral Timothy Lawrence.

Prince Andrew(Andrew Albert Christian Edward), Duke of York was born on 19 February 1960. Prince Andrew received the title of Duke of York in 1986 - on his wedding day with Sarah Ferguson. Two daughters were born in the marriage: Princess Beatrice of York (born 1988) and Eugene of York (born 1990). The Duke of York is ranked 5th in the line of succession to the British throne.

Prince edward(Edward Anthony Richards Louis), Earl of Wessex was born on March 10, 1964. In the line of succession to the throne, he is in 8th place after his elder brothers and their descendants. He received the title of Earl on his wedding day with Sophie Rhys-Jones. It was announced that after the death of his father, he will receive the title of Duke of Edinburgh, and his children will not receive the titles of princes and princesses, but will be treated as children of an earl. The Earl of Wessex has two children: Louise (born 2003) - "Lady Louise Windsor" and James (born 2007) - "James, Viscount Severn".

The second in line of British succession is Prince William Arthur Philip Louis (born 1982) is the son of the Prince of Wales and Diana Spencer. On the day of William's wedding with Kate Middleton, he was granted the title - Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathhaern and Baron Carrickferge. Kate Middleton accordingly became the Duchess of Cambridge. On July 22, 2013, the couple had a son, George (Georg) Alexander Louis. Which became the third in line of succession to the throne.

Prince Henry of Wales(Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor) - The youngest son of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer was born on September 15, 1984. He is currently the 4th in line of heirs to the British throne.

When Queen Elizabeth II works, she divides her time between London and Windsor.

Royal palaces are not owned by the queen or the royal family. Officially, they are in "trust for future generations."

The main royal residence of the British monarch is Buckingham Palace at Westminster... Most of the state banquets, investiture, receptions of heads of state and ambassadors of foreign states and other official events are held there. At Buckingham Palace, which most people in the world associate with British royal family, 775 rooms. Including: 19 government rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. The total area of ​​the palace is 77 thousand square meters. When the queen is in the palace, the royal standard develops above him, if she is not in the palace, the state standard.

The second most important royal residence - the largest residential castle in the world - Windsor Castle, is used by the royal family for weekends.

The main residence in Scotland is Holyroodhouse Castle in Edinburgh. The Queen is obliged to spend there one week a year - the so-called "Holyrood week".

The royal family also owns the Clarenshouse (home of Prince Charles) and Kensington Palace.

Holidays (August and September) Her Majesty spends at Balmoral Castles in Aberdeenshire or Sandringhamhouse in Norfolk. They are the private residences of the royal family and are not funded from the budget.

A series of scandals related to the divorces of Princess Anne, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, as well as the death of Princess Diana, significantly undermined the authority of the royal family in Great Britain. Nevertheless, according to polls, more than 60% of Britons are in favor of maintaining the institution of monarchy in the country.

Interesting Facts in Queen Elizabeth II:

• At the queen Elizabeth II no passport. Since the British passport is issued on behalf of Her Majesty, the Queen cannot issue the passport to herself. All other members of the royal family, including the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, hold British passports.
• Queen Elizabeth II is the only person in the country who is allowed to drive a car without a registration number and driver's license. By the way, the queen received a driver's license back in 1945.
• Is not a fixed date. Whether it will be the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Saturday of June - the government of the country decides. On this day, since 1748, according to tradition, a royal military parade has been held - Trooping the color.
• In Australia queen's birthday celebrated as a public holiday on the second Monday in June. In Western Australia, the monarch's birthday is celebrated at a different time - in late September or early October. New Zealand's Queen's birthday is also a public holiday and is celebrated on the first Monday in June. In Canada, the Queen's birthday is celebrated as a public holiday on the Monday preceding May 24.
• The Queen's actual birthday is April 21st. There are no special events on this day and the queen spends it with her family.
• Royal salutes are strictly regulated and are
• February 6 (day of accession to the throne of Elizabeth II)
• April 21 (birthday of Elizabeth II)
• June 2 (coronation day of Elizabeth II)
• June 10 (birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh)
• The Queen's official birthday
• Opening session of Parliament by the Queen (usually November or December).
• The number of shots of the royal salute is also regulated. The main royal salute is 21 shots. In Hyde Park, another 20 shots are added to the main fireworks. In the Tower - this adds 20 to the main number 21 and another 21 shots.
• Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state in 16 states and is the head of the Commonwealth of 53 countries. In 1952, at a conference of prime ministers of the countries of the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II was proclaimed the head of the union of countries not by the right of inheritance, but by the right of consent of the member states.
• Have Queen Elizabeth II there are other official and unofficial titles. For example, in the Maori language it is called "kotuku" - "white heron". In Papua New Guinea, the queen is called "Mrs. Kwin" in the Pidgin language. On the Isle of Man, the Queen is called the Empress of Maine; in the Channel Islands, she is the Duchess of Normandy; in the Duchy of Lancaster - she is the Duchess of Lancaster.
• During his reign Queen Elizabeth II hosted 12 prime ministers during traditional Tuesday meetings: Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alexander Douglas-Hume, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, David Blair, Gwydon Brown Cameron.
• Tony Blair became the first prime minister to be born during the reign of Elizabeth II (in May 1953).
• During the reign queens Elizabeth II 6 archbishops of Canterbury were replaced.
• Have Queen Elizabeth II 9 thrones. One in the House of Lords, 2 in Westminster Abbey and 6 in Buckingham Palace.
• Queen should not publicly express her political views and communicates extremely correctly with all the prime ministers of the country, being over political battles. The same goes for members of the royal family, who have no right to speak out about political events, so the political views of the Queen and her family members remain unknown.
• Queen Elizabeth II patronizes over 620 charitable organizations.
• Queen Elizabeth II Is the 40th monarch in Great Britain since William the Conqueror.
• During his reign Queen Elizabeth II has made official visits to more than 130 countries and made more than 250 trips. In October 1994, the Queen paid an official visit to Russia.
• Most of the queen's trips were on yacht Britain, which was built in 1954 and decommissioned in 1997. The total distance that Britain has traveled over the years is more than a million nautical miles.
• At the queen Elizabeth II there were more than 30 dogs of my favorite breed corgi... She received the first dog of this breed - Susan for her eighteenth birthday as a gift. All other dogs are descendants of Susan. The Queen is even the creator of a new breed of dog - dorgi which stemmed from the mixing of her Corgs with Princess Margaret's dachshund.
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• Queen Elizabeth II sent her first email in 1976 and the first official royal site was established in 1997.
• Legally, whales, dolphins and sturgeon fish in the seas of Great Britain belong to the crown. Because the country still has a statute of 1324, adopted during the reign of Edward II, stating that the monarch owns dolphins, whales and sturgeons, alive and dead, within the territorial waters of the country.

