Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain
- (Queen Elizabeth II) was born April 21, 1926 in London in the family of the Duke and Duchess of York. Queen Elizabeth usually celebrates her real birthday in the family circle, while the official birthday of the monarch in the UK ... ... Encyclopedia of newsmakers
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ELIZABETH II, Queen of England- From the Windsor dynasty. Queen of Great Britain since 1952. Daughter of George VI and Elizabeth. Married since 1947 to Philip, son of the Greek Prince Andrew (born 1921). Genus. 21 Apr. 1926 As a child, Elizabeth was educated at home. Except… … All the monarchs of the world
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Elizabeth- (אלישבע) Hebrew Other forms: Elisaveta, Elissiv (Old Slavic) Prod. forms: Liza Foreign language analogues: English. Elizabeth, Eliza Arab. اليزابيث arm ... Wikipedia
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Queen Elizabeth II of England was born on April 21, 1926 in London. The birth of a charming baby did not cause a stir at court. No one could have imagined that this young creature would eventually occupy the royal throne. At that time, Elizabeth's grandfather George V reigned. The eldest son Edward was considered the heir to the throne. The girl's father was Prince Albert, the second son of the king. He did not even think that he would become a crowned person. Everyone thought that the eldest son would soon marry, acquire heirs and, after the death of his father, assume royal duties.
Lilibet, as everyone called Elizabeth in childhood, loved her grandfather very much, and he paid her reciprocal affection, although by nature he was a very harsh and tough person. The king had no good feelings for his sons. He brought them up in the Spartan style and often went too far. The result of such upbringing was the stuttering of the girl's father, from which he never got rid of until the end of his life.
But for the little female creature, George V had the most tender feelings. He not only loved his granddaughter, but adored him, which proved to those around him that even in a cruel and callous soul there will always be a bright corner capable of sincere and pure love.
George V left the mortal world on January 20, 1936 at the age of 70. He reigned for 24 years and proved himself to be a wise politician who cares about the good of the nation.
King George VI, his wife Elizabeth and their daughters: Elizabeth (right) and Margaret
The throne rightfully passed to Edward. He became Edward VIII, but was never crowned. The man was unable to put the heavy burden of the monarch on his shoulders. He entangled with a twice-divorced lady named Wallis Simpson (1896-1986). She married a military pilot in 1916, but he began to beat her, and in 1927 Wallace ran away from him.
She moved to London and hooked up with a businessman named Ernst Simpson. She married him in 1928. In 1931, Wallace met the heir to the throne at a party with close friends. But the love affair of this couple began only in 1934. The feeling was so strong that Simpson divorced her husband. Edward responded with no less strong love. In order not to part with Wallace, he abdicated.
All these heartfelt affairs, casting an unsightly shadow on the representatives of the Windsor dynasty, brought Elizabeth's father Albert Frederick to the English throne. He was crowned on May 12, 1937 under the name of George VI.
The new king had no sons. Therefore, Henry's younger brother was declared heir to the throne. But he flatly refused such an honorary role in favor of Elizabeth. Thus, at the age of 11, our heroine became the legitimate heir to the royal throne of one of the most powerful countries in the world.
During the Second World War, the future Queen of England worked as a simple driver in an ambulance.
In 1939 the Second World War began. The girls at that time were 13 years old. In 1940, on October 13, she spoke on the radio with an appeal to the children who suffered during the German bombing. And at the age of 18 she received the rights of an ambulance driver. Until the last days of the war, the future Queen of England turned the steering wheel, transporting sick and wounded soldiers.
As a very young girl, Elizabeth fell in love once and for the rest of her life. She met her future betrothed just before the war at the Royal Naval Academy. The king, along with both daughters (the youngest daughter Margaret), arrived in it to talk with the cadets.
It was within the walls of this institution that the heir to the English throne saw the Greek Prince Philip. He was listed as one of the cadets, and was 5 years older than Elizabeth. The young people talked for only a couple of hours, but this time was enough for Elizabeth to fall in love with the young man seriously and for a long time.
Prince Philip had the most brilliant pedigree. He was the grandson of the Greek and great-grandson of the Danish king, as well as the great-great-grandson of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. But after the revolution in Greece, the prince had nothing but a title. His mother ended her days in a psychiatric hospital, and his father fell ill with gambling. England sheltered a poor child and placed him at the Royal Naval College so that the boy would receive a decent profession and be able to earn his daily bread.
It can be seen from the above that Philip was not a match for Elizabeth. At least that's what the royal court thought. But the girl showed amazing perseverance and perseverance. Throughout the war, she wrote letters to the young officer, while he fought bravely on the destroyer. 
Immediately after the end of hostilities, the heir to the throne offered the Greek prince to get engaged, trampling all existing norms and conventions. On November 20, 1947, the wedding took place at Westminster Abbey.
It was a difficult time after the war. Elizabeth had to sell some jewelry to make herself a wedding dress. Products from Australia were sent for the wedding cake. The cake turned out luxurious, 3 meters high. He was not cut with knives, but chopped with sabers. Guests got only a small piece. Everything else was sent to schools and hospitals.
At the end of January 1952, the happy young couple went on vacation to Kenya. The couple lived at the Tree Tops Hotel. It was located among the branches of a huge ficus. On February 7, an entry appeared in the registration book: "For the first time in the history of human civilization, a princess climbed a tree, and descended from it as a queen."
