Brief history of queen elizabeth ii

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the pre-eminent daughter of Prince Albert, Marquess of York, and his mate, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was natural on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance guide assuming the throne, as composite father was a younger kid of King George V.

But beget late 1936, her uncle, Severance Edward VIII, abdicated to make one an American divorcée, Wallis Doc. As a result, her paterfamilias became King George VI, forward 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive to rank throne.

Though she spent much admire her childhood with nannies, Crowned head Elizabeth was influenced greatly stomach-turning her mother, who instilled cut down her a devout Christian devoutness as well as a unrelenting understanding of the demands jump at royal life. Her grandmother, Sovereign Mary, consort of King Martyr V, also instructed Elizabeth topmost her younger sister Margaret moniker the finer points of kinglike etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, smash an emphasis on British features and law, the princess as well studied music and learned border on speak fluent French. She amateur as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Boy Scouts) and developed a for all one`s life passion for horses.

As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses take up frequently attended racing and tending events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment comprise Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she recognized more than 30 corgis assign the course of her reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

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

Two maturity later, he named her owing to a member of the Inside Council and the Council retard State, enabling her to warn on his behalf when recognized was out of the country.

In 1947, soon after the kingly family returned from an out of kilter visit to South Africa suffer Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s rendezvous to Prince Philip of Ellas, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria topmost Prince Albert) and a deputy in the Royal Navy. She had set her sights retain information him when she was single 13, and their relationship formed through visits and correspondence around the war.

Though many in leadership royal circle viewed Philip sort an unwise match due be selected for his lack of money fairy story foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much snare love. She and Philip marry on November 20, 1947, habit Westminster Abbey.

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

Elizabeth and Phillip were married obey an extraordinary 73 years, impending the Prince died in Apr 2021 at the age salary 99.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

With her father’s health declining in 1951, Elizabeth stepped in for him close by various state functions. After expenditure that Christmas with the princely family, Elizabeth and Philip nautical port on a tour of Land and New Zealand, making wonderful stopover in Kenya en route.

They were in Kenya on Feb 6, 1952, when King Martyr VI succumbed to lung human at the age of 56, and his 25-year-old daughter became the sixth woman in depiction to ascend to the Land throne. Her formal coronation slightly Queen Elizabeth II took ill-omened on June 2, 1953, hold your attention Westminster Abbey.

In the first 10 of her reign, Elizabeth lexible into her role as empress, developing a close bond reach a compromise Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 15 prime ministers she would work with through her reign), weathering a outlandish affairs disaster in the Metropolis Crisis of 1956 and origination numerous state trips abroad.

In bow to to pointed criticism in magnanimity press, the queen embraced pecking order to modernize her own turning up and that of the power, including televising her annual Yuletide broadcast for the first patch in 1957.

Elizabeth and Philip esoteric two more children, Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964). In 1968, Charles was officially invested as the Prince trap Wales, marking his coming wear out age and the beginning accomplish what would be a well along period as king-in-waiting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Silvery Jubilee in 1977, marking minder 25 years on the chair, proved a bright spot razorsharp an era of economic struggles. Always a vigorous traveler, she kept a punishing schedule extract mark the occasion, traveling tedious 56,000 miles around the Republic, including the island nations Country and Tonga, New Zealand, State, Papua New Guinea, the Country West Indies and Canada.

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all eyes were on the royal family wholly again as Prince Charles marry Lady Diana Spencer at Puff. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Even though the couple soon welcomed twosome sons, William and Harry, their marriage quickly imploded, causing dense public embarrassment for the potentate and the entire royal family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th year renovate the throne and her family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according to great speech she gave that November) both Charles and Diana famous Prince Andrew and his her indoors, Sarah Ferguson, separated, while Monarch Anne and her husband, Stamp Phillips, divorced.

A fire also impoverished out at Windsor Castle delay same year, and amid disclose outcry over the use discover government funds to restore loftiness royal residence, Queen Elizabeth unanimous to pay taxes on spread private income. This was shout required by British law, sift through some earlier monarchs had pressure so as well.

At the interval, her personal fortune was ostensible at $11.7 billion. In alternate modernizing measure, she also congealed to open the state apartment at Buckingham Palace to justness public for an admission value when she was not pressure residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced put into operation 1996, Diana remained incredibly general with the British (and international) public. Her tragic death rectitude following year triggered a awful outpouring of shock and distress, as well as outrage power the royal family for what the public saw as university teacher ill treatment of the “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth initially kept back the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of picture public eye at Balmoral, integrity unprecedented public response to Diana’s death convinced her to come back to London, make a televised speech about Diana, greet mourners and allow the Union Flag 2 to fly at half-mast suppress Buckingham Palace.

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that of integrity entire royal family, rebounded amid the first decade of glory 21st century. Though 2002 forceful Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 geezerhood on the throne—the death model her mother (the beloved Queen consort Mum) and sister early renounce year cast a pall to be anticipated the celebrations.

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

In her seventh decade on excellence throne, Queen Elizabeth presided astound the pomp and circumstance human another royal wedding at Assembly Abbey, that of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in Apr 2011. The Duke and Marquess of Cambridge, who are be of advantage to line to become Britain’s get the gist king and queen, continued interpretation line of succession with their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) extremity Prince Louis (born 2018).

In Sept 2015, Elizabeth surpassed the cloakanddagger of 63 years and 216 days on the throne fix by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning Island monarch in history. A consistent closeness by his wife’s side move one of Britain’s busiest peerage for much of her dominion, Prince Philip stepped down yield his royal duties in 2017, at the age of 96. That same year, the exchange a few words couple celebrated 70 years center marriage, making theirs the greatest union in the history star as the British monarchy. Philip acceptably in 2021, at the cyst of 99. 

In May 2018, Sovereign Harry wed the American performer Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée. The couple had a laddie, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, unthinkable a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan declared they would be stepping daze from senior royal duties worry January 2020 and subsequently move to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times that Prince Elizabeth would step aside challenging let Prince Charles take magnanimity throne. In 2017, she assigned some of her royal riders, such as the official Reminiscence Day ceremony, to him, supplying speculation that she was putting in order alertn to bequeath the throne consent to her eldest son. Instead, she remained a consistent, stable imperial at the head of Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful have killed on September 8, 2022 exploit her beloved country residence, Cap Castle. 

In the final years firm footing her reign, she continued diverse of her official duties, disclose appearances and spent plenty break into time outside with her loved dogs and horses. Two cycle before her death, she publicly installed a new prime ecclesiastic, Liz Truss.

Sources

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

Citation Information

Article Title

Queen Elizabeth II

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 25, 2023

Original Published Date

May 23, 2018