and Queen Mary (1867-1953), Princess of Teck, on her father's side,

Claude George Bowes-Lyon (1855-1944), Earl of Strathmore and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1961), by mother.

The early years of Elizabeth II

1. The Queen was born at 2:40 am on April 21, 1926 in the London borough of Mayfair at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at 17 Brewton Street.

2. She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

3. At that time she was the third in the line of succession to the throne after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and her father, Duke of York. But no one expected her father to become king, much less that she would become queen.

4. Princess Elizabeth was baptized with the names of Alexander and Mary in the chapel of Buckingham Palace. She was named after her mother, and her two middle names were named after her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, and her paternal grandmother, Queen Mary.

5. The early years of the princess were spent at Piccadilly 145, her parents' London home, where they moved shortly after her birth, and at the White House in Richmond Park.

6. When she was six years old, her parents received government positions at the Royal House in Great Windsor Park.

7. Princess Elizabeth was educated at home with Princess Margaret, her younger sister.

8. Elizabeth was taught personally by her father, King George, and also taught by Henry Martin, Vice-Rector of Eton. The Archbishop of Canterbury studied religion with her.

9. Princess Elizabeth learned French from French and Belgian governesses. This skill served the Queen well, as she could personally take part in conversations with ambassadors and heads of state from French-speaking countries, as well as when visiting French-speaking regions of Canada.

Princess Elizabeth in 1933

10. Princess Elizabeth became a scout when she was eleven years old, and then became a sea ranger.

11. In 1940, at the height of the war, the young princesses were relocated for their safety to Windsor Castle, where they spent most of the war years.

1943 with my sister

Women's auxiliary territorial corps: Princess Elizabeth, 2nd chief of the Department of Internal Affairs, in overalls.

Royal romance

12. The Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee.

13. Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip met at the wedding of Prince Philip's cousin, Princess Marina of Greece and the Duke of Kent, who was Princess Elizabeth's uncle, in 1934.

14. The engagement between Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten was announced on July 9, 1947. Prince Philip received the title of Prince of Greece and Denmark at birth. He joined the Navy in 1939 and after the war, in February 1947, was granted British citizenship. Prince Philip had to choose a surname in order to continue his career in the Royal Navy and he adopted the surname of his mother's British relatives, Mountbatten. At the wedding, King George VI elevated him to the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

15. The royal wedding rings were adorned with platinum and inlaid with diamonds by the jeweler Philip Antrobus. He used in his jewelry diamonds from a diadem belonging to the mother of Prince Philip.

16. Prince Philip had two bachelor parties before the wedding: the first was an official one in Dorchester, which was attended by guests from the press, and the second was with close friends at the Belfrey Club.

17. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947 at 11:30 am. The celebration was attended by 2,000 invited guests.

Video: "Wedding"

The bridesmaids' dresses were made in the same style. They were sewn from cheaper materials (also purchased with coupons), but due to the embroidery and interesting design they looked decent.

Princess Margaret as a bridesmaid at Queen Elizabeth’s wedding

Princess Alexandra of Kent as a bridesmaid at the Queen ’s wedding

18. Elizabeth had eight bridesmaids: HRH Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady Carolina Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Lady Mary Cambridge, Lady Elizabeth Lambert, Pamela Mountbatten, Margaret Elphinstone, Diana Bowes-Lyon.

19. Also attending the wedding were HRH Prince William of Gloucester (aged five) and HRH Prince Michael of Kent (also aged five).

20. The Queen's wedding dress was made by designer Sir Norman Hartnell.

21. The fabric for the dress was specially made by Winterthur Silks Limited in Dunfermline at the Canmore factory. For its manufacture, threads of Chinese silkworms were delivered from China. Garlands of flowers fleur-dorange (the emblem of virginity), jasmine (the emblem of happiness, purity, sincerity) and the white rose of York (white rose means purity) were embroidered with small pearls and crystal rhinestones.