The reason for the recording was the death of George VI. He died on the night of 5/6 February. Elizabeth automatically became Queen of England. In many countries around the world, headlines in large print appeared on the front pages of newspapers: "The King is Dead, Long Live the Queen."
Queen Elizabeth II of England walks around the guard of honor after taking the throne
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of England took place in Westminster Abbey (the traditional place for the coronation of British monarchs) on June 2, 1953, that is, a year and 5 months after the death of George VI. But the official day of accession to the throne is February 6, 1952.
The husband was not crowned. He was the first to swear allegiance to his queen and was forced to leave the fleet. Now his presence was required at all official ceremonies of the royal court.
Private life with Philip did not turn out to be like a fairy tale. In his youth, the husband often made various politically incorrect and rather tactless statements. So in New Guinea, he asked a passerby: “Listen, my dear, how have you not been eaten here yet?”
In China, he casually remarked to an English tourist, "Look, don't stay here too long or your eyes will narrow." In Paraguay, at a meeting with the bloody dictator Stroessner, Philip said: "It's amazingly nice to be in a country that is not ruled by the people."
There was gossip at court about Prince Philip's love affair with Elizabeth's cousin. They talked about illegitimate children from various women. The Queen of England did everything to stop such rumors. Over the years, the prince calmed down. Age and health began to make themselves felt.
Queen Elizabeth II of England and her daily routine
All the days of the Queen of England look alike like twins. Her Majesty wakes up at exactly 8 am. Such an important task is entrusted to the maid. She brings a tray of tea into the royal chambers. In this case, the handle of the cup is always directed to the right, the spoon on the saucer lies strictly diagonally.
After placing the tray, the maid opens the curtains. Sunlight penetrates the bedroom, and gentle rays touch the face of the crowned person. At the same time, the royal dogs, who came from a walk, joyfully run into the bedroom. This is a corgi. There are four of them: Linnet, Willow, Holly and Monty.
Queen Elizabeth II of England with her beloved dogs
The queen drinks morning tea, communicates with dogs, and at this time the maid fills the bath. Her Majesty takes water procedures, and at 9 o'clock leaves the bedroom and heads to the dining room. Here the Queen of England Elizabeth II has breakfast.
The morning meal is very modest. Toast, spread with butter and the thinnest layer of marmalade, and a cup of tea. During breakfast, the crowned lady looks through the newspapers. These are The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Sporting Life. In the latest newspaper, she looks at the section on horse racing. Her Majesty loves this sport. She is well versed in horses and owns several magnificent horses herself.
At 10 o'clock the Queen of England begins her working day. She sits in her office and looks through the letters that come to her from all over the world. The information in the letters is very different. Someone asks for help, someone asks for recipes for original dishes that were served at the royal table at the last official banquet.
Then comes the turn of state papers requiring the royal signature. This is a mandatory formality, although the Queen's opinion is never asked by the Cabinet of Ministers. Elizabeth II can express her point of view on some issue, but it will not be decisive.
From 11 o'clock Her Majesty receives officials. These are diplomats, judges, ministers. Each of them, entering, kneels on one knee and takes the right hand of the queen with his right hand. Touches her lips and then gets to his feet. Such a ceremony lasts at least 2 hours. All this time the queen stands. There is no way for her to sit down and rest.
At the end of such a physically demanding event, it's time for lunch. Queen Elizabeth II of England eats sandwiches with salmon, cucumbers or chicken. Leftover food is used the next day. They can go for casserole or pie. Half-eaten foods are never given to dogs.
After lunch, a short rest and an official reception. Dinner starts at 20:15. The whole family gathers at the table. In England, the evening meal is always heavy. It is very rare for Her Majesty to have dinner alone. This is when all members of the royal family leave on business trips.
After dinner, the queen watches TV shows, and goes to bed closer to midnight. Elizabeth II has been living such a measured life for almost 60 years.
Scandals in the royal family
Queen Elizabeth II of England has four children. These are Prince Charles (born 1948), Prince Andrew (born 1960), Princess Anne (born 1950), Prince Edward (born 1964). The upbringing of children was mainly done by the father, since the queen always had many important state affairs.
Family of Elizabeth II, 1972. From left to right Anna, Charles, Edward, Andrew, Elizabeth, Philip
The biggest trouble brought the eldest son Charles. In 1970, he imprudently fell in love with a lady named Camilla. The girl was of noble blood, but despised the conventions of high society. She swore, smoked, drank whiskey, and changed lovers from time to time. All this was considered the height of indecency. But poor Charles, having a soft and romantic nature, fell under the influence of this cynical, strong-willed and impudent person.
The poor fellow even made a marriage proposal, but got a turn from the gate. Camilla married officer Andrew Parker-Bowles. But after 6 years of family life, there was a discord in relation to the spouses. Camilla again began to favorably accept Charles' advances. This did not escape the attention of the royal court. 
Elizabeth II in the center, Sister Margaret on the left, Queen Mother on the right
The queen and her husband, seeing that their son was being impudently and shamelessly seduced, began to urgently look for a wife for him. Very opportunely turned up Diana Spencer (1961-1997). A girl of noble blood and with an excellent pedigree. She was a virgin, which was a prerequisite for the bride of the heir to the throne. The wedding was played on July 29, 1981. In 1982 and 1984, Princess Diana gave birth to two sons.
