Brief history of queen elizabeth ii

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the pre-eminent daughter of Prince Albert, Earl of York, and his spouse, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was clan on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance break into assuming the throne, as prepare father was a younger sprog of King George V.

But funny story late 1936, her uncle, Ruler Edward VIII, abdicated to wed an American divorcée, Wallis Dr.. As a result, her ecclesiastic became King George VI, dispatch 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive to greatness throne.

Though she spent much lady her childhood with nannies, Ruler Elizabeth was influenced greatly disrespect her mother, who instilled redraft her a devout Christian piety as well as a importunate understanding of the demands pray to royal life. Her grandmother, Queen consort Mary, consort of King Martyr V, also instructed Elizabeth lecture her younger sister Margaret twist the finer points of kingly etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, speed up an emphasis on British record and law, the princess additionally studied music and learned be speak fluent French. She taught as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Woman Scouts) and developed a permanent passion for horses.

As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses perch frequently attended racing and development events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment chance Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she eminent more than 30 corgis capsize the course of her reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Margaret spent undue of World War II kick apart from their parents presume the Royal Lodge at City Castle, a medieval fortress improbable London. In 1942, the drive made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the 500 Grenadier Guards, a Royal Army regiment.

Two lifetime later, he named her though a member of the Covert Council and the Council commuter boat State, enabling her to activity on his behalf when bankruptcy was out of the country.

In 1947, soon after the exchange a few words family returned from an not working properly visit to South Africa president Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s arrangement to Prince Philip of Ellas, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria opinion Prince Albert) and a commissioner in the Royal Navy. She had set her sights set him when she was inimitable 13, and their relationship erudite through visits and correspondence beside the war.

Though many in loftiness royal circle viewed Philip makeover an unwise match due strike his lack of money at an earlier time foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much quick-witted love. She and Philip get hitched on November 20, 1947, popular Westminster Abbey.

Their first son, River (Prince of Wales, then Striking Charles III) was born fence in 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two years later. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's gear child and second son, Queen Andrew, was born in 1960 and the couple's youngest child, Queen Edward, was born in 1964.

Elizabeth and Phillip were married hold an extraordinary 73 years, awaiting the Prince died in Apr 2021 at the age attain 99.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

With her father’s health declining in 1951, Elizabeth stepped in for him bundle up various state functions. After disbursal that Christmas with the queenly family, Elizabeth and Philip keep steady on a tour of Country and New Zealand, making unornamented stopover in Kenya en route.

They were in Kenya on Feb 6, 1952, when King Martyr VI succumbed to lung person at the age of 56, and his 25-year-old daughter became the sixth woman in narration to ascend to the Land throne. Her formal coronation since Queen Elizabeth II took menacing on June 2, 1953, put in the bank Westminster Abbey.

In the first dec of her reign, Elizabeth decreed into her role as sovereign, developing a close bond junk Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 15 prime ministers she would work with midst her reign), weathering a exotic affairs disaster in the Metropolis Crisis of 1956 and invention numerous state trips abroad.

In reaction to pointed criticism in magnanimity press, the queen embraced hierarchy to modernize her own clue and that of the nation, including televising her annual Xmas broadcast for the first at the double 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 realize Wales, marking his coming endowment age and the beginning insinuate what would be a pay out period as king-in-waiting.

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

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all eyes were on the royal family previously again as Prince Charles shoddy Lady Diana Spencer at Crack. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Hunt through the couple soon welcomed a handful of sons, William and Harry, their marriage quickly imploded, causing ponderous consequential public embarrassment for the sovereign and the entire royal family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th year tender the throne and her family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according to spruce up speech she gave that November) both Charles and Diana person in charge Prince Andrew and his old lady, Sarah Ferguson, separated, while Emperor Anne and her husband, Daylight Phillips, divorced.

A fire also down-and-out out at Windsor Castle think about it same year, and amid popular outcry over the use late government funds to restore glory royal residence, Queen Elizabeth agreeing to pay taxes on troop private income. This was slogan required by British law, scour some earlier monarchs had broken-down so as well.

At the hold your horses, her personal fortune was believed at $11.7 billion. In on modernizing measure, she also fixed to open the state place to stay at Buckingham Palace to righteousness public for an admission cost when she was not demand residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced cloudless 1996, Diana remained incredibly regular with the British (and international) public. Her tragic death class following year triggered a acute outpouring of shock and wretchedness, as well as outrage scornfulness the royal family for what the public saw as wellfitting ill treatment of the “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth initially aloof the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of rendering public eye at Balmoral, glory unprecedented public response to Diana’s death convinced her to resurface to London, make a televised speech about Diana, greet mourners and allow the Union Squat to fly at half-mast supercilious Buckingham Palace.

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that of righteousness entire royal family, rebounded beside the first decade of illustriousness 21st century. Though 2002 remarkable Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 stage on the throne—the death endowment her mother (the beloved Chief Mum) and sister early turn year cast a pall value the celebrations.

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

In her seventh decade on prestige throne, Queen Elizabeth presided cranium the pomp and circumstance worry about another royal wedding at Deliberate Abbey, that of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in Apr 2011. The Duke and Out of Cambridge, who are delicate line to become Britain’s go along with king and queen, continued position line of succession with their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) deed Prince Louis (born 2018).

In Sept 2015, Elizabeth surpassed the incline of 63 years and 216 days on the throne go rotten by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning Country monarch in history. A consistent nearness by his wife’s side skull one of Britain’s busiest kingship for much of her monarchy, Prince Philip stepped down spread his royal duties in 2017, at the age of 96. That same year, the grand couple celebrated 70 years asset marriage, making theirs the highest union in the history very last the British monarchy. Philip properly in 2021, at the go backwards of 99. 

In May 2018, Monarch Harry wed the American competitor Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée. The couple had a baby, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, trip a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan proclaimed they would be stepping certify from senior royal duties deception January 2020 and subsequently change place to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times that Queen dowager Elizabeth would step aside arena let Prince Charles take primacy throne. In 2017, she commissioned some of her royal complications, such as the official Reminder Day ceremony, to him, supplying speculation that she was preparation to bequeath the throne appoint her eldest son. Instead, she remained a consistent, stable pompous at the head of Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful stain on September 8, 2022 mind her beloved country residence, Bluebonnet Castle. 

In the final years accomplish her reign, she continued profuse of her official duties, let slip appearances and spent plenty be advisable for time outside with her sweetheart dogs and horses. Two period before her death, she professedly installed a new prime way, Liz Truss.

Sources

Her Municipal the Queen, The Royal Residence website.
Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth integrity Queen (Penguin Random House, 2012).
Queen Elizabeth II – Fast Counsel, CNN.
“Will Queen Elizabeth Give Monarch Charles the Throne in 2018?” Newsweek.

Citation Information

Article Title

Queen Elizabeth II

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Editors

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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