22. The queen's veil was made of light sheer fabric and crowned with a diamond tiara. This diadem (which can be worn as a necklace) was made for Queen Mary in 1919. The diamonds from which it is made are taken from a necklace and tiara purchased by Queen Victoria from Collingwood and a wedding present for Queen Mary in 1893. In August 1936, Queen Mary donated the tiara to Queen Elizabeth when she was still Princess Elizabeth for a future wedding.

Tiara Elizabeth "borrowed" from her mother. An hour before the celebration, in the hands of the bride, the tiara broke in half and had to wait for the jeweler, who urgently repaired it.

23. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Abbey is the only stone that is not covered with a special cover. The day after the wedding, Princess Elizabeth, following the royal tradition started by her mother, sent the wedding bouquet back to the abbey, where flowers were laid on this tomb.

24. The bride's engagement ring was made from a Welsh gold nugget sent from the Clogau St David mine near Dolgello.

25. About 10 thousand congratulatory telegrams were received at Buckingham Palace, and the royal couple received more than 2500 wedding gifts from well-wishers around the world.

26. In addition to jewelry, the couple received many useful items for the kitchen and home from close relatives, including a salt shaker from the Queen Mother, a bookcase from Queen Mary, and a picnic set from Princess Margaret.

27. The "Wedding Breakfast" (lunch) was held after the wedding at Westminster Abbey in the Round Dining Room at Buckingham Palace. The menu included the "de Sole Mountbatten" fillet, "Pedro" casserole, "Princess Elizabeth" ice cream.

28. On their honeymoon, the couple left Waterloo Station with the princess's dog, Susan.

29. The newlyweds spent their wedding night in Hampshire, at the house of Prince Philip's uncle, Earl of Mountbatten. The second part of the honeymoon was spent in Birkhall, in the Balmoral estate.

30. In early 1948, the couple rented their first family home, Windlesham Moore, in Surrey, near Windsor Castle, where they remained until they moved to Clarence House on July 4, 1949.

31. After marrying Princess Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh continued his naval career, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander in command of the frigate "HMS Magpie".

32. Although he was the husband of the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh was not crowned or anointed at the 1953 coronation ceremony. He was the first to pay homage and swear an oath to Her Majesty. He kissed the newly crowned Queen with the words: "I, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will become your vassal in sickness and health, I will serve you with faith and truth, with honor and respect, until my death. God help me."

Herbert James Gunn Coronation Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II

33. Prince Philip accompanied the Queen on all her Commonwealth and state visits, as well as to government events and meetings in all parts of the UK. The first was the Commonwealth Coronation Tour from November 1953 to May 1954, in which the couple visited Bermuda, Jamaica, Panama, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Cocos Islands, Ceylon, Aden, Uganda, Libya, Malta and Gibraltar, having covered a distance of 43.618 kilometers.

34. The coronation took place at Westinster Abbey on June 2, 1953. The sacred ceremony was presided over by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury.

35. The coronation was broadcast in every part of London, the Navy, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Sketch by Norman Hartnell for the coronation dress of Elizabeth II

Coronation dress, made by designer Norman Hartnell

Joan Hassell. Prince Charles's Invitation, 1953

36. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh Philip have four children: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (born in 1948), Princess Anne (born in 1950), Prince Andrew, Duke of York (born in 1960) and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (born 1964).

37. With the birth of Prince Andrew in 1960, the Queen became the first reigning monarch to have a child since Queen Victoria, whose youngest child, Princess Beatrice, was born in 1857.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (born 1948)

Princess Anne, (born 1950)

The Queen with her son Charles and daughter Anna, 1954.

The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Cornwall and Princess Anne October 1957

Prince Andrew, Duke of York (born 1960)

Queen Elizabeth II's two youngest children, Princes Andrew and Edward.

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (born 1964)

Prince edward and princess sophie

38. The Queen and Duke Philip of Edinburgh have eight grandchildren -

Peter Phillips (born 1977)

Zara Phillips (born 1981)

Prince William (born in 1982),

Prince Harry (born in 1984),

Princess Beatrice (born in 1988),

Princess Eugenia (born in 1990),

Lady Louise Windsor (born 2003)

and James, Viscount Severns (born in 2007),

has a great-granddaughter - Savannah (born in 2011) and a great-grandson Prince George of Cambridge (2013)

The Queen and Prince Philip pose with their grandchildren (l-r) William, Harry, Zara and her brother Peter (back row) in a warm portrait sent out for Christmas 1987

Queen of England speeches

39. The Queen televises a Christmas message every year, except in 1969, when she decided that the royals had been on television enough after an unprecedented documentary about her family. Her greeting took the form of a written appeal.

40. In 1991, in a communication, the Queen denied rumors of abdication, as she pledged to continue serving.

41. The Queen issued an injunction against The Sun in 1992 after it published the full text of her speech two days before the broadcast. She later accepted an apology and a £ 200,000 donation to charity.

42. The Queen's grandfather, King George V, the first of the royal family, performed live on Christmas radio from Sandringham in 1932.

43. George V was initially opposed to the use of wireless transmission devices, but in the end he agreed.

44. There was no Christmas broadcast in 1936 and 1938.

45. In 2010, the Queen's speech was broadcast from Hampton Court Palace, the first time a historic building was used.

46. ​​Each speech is personally written by the Queen, each has a strict religious framework, reflects current issues and is often based on her own experiences.