The marriage for Charles was very successful. His wife was passionately loved not only by England, but by the whole world. Diana possessed amazing charm, purity and spontaneity. But male stupidity knows no bounds. The heir to the throne continued to meet with Camilla. Soon the wife found out about this connection. The couple divorced in 1996, but have been separated since 1992.
Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II of England is seated to the left. In the center sits Princess Diana with her son William, on the right is the queen mother. Prince Charles and Philip are standing
This divorce dealt a serious blow to the prestige of the royal family. England was on the side of the deceived Diana. The situation was aggravated by the tragic death of this amazing woman in 1997. It was rumored that Prince Charles was involved in the death. Allegedly, on his orders, the attackers cut the brake hoses of the car in which the princess was traveling. But the official investigation completely dismissed such rumors.
In 1992, the marriages of Anna and Andrew broke up. True, there were no high-profile scandals around these 2 events. Everything went quietly and imperceptibly, but left an unpleasant aftertaste in the souls of the British. Still, the royal family should be a model in every respect. For several years, subjects met Elizabeth II with cold silence. She pretended not to notice anything. Although it is not difficult to imagine what was going on in her soul.
Charles with Camilla and Elizabeth II
Gradually, the British withdrew in spirit and fell in love with their queen again. Even the marriage of Prince Charles to Camilla in 2005 could no longer undermine the authority of the Queen of England. Still, after the death of Princess Diana, many years have passed, and people have a very short memory.
Currently, Kate Middleton, the wife of William, is very popular with the British: the eldest son from the marriage of Princess Diana and Charles. Elizabeth II herself warmly treats the girl. Rumor has it that the queen wants to change the rules of succession and appoint William as her heir. After all, the British do not like Prince Charles, and Camilla will never be recognized as their queen.
The customs of the royal court
The whole life of the royal court is a ritual. It has been practiced for hundreds of years. For example, Buckingham Palace has a dressmaker on staff. Her duties include darning socks and bedding. This does not mean at all that the queen does not have money for such trifles. A dressmaker costs much more than new socks and sets of underwear. It's just that the royal court pays tribute to tradition. About 500 years ago, fabric was very expensive, and crowned persons saved in a similar way. Times have changed, but the tradition remains. He is not the only one in the royal palace.
The liveries worn by the servants were made 200 years ago. Each new employee is given an old uniform and adjusted to fit. The entire service staff consists of about 300 people. The staff includes personal pages, maids, ladies-in-waiting, keepers of silverware, royal purses. There are even pages of front and rear rooms.
During official receptions, a huge table is set. It is impossible to reach its middle. The lackeys wrap their boots in rags and climb onto the table with their feet. During the meal, the first course is served to the queen. She immediately starts eating. After that, the footmen serve the dishes to the guests. When the plate of the crowned person is empty, the servants immediately take away the plates from all those present. Many guests do not even have time to try what they were served.
However, the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, canceled this not very kind custom. She declared that at her table no one should ever go hungry. But this is the only concession to ancient traditions.
As for the servants, they must walk around the palace, keeping to a narrow edge near the wall. If the queen or someone from the royal family comes towards you, the servants must hide somewhere. It can be some kind of closet, a closet in the wall, that is, any shelter that is nearby. Seeing the queen, noble ladies should squat, and men bow.
These traditions have been strictly observed for centuries. For people, they are not at all a burden. On the contrary, there are many who want to serve at the royal palace. But all positions, as a rule, are inherited. From an early age, children absorb the unique atmosphere of the royal palace and jealously protect its traditions and customs. It seems that time itself freezes within the walls, which for hundreds of years have been protecting the reigning persons from the vicissitudes of the external, changeable and so unpredictable world.
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of the Windsor dynasty was born April 21, 1926 in London to the Duke and Duchess of York. Her father, Prince Albert, was the younger brother of the heir to the throne, Prince Edward. Edward was single and childless, and Elizabeth was the third in line to the British throne, but no one expected that she would become queen. When King George V died in 1936, the princess's uncle succeeded to the throne as Edward VIII. However, his reign was short-lived, and he never produced an heir to the throne. In 1937, Edward preferred the crown to marry a divorced American, Wallis Simpson. After his abdication, Prince Albert succeeded to the throne and became King George VI.
From that moment on, Elizabeth's life changed radically. She became the direct heir to the British throne and could only lose this status in one case - if the king had a son. However, this did not happen. The future queen was brought up at court, but then, preparing for political life, she began to attend classes in constitutional history at Eton College. After the outbreak of World War II, Elizabeth wished to share the burden of defense of the kingdom with her subjects. The King's father did not allow her to become a nurse in bombarded London, but in 1945 she enlisted in the women's auxiliaries of the royal armed forces. There she qualified as a truck driver and ended the war with the rank of junior commander.
Elizabeth's close acquaintance with royal duties began in 1944. She stood in for George VI when he went on a tour of the fronts. In 1947, the Princess made her first official visit outside the British Isles: she visited South Africa. Speaking there, the heir to the throne swore allegiance to the peoples of the Commonwealth.
Elizabeth's chosen one was her distant relative (like her, the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria), Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. As Lieutenant of the Royal Navy, Philip Mountbatten, he served in the war, and shortly before his marriage he renounced his foreign titles and became Duke Philip of Edinburgh. The wedding of Philip and Elizabeth took place on November 20, 1947. They had known each other for a long time, and according to popular belief, it was a love match. Philip and Elizabeth's first child, Prince Charles, was born in 1948, and Princess Anne was born in 1950.