Interests and hobbies

48. An animal lover since childhood, the Queen has a great and very knowledgeable interest in horses. As a thoroughbred owner and breeder, she often comes to watch the races to see how her horses are on the run, and often attends equestrian events.

49. Elizabeth II took part in the derby, one of the classic races in Great Britain, and the summer race at Ascot, which became royal since 1911.

50. The Queen's horses have won races at Royal Ascot several times. Notable is the double win on June 18, 1954, when Landau won the Rous Memorial Stakes, Halo won the Hardwicke Stakes, and in 1957 the Queen had four winners during the races.

Zara Philips, Princess Ahn and Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II also encourages her little grandchildren (children of Prince Edward) to be interested in horses.

51. Other interests include nature and countryside walks. Also, the queen loves to walk with her Labradors, which were specially bred in Sandgreenham.

52. Less well known is the Queen's interest in Scottish dance. Each year during her stay at Balmoral Castle, the Queen puts on a dance known as the "Gillies Balls" for neighbors, estate owners, castle staff and members of the local community.

53. The Queen is the only person in the UK who can drive her car without a license or registration number. And she doesn't have a passport.

54. The Queen is the patron of over 600 charitable organizations.

55. To formally greet the queen, men must bow their heads slightly, while women make a slight curtsy. At the presentation to the queen, the correct form will be "Your Majesty" and then "ma'am".

Queen's leisure

56. Queen Elizabeth II is the fortieth monarch of England since William the Conqueror.

57. She has visited Australia 15 times, Canada 23 times, Jamaica 6 times and New Zealand 10 times.

58. Her Majesty sent about 100 thousand telegrams to centenarians in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries.

59. The Queen dined on 23 ships and interacted with five astronauts at Buckingham Palace.

60. She made her maiden flight in an airplane in July 1945.

61. Her Majesty is the only British monarch in history who knows how to change spark plugs.

62. On Victory Day, the Queen and her sister Princess Margaret slipped in the crowd during the celebration.

63. For a wedding dress, the Queen collected coupons for clothes.

64. The Queen has a bank account at Coutts & Co.

65. The Queen celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 2002 by visiting 70 cities and towns across the UK.

66. Tony Blair was the first prime minister to be born during her reign, which has had nine prime ministers before him.

67. The Queen attended 91 state banquets and posed for 139 official portraits.

68. Formally, the Queen of England still owns sturgeons, whales and dolphins in the water throughout the UK, which are recognized as "Royal Fish". In addition, she owns all wild swans living in open water.

69. The queen bred a new breed of dog known as the "dorgi" when one of the corgi was mated to a dachshund named Pipkin.

70. The Queen is the first British monarch to see three child divorces.

71. Her Majesty demoted a footman for serving her corgi whiskey.

72. The Queen has nine Royal Thrones: one in the House of Lords, two in Westminster Abbey and six in the throne room of Buckingham Palace.

73. She is the patron saint of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association. One of the queen's birds is called Sandringham Lightning.

74. During the reign of the queen, six archbishops of Canterbury were replaced.

75. The Queen is 5 feet 4 inches or 160 centimeters tall.

Original post and comments on

Hello my wonderful readers!

Have you ever thought that if you look at world history over the past 60 years, the only thing that remains unchanged is Elizabeth II - Queen of England? Isn't it surprising that after 60 years of changes and upheavals around the world, she still remains the country's favorite?

Therefore, today I invite you to plunge into the history of a great woman, find out her short biography, what her childhood was like, how she fought for her only love and why, after all, she remains an invariable symbol of Britain.

And, as a bonus, I will share with you some amazing stories from the life of Elizabeth II.

The beginning of time!

If we talk about a short biography of Elizabeth II, then, of course, it is worth starting from birth. On April 21, 1926, in one of the houses of London, a little girl was born, whose appearance did not make absolutely any excitement in the family. Can you guess why? Because no one even imagined that one day this baby would become. The country at that time was ruled by her grandfather, and the throne was to be taken by her uncle and his heirs... So little Lilibet, as she was affectionately called in the family, was just one of the many members of the royal family.

But Elizabeth's uncle - Edward - could not cope with the fate of the heir to the throne. He decided to marry a twice-divorced lady named Wallis Simpson (and, as the head of the Church of England, he is prohibited from such a marriage), for which he abdicated the throne. So, Elizabeth's father, Albert Frederick, became king. And Elizabeth herself at the age of 11 became the full heir to the royal throne.

Elizabeth grew up as a quiet child. She spent all her free time with horses and dogs. But in the quiet baby there was a rebellious character. One day, as a protest against the excessive severity of a French teacher, she poured a jar of ink.

Love and marriage!

You know, if you remember all the fairy tales that we read in childhood, then I want the princess to find her prince, they fall in love and live happily ever after.

And Elizabeth fulfilled exactly this dream of many girls. She fell in love. Fell in love once and for all. She met her husband at the naval school.

It would seem that the Greek prince is the perfect match for the future queen. But the royal family opposed this alliance. Philip, although he was a titled prince, he had nothing but this very title. His mother ended her life in a psychiatric hospital, and his father became a gambling addict. And Britain took the little boy into the navy to secure his future.

But Elizabeth still defended her right to love. Throughout the war, she wrote letters to him, and after it ended she invited the Greek prince to get engaged. On November 20, 1947, the 21-year-old heiress to the throne married.

In 1952, the young people decided to go to Kenya for a vacation. They lived in a hotel among the branches of a ficus tree. And this was the only time in history when "a princess climbed a tree and came down from there as a queen." Yes, unfortunately, her father died.

Why do people love Elizabeth II so much!

Elizabeth has ruled Britain for 60 years. And still remains the favorite of the people. Of course, now the queen decides practically nothing in governing the country, but, according to polls, 2 out of 3 British citizens do not represent their country without monarchy in general, and Queen Elizabeth in particular.

People love her for her dedication. She survived World War II as a young girl. She supported her fellow citizens, spoke to the injured children on the radio. But she was just a little 13-year-old girl. And then she herself went to the front when she was only 18.

She is loved for her self-control and self-control. Once, during the celebration of the Queen's birthday in 1981, shots were fired in the immediate vicinity of Elizabeth, who was riding a horse, making everyone around her startle. But, to the general delight, the Queen stayed in the saddle and did not even look up.

People love her for her kindness, which is eloquently expressed by her love for animals. As already mentioned, in her youth, Elizabeth II was an excellent horsewoman. And nimble journalists hundreds of times took her photos with cute red-haired dogs, which have become one of the symbols of the British monarchy.

Her Royal Highness is humble, easygoing, hardworking, demanding, fair and considerate.

In addition, Elizabeth II is the head of the most famous family in Britain. They have a family, of course, as a selection. Prince Charles became famous as a polygamist, Prince Harry - a reveler and brawler. And only until Prince William disappointed the sweet old woman. But she still, like the kindest all-forgiving grandmother, loves all her children, grandchildren and great-grandsons.

What does the 89-year-old woman do?

What do you think the queen does during the day? Now you say: he walks in the garden with his dogs, looks at the flowers and breathes the air. And here's the netushka! Let the thought not even appear in your minds that, being an 89-year-old woman, you can lie in bed until lunchtime and do nothing! This is the timetable for the ruler of Britain.

• She wakes up at 8 am, has breakfast and looks through the morning papers.
• At 9 am, the queen goes to her office and starts working with documents. Every day she receives about 200-300 letters, but she always looks through her mail herself, and then dictates the answer to her assistants. She answers almost all emails.
• Then comes the time of the "red box". These are documents from the government and representatives of other states.
• Important meetings take place at 11 o'clock. The queen meets important people.
• The Queen usually dines at Buckingham Palace, where she lives and spends all her time.
• After dinner, the Queen pays public visits. These can be schools, hospitals, military units, nursing homes, homeless hostels, and other places.
• At 17 o'clock the queen…. guessed it, drinking tea!
• Dinner usually takes place in a formal setting. In the evening, she can take part in a film premiere, attend a concert, or hold a charity event.
• And only late at night, almost at the very last, in her room the light goes out.

Interesting facts and stories from the life of Elizabeth II:

• The Queen lives without ... a passport!
  It would seem that we are not in the Middle Ages. Now almost every person, with the exception of some aborigines from distant islands, has a passport, but she is also a queen. Queen of the modern European state. Queen who has visited 120 countries of the world. The thing is that in Great Britain all identity documents are issued on behalf of Her Majesty. Therefore, she personally does not need them! The same applies for driving licenses.
• “Unfortunately my birthday is only once a year ...”! But this does not apply to Elizabeth II. The Queen of Great Britain has 2 birthday! She was born on April 21 and she celebrates this date exclusively with her family: her children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. But the country celebrates the Queen's birthday on the first, second and - oh my! - the third Saturday of June!
• Unexpectedly, Elizabeth II drove a truck during World War II. For a long time, the 18-year-old princess tried to persuade the king to let her go to the front. When the king nevertheless agreed, Elizabeth put on a military uniform, completed preparatory courses and began to work as a mechanic and driver of military trucks.
  Naturally, after such a striking example, her family members - grandchildren William and Harry - did not even dare to refuse military service.
• Elizabeth II is the only ruler of states who served during the Second World War.
• The Queen is the first ruler of the country to use e-mail. She sent her first e-mail back in 1976, when most people still didn’t know what the Internet was.
• One day a stranger climbed into the queen's room. One night in 1982, Queen Elizabeth II woke up in her bedroom to find a man sitting by her bed. It was a patient in a mental hospital. Fortunately, the queen did not panic, and began to ask the stranger about his family, children, difficulties. Hearing the conversation, one of the footmen entered the room and arrested the intruder. As it turned out later, he climbed into the palace through a drainpipe and this was not the first time. Last time, he brought with him a bottle of wine from Prince Charles' stocks.
• Elizabeth II is the oldest of the current heads of various states.
• Did you know that the name Elizabeth (in English Elizabeth) means "God's oath" or "God's help"? Yes, I am now 100% sure that any Elizabeth who ascends to the British throne is simply doomed to universal love.
• Did you know that the queen, by all laws, is the owner of all whales and dolphins in British waters. If you need even more proof of the Queen's kindness and humanity - let me know!