In 1952, King George died, and Elizabeth ascended the throne, and on June 2, 1953, the coronation took place. In 1960, the Queen's third child, Prince Andrew, was born, and in 1964, the fourth and youngest of her children, Prince Edward. In 1960, Elizabeth II and the Prince Consort decided to change the personal surname of their heirs, without changing the surname of the Windsor dynasty (which is carried by other descendants of King George V, who approved it in 1917 as a personal and dynastic instead of the former Saxe-Coburg-Gotha). Since then, all the Queen's children bear the personal surname Mountbatten-Windsor (Mountbatten-Windsor). Members of the British royal family rarely use a personal surname, only in certain cases, for example when entering into marriage.
At the insistence of Elizabeth, the offspring of the royal family were brought up not at court, but in public educational institutions. Prince Charles became a pioneer: he studied at the privileged Scottish school of Gordonstown, and then at Cambridge.
The beginning of Elizabeth's reign was marked by a rise in optimism in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries: subjects linked their hopes for the future with the new young monarch. In the 1960s, the situation began to change, the value of the institution of the monarchy was increasingly questioned, but the prestige of the queen and her family still remained high. Elizabeth sought to make the British monarchy as "popular" as possible. The life of the Windsor family was deliberately made open to the eyes of the public, which gave rise to numerous favorable publications in the press.
In the 1980s, press coverage of the life of the royal family remained, as before, intent, but increasingly became scandalous. When Prince Charles of Wales married a young aristocrat, Lady Diana Spencer, in 1981, their union seemed almost perfect to the public. In 1982, Charles's heir, Prince William, was born, and in 1984, his second son, Prince Harry. Meanwhile, illusions about the marriage of the heir to the throne dissipated, and media publications reported a growing discord between the spouses. The private life of the younger generation of Windsors has become a constant source of concern for the Queen. Along with Charles and Diana, the personal life of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whose marriage to Sarah Ferguson, concluded in 1986, also turned out to be unsuccessful, has become a popular topic for publications.
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The situation around the royal family reached its maximum intensity by 1992, which the queen herself called annus horribilis - "a terrible year." In March 1992, Andrew and Sarah announced their separation, in April the marriage of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips broke up, and in December, Charles and Diana officially broke up. In addition, in November, a severe fire broke out at Windsor Castle. The greatest harm to the prestige of the royal family was caused by the separation of the Prince of Wales from his wife. Princess Diana enjoyed tremendous popularity both in Britain and abroad, and public opinion often considered the Queen and other members of the Windsor family as her enemies and persecutors.
In 1996, against the backdrop of incessant scandalous publications in the media, at the insistence of Elizabeth, Charles and Diana officially divorced. After Diana died in a car accident in 1997, her many fans started talking about Charles not being worthy of the British throne, some suggested making Prince William the heir – bypassing his father. The queen was accused of isolating the princess from her children during Diana's lifetime. The dissatisfaction of the British was also caused by the behavior of Elizabeth in the period after the death of Diana - the queen refrained from public expressions of grief for some time. At the same time, according to the researchers, the death of Diana and the upheavals associated with it served to bring the members of the royal family closer together.
In 2002, Elizabeth II experienced two losses: in February, her younger sister Princess Margaret died, and in March, the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother left Elizabeth a considerable fortune, which was not subject to inheritance tax. This again drew the attention of the press and society to the state of the royal family. This was previously discussed in the early 1990s, and in the notorious "terrible year" Elizabeth approved new legislation that made the Windsors' property taxable.
The Queen's peace was invariably disturbed by the scandals surrounding the younger Windsors - the baton from Charles, who in 2005 finally married his longtime mistress Camilla Parker-Bowles, was accepted by his youngest son Prince Harry, who became a frequent figure in British tabloid publications.
In 2006, the Queen celebrated her eightieth birthday. Mass celebrations on this occasion, which took place in the UK and the Commonwealth countries, demonstrated that Elizabeth II is still loved by her subjects. The Queen has two birthdays every year - one actual, which she celebrates with her family, and the other official, which is solemnly celebrated on June 17th.
Elizabeth II is the head of the British Commonwealth, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as fifteen other states: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Keats and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu. In 1999, Australia put the status of the queen to a referendum, but the Australians preferred to keep her nominal status as head of state.
As the researchers wrote, over the years, the queen began to devote more time to her hobbies. Among them is the breeding of racehorses and dogs. The Queen's favorite pets are Corgis.
1 * TWO ROYAL BIRTHDAYS
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) was born on April 21, 1926. However, the official birthday of the monarch in the UK does not coincide with the real one. Since the reign of King Edward VII (1901-1910), this holiday has been celebrated on one of the first Saturdays of June - for those reasons that these days will be good weather. In addition, it is in June that a solemn event takes place - the removal of the banner at the parade of the horse guards. By the way, this year, during the celebration of the Queen's official birthday, British pubs were allowed to close on the occasion of the Queen's 90th birthday on June 10 and 11 until 1 am (and not until 11 pm, as usual).
2 * NOT ONLY UK
Elizabeth II is primarily the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But not only. She is also the Queen of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. However, that's not all: Elizabeth II is considered the queen of 12 more independent states - Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda , Saint Kitts and Nevis. And of course, the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, which unites fifty countries - mostly former British possessions.
3 * MONARCH AND RECORDS
Queen Elizabeth II became Queen in 1952, while on vacation in Kenya - there came the news of the death of her father, King George VI. The coronation took place in June 1953 at Westminster Abbey - the first time this ceremony was broadcast on television. The coronation dress of the young queen was, according to her instructions, embroidered with the floral emblems of the countries of the British Commonwealth. England was symbolized by the rose, Scotland by the thistle, Wales by the leek, Ireland by the shamrock, Australia by the mimosa, Canada by the maple leaf, New Zealand by the fern, South Africa by the protea, India and Ceylon by the lotus flowers, Pakistan by the wheat, cotton and jute.
Today, Elizabeth II is the oldest reigning monarch in the world. (In terms of time on the throne, she is ahead of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who led the country in 1946). In September 2015, she also broke the record of her great-great-grandmother Victoria for longevity among the kings and queens of Britain - by this time she had been on the throne for more than 23,226 days.
4 * SCANDAL WITH NAZI SALUTE
Last year, The Sun tabloid published footage from the early 1930s of little Princess Elizabeth standing next to her mother and sister, raising her hand in a Nazi salute. The footage also shows the uncle of the future queen - Prince Edward (aka King Edward VIII), known not only for his abdication of the British throne, but also for his sympathy for Nazi Germany. If everything was more or less clear with the uncle, then it is unlikely that the seven-year-old girl understood what exactly she was depicting. Moreover, during the war with the Nazis, the British royal family did a lot to inspire their compatriots fighting the Nazis.
5 * MILITARY PAST
When World War II began, Princess Elizabeth was 13 years old. Her mother refused to evacuate her daughters to Canada: “The children will not leave without me. I will not leave without the king. And the king will never leave."
In February 1945, the grown-up Elizabeth put on a military uniform - she joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she trained as a driver and mechanic.
When the war ended, Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, incognito infiltrated the crowds celebrating the victory in the streets of London.
6 * LOVE OF HER LIFE
Elizabeth met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, back in the thirties - they were relatives through King Christian IX of Denmark and Queen Victoria. She was only 13 when the princess fell in love with Philip and they began to correspond. The official engagement took place only after the war - in July 1947. At the same time, Philip was not rich, he was a foreigner (although he served during the war in the British Royal Navy), Orthodox - in a word, not everyone considered him a suitable match for Elizabeth. Be that as it may, the wedding took place in November 1947 at Westminster Abbey. In order to buy material for a wedding dress in the post-war country, Elizabeth needed cards for manufactured goods. The newlyweds received 2500 wedding gifts from all over the world.
Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles, in November 1948. Princess Anne was born in 1950. Ten years later, in 1960, the Queen had another son, Prince Andrew. And finally, in 1964, the Queen gave birth to Prince Edward.
7 * ROYAL MONEY
The personal financial condition of the British Queen has always been of great interest to the media and the public. When information emerged in the early 1990s that Elizabeth II had a fortune estimated at 100 million pounds, Buckingham Palace called these data "grossly exaggerated." And in 2015, The Sunday Times estimated the Queen's personal fortune at £340 million, placing her 302nd on the list of the richest people in the United Kingdom. It is worth noting that the Royal Collection, which includes thousands of works of art and royal jewels, is not personally owned by the Queen, but is held in trust, just like the official royal residences (Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Duchy of Lancaster).
8 * QUEEN IN RUSSIA
In October 1994, Elizabeth II on her yacht "Britain" arrived on a visit to Russia - she was received by President Yeltsin. It was the first ever visit by a British monarch to our country. After the revolution, the main reason that prevented such a visit was the execution by the Bolsheviks of the royal family, which was related to the British royal house. The Queen visited Moscow and St. Petersburg. By the way, in 1986, Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to visit China.
9 * SIMPLE TASTES OF THE CROWNED PERSON
Elizabeth II prefers simple food to culinary delights: she loves lamb cutlets and roast beef, fried flounder and chicken salad. Desserts are ice cream and pudding. As for drinks, Queen Elizabeth prefers champagne and white wines. He does not shy away from cocktails, for example, martinis. The British royal family sits down at the table four times a day: breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. In the morning, the queen makes herself Chinese tea and drinks it with milk, but without sugar. During the royal breakfast, under the windows of the dining room, a Scottish bagpiper plays a morning tune for the queen. This custom has been going on since the days of Queen Victoria. The official dinner with the participation of the queen begins with soup, then a fish dish is served. Roasted and fried hind leg of lamb, one of the favorite dishes of Elizabeth II, is most often served as a roast at royal dinners. Meat is accompanied by 3-4 types of vegetable garnish. This is followed by a salad and then a cold dessert. For dinner, 5 varieties of the best wine are served.
“In general, no one taught me to be a queen: my father died too early and it happened so unexpectedly - I had to immediately get involved in the business and at the same time try not to lose face in the dirt. I had to grow up to the position that I took. It was fate, it should have been accepted and not grumbled. I think continuity is very important. My job is for life."
Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain
I wonder what it's like to celebrate your birthday for more than 50 years twice a year? This question can be answered by Queen Elizabeth II, who was born on April 21, 1926 in London, and for many years her birthday has been celebrated throughout the United Kingdom not only on April 21, but also on the 3rd Saturday of June.
The title of Her Royal Majesty in the United Kingdom is: "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other Possessions and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."
Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI. The coronation took place on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth was only 25 years old when she became queen, and has been so for several decades now.