We can talk for a long time about why here, in Russia, they do not understand such a fierce adoration of the British for their queen. We can be touched by the strength and character of the 89-year-old British granny. But one thing remains unchanged: Elizabeth II is the symbol of the country. A symbol, having lost which, the country will grieve for a very, very long time.

And if you, my dears, want to learn more and more information about English culture, history and language - then subscribe to my blog mailing list. A lot of useful information and interesting stories await you.

Thanks.
Until next time!

Elizabeth 2 is of interest not only to British subjects, but also to many other people interested in history. Not so long ago, Great Britain celebrated the sapphire jubilee, which marked 65 years of the Queen's reign. Elizabeth was crowned at the age of twenty-seven, while the country was still recovering from the Second World War. Until now, the Queen maintains the authority of the British monarchy.

Childhood and family of the future Queen of Great Britain

The biography of the English Queen Elizabeth 2 (then still a princess) began on April 21, 1926. The baby was born in Mayfair, London, at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore on Bruton Street, by caesarean section. Now this area has been rebuilt, and on the site of house No. 17 on Bruton Street there is a Chinese restaurant with a commemorative plaque on the wall. The event did not cause a stir at court, because no one could have thought that the girl would eventually take the royal throne.

At first they wanted to call the baby Victoria. But the princess's father, after consulting with the reigning monarch, decided to name her Elizabeth Alexandra Maria. The baby's christening took place at the chapel at Buckingham Palace on May 29. The chapel was later destroyed during the hostilities. Four years later, Elizabeth's sister Margaret was born.

At that time, the grandfather of Elizabeth II, George V. The cousin of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II ruled the country for more than two decades, although he also did not prepare to become king. He was the third in the chain of succession. George's older brother Albert Victor died during a flu epidemic, and his father, Edward VIII, the son of Queen Victoria, died in 1910.

It was George V who renamed the Saken-Coburg-Gotha royal house into the Windsor dynasty. During the First World War, he renounced all personal and family Germanic titles. Little Elizabeth loved her grandfather very much, although by nature he was a tough and stern man, and in his upbringing he often went too far. The result was the stuttering of Prince Albert, the king's second son, whom he did not get rid of until the end of his life. But the king had the warmest feelings for his granddaughter.

George V died after a long illness in 1936 at the age of 70. It was only 50 years later that it became known that the life-doctor, on his own initiative, committed euthanasia when the king fell into a coma after severe bronchitis. His eldest son Edward was considered the heir to the throne, and the second son of the king, Prince Albert, was the father of Elizabeth, who eventually became queen. In the biography of Queen Elizabeth II of England, there was not yet a hint of a future in the role of head of state.

After a sad event, the throne passed to Edward, but he never became king. He abdicated the throne of his own free will because of an unequal marriage with American Wallis Simpson. Prince Albert became King George VI. It went down in history as a symbol of the struggle of the British Empire against Nazi Germany. The reign of the monarch was marked by the establishment of the position of the dominions and their relationship with Great Britain. Thus, the monarch created the British Commonwealth and became the king of all dominions.

Elizabeth II at the time of the beginning of her father's reign was 10 years old. Henry's younger brother was declared heir to the throne, because the king had no sons. But Henry turned down such an honorable role in favor of Elizabeth. So the girl became the rightful heir to the British throne at such a young age. But if at this time she had a younger brother, he would have inherited the throne.

Elizabeth received an excellent education at home. The teachers taught her the manners, the humanities, horse riding and many other disciplines that the princess needed. She studied religion, art, history, law. Many sources say that the girl was drawn to knowledge and even practically independently learned French.

Elizabeth II during World War II

Not for her years, a courageous and conscientious girl appeared during the Second World War before the inhabitants of Great Britain. The biography of Elizabeth II began to resemble the life story of a member of the monarch's family. In 1940, at the age of 14, she spoke on the radio with an appeal to children who suffered during the war. And the first independent appearance of Elizabeth in public refers to 1943. Then the girl visited the regiment of the guards grenadiers.

At the age of 18, the girl became one of five advisers - a person who has the right to perform the functions of a monarch in the event of his incapacity or absence. In 1945, changes took place in the biography of Queen Elizabeth II of England (then still the Crown Princess): she joined the self-defense squad and, together with other girls, was trained as an ambulance driver.

The girl received the military rank of lieutenant. The biography of Elizabeth II during the war years was associated with the front. The girl's military service lasted five months. She became the first woman from the British royal family to serve in the military. The future husband of Elizabeth II Philip, whose biography was associated with the navy, also served at the front in those years.

The longest marriage in the history of the monarchy

Since childhood, the girl wanted to marry a farmer, but the biography of her husband Elizabeth 2 was not associated with agriculture. The girl was distinguished by an iron character, so the plans of her parents to marry her off as a noble young man were in jeopardy. But in the end, the girl abandoned this idea, because a sailor cadet attracted her attention. By the way, according to the royal family, it was not much better than the farmer.

Cadet Philip was not of any interest to Elizabeth's family, although he was distinguished by a noble birth. The young man was the only son of six children of King George I of Greece; at birth he had the title of Prince of Denmark and Greece. Philip is the great-grandson of Queen Victoria and the last emperor of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II. After the abdication of the Greek king Constantine, the family moved to France, and little Philip was sent to London to stay with relatives.