Birthdays are celebrated every year at Windsor Castle. It begins with a walk around the city (if this action, of course, can be called that). A 21-shot salute is certainly given, which sounds at noon.
Throughout her reign, the queen has been criticized more than once not only by British Republicans, but also by various British media, as well as by the general public. Nevertheless, Elizabeth II was able to maintain the prestige of the British monarchy, and her popularity in the UK is at its best.
Royal
Elizabeth II (English Elizabeth II), full name - Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (English Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; April 21, 1926, London) - Queen of Great Britain from 1952 to the present.
Elizabeth II comes from the Windsor dynasty. She ascended the throne on February 6, 1952 at the age of 25 after the death of her father, King George VI.
She is the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations and, in addition to Great Britain, the queen of 15 independent states: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica. He is also head of the Anglican Church and supreme commander of the British armed forces.
Coats of arms in different periods of time and in different countries
Coat of arms of Princess Elizabeth (1944-1947)
Coat of arms of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (1947-1952)
Royal coat of arms in Great Britain (except Scotland)
Royal coat of arms in Scotland
Royal coat of arms in Canada
The full title of Elizabeth II in Great Britain sounds like "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other kingdoms and territories, the Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."
During the reign of Elizabeth II, in all countries recognizing the British monarch as their head of state, laws were passed according to which in each of these countries the British monarch acts as head of this particular state, regardless of his titles in Great Britain proper or in third countries. Accordingly, in all these countries, the title of the queen sounds the same, with the name of the state replaced. In some countries, the words "defender of the faith" are excluded from the title. For example, in Australia, the title sounds like this: "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God the Queen of Australia and her other kingdoms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth."
On the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, Elizabeth II also bears the title of Duke of Normandy, on the Isle of Man - the title of "Lord of Maine".
Story
Elizabeth II is the oldest British (English) monarch in history. She is currently the second longest-serving head of state in history (after Queen Victoria) and also the second longest-serving head of state in the world (after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand). She is also the world's oldest female incumbent head of state, and in Europe the oldest incumbent head of state.
He is the oldest reigning monarch in the world since January 24, 2015, after the death of King Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
During the reign of Elizabeth II, a very wide period of British history falls: the process of decolonization was completed, which was marked by the final collapse of the British Empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations. This period also included many other events, such as the long ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Queen Elizabeth II, 1970
public perception
At the moment, the majority of Britons positively assess the activities of Elizabeth II as a monarch (about 69% believe that the country would be worse without the monarchy; 60% believe that the monarchy contributes to raising the country's image abroad and only 22% were against the monarchy).
Despite the positive attitude of most of her subjects, the queen was repeatedly criticized throughout her reign, in particular:
In 1963, when a political crisis arose in Britain, Elizabeth was criticized for having personally appointed Alexander Douglas-Home as Prime Minister of Great Britain.
In 1997, for the lack of an immediate reaction to the death of Princess Diana, the queen fell not only with the anger of the British public, but even of many major British media (for example, The Guardian).
In 2004, after Elizabeth II beat a pheasant to death with a cane, a wave of indignation from environmental organizations swept across the country about the actions of the monarch.
Elizabeth II is the last representative of the so-called "old school" of monarchs: she strictly adheres to centuries-old traditions and ceremonies and never deviates from the rules of established etiquette. Her Majesty never gives interviews or makes press statements. She is in front of everyone, but at the same time is the most closed celebrity on the planet.
Childhood
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in the London district of Mayfair in the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at Brewton Street, house number 17. Now the area has been rebuilt, and the house no longer exists, but a memorial plaque has been erected on this site. She got her name in honor of her mother (Elizabeth), grandmother (Maria) and great-grandmother (Alexandra).
Eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI, 1895-1952) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002). Her paternal grandparents were King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess of Teck (1867-1953); by mother - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1938).
At the same time, the father insisted that the first name of the daughter be like that of the duchess. At first they wanted to give the girl the name Victoria, but then they changed their minds. George V remarked: “Bertie discussed the girl's name with me. He named three names: Elizabeth, Alexandra and Mary. The names are all good, I told him so, but about Victoria, I absolutely agree with him. It was redundant." The christening of Princess Elizabeth took place on May 25 in the chapel of Buckingham Palace, later destroyed during the war years.
Queen Elizabeth II, 1930
In 1930, Elizabeth's only sister, Princess Margaret, was born.
The future queen received a good education at home, mainly in the humanities. She loved horses and equestrian sports since childhood. And also from childhood, unlike her more eccentric sister Margaret, she had a truly royal character. In the biography of Elizabeth II, Sarah Bradford mentions that the future queen from childhood was a very serious child, who even then had a certain understanding of the duties that fell on her as the heir to the throne, and a sense of duty. Since childhood, Elizabeth loved order, so, for example, when she went to bed, she always put slippers next to the bed, never allowing herself to scatter things in the room, as is typical for many children. And already as a queen, she always made sure that no extra light burned in the palace, personally turning off the lights in empty rooms.