The young people met at one of the family dinners. Then Elizabeth was only 13 years old, and the young prince - 18. The biography of Elizabeth 2 (Queen of England in the future) began to change. The girl actively took part in social events, because in the future she was to become a monarch. And the meeting with the prince marked the beginning of the love story of her life.

It is believed that during the war, when a young man wrote tender and passionate letters to his beloved from the front, his terminally ill father asked George VI for the hand of Elizabeth, but was refused. The groom's family became impoverished, and during the war they almost completely sided with the Nazis, because Philip's sisters married German officers.

During the war, other applicants for marriage with the princess disappeared somewhere: someone got married, others decided to continue their search. Only Philip remained. They say that Elizabeth herself made a marriage proposal to Philip. The parents were not happy with this decision, but they were forced to agree to the marriage.

The engagement was officially announced in the summer of 1947. The wedding was scheduled for November. The wedding took place in Westminster. The groom was allowed to invite to the wedding only his mother, who had been seriously ill for several years. The father accompanied the bride to the altar. Elizabeth opted for a champagne satin wedding dress embroidered with pearls and crystal. It took the court fashion designer several months to create this outfit.

After the wedding, the young spouses led an active social life. They often appeared at social events. Elizabeth showed an iron character, and the romantic prince even fell in love with the singer Pat Kirkwood, but Philip was always devoted to his queen. Elizabeth did her best to suppress rumors. Very soon she gave birth to her first child, and then the couple left for the Philippines. Philip was sent there on duty.

Accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II

In early 1952, the royal couple went on a visit to the countries of the Commonwealth, but the trip was interrupted by the death of the king. He was diagnosed with lung cancer, but the man died of thrombosis. The newspapers reported that he had been in normal health the night before.

Then Elizabeth and her husband were on vacation in Kenya. Philip was the first to hear the news. He became the first to kneel down and take an oath to the queen. The queen was then in despair. A controversy erupted over the fact that the ruling house should now be the Mountbatten house, where Philip comes from, and not the Windsor. But on the advice of Winston Churchill, the girl refused to take her husband's surname.

The biography of Elizabeth II has changed. The coronation took place in June 1953. The event was broadcast by central television in many countries around the world. The ceremony attracted thousands of people at the TV screens and contributed to the popularization of television. This day should be to change the fate of the country. At Buckingham Palace, twenty-seven-year-old Elizabeth Windsor was preparing for the coronation.

On this day, a new page began in the biography of Elizabeth II of England. The girl was expected to be crowned with the crown designed for Queen Victoria. But she insisted on wearing the traditional crown of St. Edward, which weighed over three kilograms. Her father and grandfather wore this crown only for a few hours during the coronation, while Elizabeth II turned out to be the first royal person who did not remove the sign of power during the entire ceremony.

The design of Elizabeth's coronation dress remained a secret for a long time. The white satin outfit, adorned with pearls, diamonds and amethysts, had to look especially impressive in the light of the spotlights. The skirt bore the emblems of Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries.

There was almost a confusion with this detail. The Royal Tailor mistakenly drew a daffodil as the emblem of Wales. The officials insisted that the dress be worn with a leek (this is a real emblem). The tailor refined leeks based on the traditions of military uniforms. The Queen called the dress gorgeous.

Elizabeth's rehearsals were not in vain. During the ceremony, she forgot to make only one curtsy, while many mistakes were made on her father's accession to the throne. When the queen moved towards the exit of the abbey, she was covered by the pages. The BBC producer decided to make a close-up, although the media were warned in advance that there should be no close-ups.

The beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II: actions and events

From that moment on, the attention of all citizens of the United Kingdom is riveted to the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England (coronation photo above). Elizabeth at the beginning of her reign bestowed upon Prime Minister Winston Churchill the title of "sir" and went on a trip to the Commonwealth countries, the colonies of Great Britain and other states. She became the first monarch in Britain to visit New Zealand and Australia.

Second half of the fifties - early nineties

A short biography of Elizabeth 2 usually includes a dry listing of the events and actions of the monarch in office, but only the most important facts are really worth mentioning. In 1956, Elizabeth received Nikita Khrushchev and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR at Buckingham Palace. Following the meeting, the leaders of the Soviet state presented the Queen with a horse with decoration, a painting by Aivazovsky, a sable cape, a box with a portrait of the royal family. Prince Philip received a set of wines, a Tula samovar, a painting and a box with a portrait of his wife as a gift. Little Charles was given a horse with decorations, a set of illustrated children's books by Soviet authors and a set of sweets. Princess Anne was even given a three-month-old teddy bear.

In the same year, Elizabeth met with Marilyn Monroe at the Empire Theater in London. In the fall, the Olympic Games were held, the opening ceremony of which was led by the Queen's husband. In 1957, Queen Elizabeth II was to choose the head of government. Harold Maxillan, who at that time was 63 years old, was appointed to the post. In May of the same year, the Queen received Eleanor Roosevelt, and in October she made visits to Canada and the United States. Also, Elizabeth II became the first monarch who congratulated his subjects on Christmas on television.

In 1960, the couple's second son, Prince Andrew, was born. He became the first child in the last century, which appeared at the ruling monarch. The next year, the queen continued her active travels. She has visited Nepal, Pakistan, Vatican, Ghana, Cyprus, India, Turkey, Iran and Italy.