Queen Elizabeth II, 1926
Photo of 1929, Elizabeth is 3 years old here
Princess Elizabeth in 1933
King George VI and (1895-1952) and Elizabeth Angela, Duchess of York (1900-2002), with their daughter, the future Queen - Princess Elizabeth, 1929
The Queen and her daughters, October 1942
princess at war
The Second World War began when Elizabeth was 13 years old. On October 13, 1940, she made her first radio appearance, addressing children affected by the disasters of the war. In 1943, her first independent appearance in public took place - a visit to the regiment of the Guards Grenadiers. In 1944, she became one of the five "state councilors" (persons entitled to perform the functions of the king in the event of his absence or incapacity). In February 1945, Elizabeth joined the "Auxiliary Territorial Service" - women's self-defense units - and was trained as an ambulance driver, receiving the military rank of lieutenant. Her military service lasted five months, which gives reason to consider her the last participant in the Second World War who has not yet retired (the penultimate one was Pope Benedict XVI, who served as an anti-aircraft gunner in the German armed forces).
Princess Elizabeth (left, in uniform) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace (left to right) her mother Queen Elizabeth, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, King George VI and Princess Margaret, May 8, 1945
Wedding
On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth married her distant relative, who, like her, is the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria - Prince Philip Mountbatten, son of the Greek Prince Andrew, who was then an officer in the British Navy. She met him at the age of 13, when Philip was still a cadet at the Dortmouth Naval School. Becoming her husband, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
In November 2007, the Queen and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their "diamond wedding" - the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage. For the sake of such an occasion, the Queen allowed herself a little liberties - for one day they retired with her husband for romantic memories in Malta, where Prince Philip once served, and the young Princess Elizabeth visited him.
Four children were born in their family: the heir to the throne - the eldest son Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales (born 1948); Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise (born 1950); Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward, Duke of York (born 1960), Edward Anthony Richard Louis, Earl of Wessex (born 1964).
On December 29, 2010, Elizabeth II became a great-grandmother for the first time. On this day, her eldest grandson, Princess Anne's eldest son Peter Phillips, and his Canadian wife, Autumn Kelly, had a daughter. The girl became 12th in the British line of succession.
With newborn Prince Charles, December 1948
Coronation and beginning of reign
King George VI, Elizabeth's father, died February 6, 1952. Elizabeth, who at that time was on vacation with her husband in Kenya, was proclaimed Queen of Great Britain.
The coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. This was the first televised coronation of a British monarch, and is credited with having contributed significantly to the rise of television broadcasting.
After that, in 1953-1954. The queen made a six-month tour of the Commonwealth, British colonies and other countries of the world. Elizabeth II became the first monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand.
Elizabeth II after her coronation in 1953
The Queen with her six ladies-in-waiting
From left to right:
Lady Moira Hamilton (now Lady Moyra Campbell), Lady Anne Cox (now Lady Glenconner), Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill (now Lady Rosemary Muir), Lady Mary Bailey-Hamilton (now Lady Mary Russell), Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond- Willoughby (now Baroness de Willoughby de Eresby), Lady Jane Van Tempest-Stuart (now The Honorable Lady Rayne)
Young Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen began her political activities, which included the opening of Parliament and the reception of prime ministers. In the fifties of the twentieth century, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip made many visits to the territory of the United Kingdom and the countries of the Commonwealth.
In the 1960s, the Queen of England made her historic visit to West Berlin at the height of the Cold War, and also invited Japanese Emperor Hirohito on an official visit to Britain. Despite the turbulent social and political situation, she celebrated her silver jubilee in 1977. The celebrations were a success, thousands of people celebrated the anniversary of Elizabeth II across the country.
Mature years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II
Five years later, Britain was involved in hostilities against the Falklands, during which Prince Andrew served in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot. In the eighties of the twentieth century, the first grandchildren of the Queen were born - Peter and Zara Phillips, the son and daughter of Anna, Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips.
In 1992, a catastrophe occurred, as a result of which a fire destroyed part of Windsor Castle. That same year, the marriages of Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne were annulled. The Queen called 1992 a "terrible year". In 1996, the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was annulled. Tragedy followed in 1997 when Diana died in a car accident.
2002 was a sad year for Queen Elizabeth II of England, as her sister Princess Margaret died.
Reign of Queen Elizabeth II
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of England, many changes were made in the UK. The Queen successfully fulfills her political duties as head of state, head of the Commonwealth of Nations, ceremonial duties, as well as visiting duties within and outside the UK.
Elizabeth II introduced many reforms to the monarchy. In 1992, she proposed taxes on profits and capital gains. She opened official royal residences to the people, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, in order to fund the upkeep of the royal family.
She supported the abolition of male primogeniture and single inheritance, which means that now the eldest child can inherit the throne, regardless of gender.
In 2012, the Queen of England celebrated her 60th birthday, with celebrations taking place across the country, once again demonstrating the love of the British.
The style of clothing of the English Queen Elizabeth II
The style of the English queen can be conditionally divided into two periods: the style of the young queen - the style is conservative and elegant, and the style of the elderly queen, I would call it the style of "merry grandmother" or even "rainbow style", because of the incredible number of changing colors in her costumes and hats . However, the English queen has always loved colors.
Throughout her life, the main elements of the wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth II were: dresses or suits of medium length, which necessarily cover the knee, coats and raincoats of A-line cut, plus floor-length dresses for special occasions, as well as hats, always in tone with the suit, gloves, closed shoes , a brooch on a jacket and a string of pearls. The Queen of England also always preferred short haircuts. Favorite colors are pink, lilac and indigo.
Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the Odeon Cinema on October 31, 1955. (Photo: Monty Fresco/Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth II becomes Queen after the death of her father in February 1952, and her coronation took place on June 2, 1952. At that time, namely in the 1940s and 1950s, Norman Hartnell sewed dresses for the princess, and then the queen. And Elizabeth more than once appeared in public in dresses with puffy skirts made of duchesse satin or silk. The design of her wedding dress in ivory and embellished with silver threads is also by Norman Hartnell, however, as is the design of the coronation dress.
From the mid-1950s and throughout the 60s, Hardy Amis sewed for the Queen. It is he who brings a sense of simplicity to the queen's outfits, but this simplicity is only external, because behind it lies a very complex cut. He sewed his first dresses for the Queen back in 1948, when Elizabeth asked him to create a wardrobe for a trip to Canada.
Since the 1970s, Ian Thomas, a former assistant to Norman Hartnell and now the owner of his own salon, has been sewing for the Queen. Its distinguishing feature was the flying chiffon dresses that appeared in the wardrobe of the queen. After his death and until the late 1980s, Maureen Rose of Ian Thomas' design house sewed for Queen Elizabeth.
From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, the wardrobe of the English queen was replenished with outfits from John Anderson, because after his death, his partner Carl Ludwig Rese became the queen's court designer.
Since 2000, the youngest, by age, of Her Majesty's court designers, Stuart Parvin, a graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art, has been sewing for Elizabeth II. In 2002, Angela Kelly became his assistant.
The Queen of England is 86 years old. But she still steadily fulfills all the duties assigned to her and appears in public, invariably following her style.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh with their children, Prince Andrew (center), Princess Anne (left) and Charles, Prince of Wales near Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Queen Victoria's husband purchased Balmoral Castle in 1846. Queen Victoria visited Scotland frequently with her family, especially after the death of her husband in 1861, and Balmoral is still a favorite holiday destination for the royal family. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). September 9, 1960
Hobby
The Queen's interests include dog breeding (including Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, and travel. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige of the Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively around her possessions, and also visits other countries of the world (for example, in 1994 she visited Russia). She has more than 325 foreign visits to her credit (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries). I have been gardening since 2009. In addition to English, he is also fluent in French.
Interesting Facts
Elizabeth II does not give interviews. Nevertheless, interesting facts about this outstanding woman periodically flash in the press, which allow us to look at the most famous reigning lady of our time from an unexpected angle, we have chosen the most striking, in our opinion, moments.
The celebration of the royal birthday in 1981 was overshadowed by an unpleasant event: in the vicinity of the horse on which Elizabeth was sitting, taking the parade, shots rang out, making everyone around shudder. The queen, to the delight of the public, did not even raise an eyebrow and managed to stay in the saddle.
Her self-control came in handy a year later, when, while waiting for the police, for several minutes she had to conduct a conversation with a madman who managed to get into the chambers.
In 1945, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, the future Queen of England, served as a mechanic in a reserve battalion of the British army with the rank of junior officer. Obviously, the example of a "combat" grandmother inspired the young princes William and Harry, who also did not evade military service.
Family values for Elizabeth II is not an empty phrase. For the sake of her son's happiness, she stepped over rigid rules and blessed the second marriage of the Prince of Wales Charles to socialite Camilla Parker-Bowles, despite the hype about this.
On April 17, 2013, for the second time in the history of her reign, the Queen attended the funeral of a British politician: she said goodbye to Margaret Thatcher.
Despite the solid image, the queen is not alien to female coquetry and small weaknesses. Rogue paparazzi more than once caught the moment when she at social events, not embarrassed by the crowd and her high position, publicly corrected her makeup. Etiquette is etiquette, and a real queen should look gorgeous!
The Queen's passion is horses and Corgi dogs. In her youth, Elizabeth rode well, but now she pays more attention to charming red dogs, which, thanks to her, have become one of the symbols of the British monarchy.
Elizabeth II is the oldest English monarch in history and the second longest-serving British monarch. She is also the oldest female current head of state.
In honor of Elizabeth II, the rose variety Rosa "Queen Elizabeth" was named.
Films about Elizabeth II
In 2004, the film Churchill: The Hollywood Years was released - "Churchill Goes to War!", Where the role of Elizabeth was played by Neve Campbell.
In 2006, the biopic The Queen was released. The role of the queen was played by actress Helen Mirren. The film is a BAFTA winner in the Best Film category. Actress Helen Mirren, who played the title role in the film, won the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for Best Actress. In addition, the film was nominated for an Oscar as Best Picture.
In 2009, the 4th channel of British television (Channel 4) filmed a 5-episode fictional mini-series "The Queen" ("The Queen", directed by Edmund Coulthard, Patrick Reams). The Queen at different periods of her life was played by 5 actresses: Emilia Fox, Samantha Bond, Susan Jameson, Barbara Flynn, Diana Quick.
On July 27, 2012, the television broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in London began with a video featuring James Bond (Daniel Craig) and the Queen (cameo). At the end of the video, they both parachute from a helicopter over the arena of the Olympic Stadium. On April 5, 2013, for this role, the Queen was awarded the BAFTA Award for the best performance of the role of a James Bond girl.
In architecture
The Queen Elizabeth Avenue in Esplanade Park in Singapore is named after the Queen.
The famous Big Ben, the symbol of London, has been officially called the “Elizabeth Tower” since September 2012.
A bridge in Duford, completed in 1991, is also named after the Queen.
On August 1, 2013, the Elizabeth II Olympic Park was opened in London.
Lifetime monuments