At the same time, a new page began in the biography of Elizabeth 2's sister, Margaret. The girl married a descendant of a Welsh noble family. Margaret has been called the "rebellious princess" many times. She made frequent appearances with rockers, attended London clubs, and was constantly romantically involved. Since the eighties, she developed health problems, addiction to alcohol and smoking. The biography of Elizabeth 2's sister Margaret tragically ended in 2002. She died of a stroke.

In the summer of 1961, the queen received the Kennedy couple, and in 1962 - only Jacqueline, who went on a tour on behalf of her husband. In 1965, members of the Kennedy family, along with Elizabeth, will unveil a number of John F. Kennedy memorial sites in the UK.

In the summer of 1961, Elizabeth met with the first cosmonaut in the world. In honor of Yuri Gagarin, a lunch was organized, which was attended by the royal couple, their children, as well as the Queen's sister and Prince Philip's uncle. In 1969, Buckingham Palace hosted the first person to land on the moon - American Neil Armstrong.

In March 1964, the last child of Elizabeth II was born. Prince Edward will further abandon the traditional military career for boys born into the royal family. He will receive a liberal arts degree and will work for theater production companies.

In 1970, the biography of Queen Elizabeth II of England was replenished with new diplomatic meetings and visits. She met with American President Richard Nixon and toured New Zealand and Australia. During the journey, a new practice of communicating with subjects was introduced. The couple walked the streets and talked to a huge number of people.

The following year, Great Britain received the Japanese emperor, and in mid-1972, the couple and their daughter Anna paid a visit to socialist Yugoslavia. There they met with Josip Broz Tito. In September of the following year, the Queen's husband made an unofficial visit to the USSR. He met with Leonid Brezhnev, Alexei Kosygin and Nikolai Podgorny. Philip arrived in Moscow as President of the International Equestrian Federation.

In 1974, a crisis began to brew in the UK. This was demanded by the Queen for intervention. None of the political parties received most of the votes, but as a result, Harold Wilson was appointed prime minister.

In 1975, Elizabeth became the first monarch of Great Britain to pay an official visit to Japan; two years later, she inaugurated the Olympic Games and received American President Jimmy Carter. In 1978, the leader of socialist Romania and his wife Elena visited Great Britain. In 1980, Elizabeth met with the Pope at the Vatican. In 1982, the Pope personally visited the UK (for the first time in 450 years).

In 1986, the queen learned about the civil war in the colony of Aden. At that moment she was on her yacht "Britannia". Elizabeth II decided to enter the territorial waters and took on board more than a thousand evacuees.

The reign of Elizabeth II in the late 90s - early 2000s

By the definition of the queen herself, 1992 was a "terrible year." Then again, sad pages appeared in the biography of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. Princess Anne was going through a divorce from her husband, Princes Andrew and Charles also parted ways with their lovers, but at that time it was still unofficial. In the same year, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire, funding for the court was reduced, and the queen became subject to the obligation to pay income tax.

In 1995, the Queen paid an official visit to Russia, and the next year she received Bill Clinton and his wife at Buckingham Palace. At the same time, the divorce of Princess Diana and Prince Charles was officially announced. A year later, the princess died tragically in a car accident. This came as a shock to the ruling family and ordinary citizens.

The Queen's 50th Anniversary on the Throne

Solemn events on the occasion of the fifty years of Elizabeth's stay on the throne were held in 2002. This is a golden anniversary. Unfortunately, Elizabeth's sister, Princess Margaret, passed away in the same year. The biography of the mother of Queen Elizabeth 2 was tragically interrupted in the same year. Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon died at 101 from a severe cold. It was hard for the whole of England. The biography of Elizabeth 2 continued. In 2007, she became the first royal personage to celebrate a diamond wedding (sixty years of married life) and the oldest British monarch in history.

Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee

The Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 2012 in the UK and Commonwealth States. Today the queen rules sixteen states (twelve of them were dominions at the time of Elizabeth's coronation). Elizabeth became the second British monarch to celebrate this anniversary. The first was Queen Victoria. Many celebrations have been planned. Parliament invited the Queen to attend the meeting as an observer as a jubilee gift. This happened for the first time.

Role in political and public life

It seems that the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England (and the photos confirm this) are only receptions, visits and participation in social events. This is partly true. Elizabeth performs exclusively representative functions and has practically no visible influence on state affairs. But throughout the entire period of government, it rather strengthens the authority of the monarchy. The Queen's duties include visiting different countries on visits, meeting with dignitaries, reading annual messages to ministers, knighting, presenting awards and receiving ambassadors. Every day, Elizabeth II looks through the news and personally answers several random letters that her subjects send her in huge quantities.

Family and order of succession to the throne

In short, the biography of Queen Elizabeth II of England was all her life focused on maintaining the authority of the monarchy and performing representative functions. At the same time, she managed to give birth to two children while on the throne. In total, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, have four children: Charles, Anna, Andrew, Edward. The queen has nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Charles is the first in the line of succession, followed by his son, Prince William, his grandchildren (George, Charlotte, Louis).

Of particular interest is the biography of the daughter of Elizabeth 2. Princess Anne has survived several assassination attempts, she is acting as a member of the royal house of Britain. After leaving school, the royal princess constantly organized meetings, participated in the work of several funds to help those in need. The daughter of Queen Elizabeth II visited Russia more often than other members of the royal family. She also officially represented her state at the Olympic Games in the Russian Federation.