The modern Queen of England Elizabeth 2, whose biography is a description of the life of a person who has witnessed various eras, has been on the throne since 1952. Her reign is the longest in British history.

Family and childhood

On April 21, 1926, the future Queen of England, Elizabeth 2, was born. It is difficult to imagine a biography of a member of the ruling dynasty without her pedigree. The girl was the daughter of a duke and his wife, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. The child's father was the son of King George V.

When the monarch died in 1936, the throne passed by inheritance to his eldest son, Edward VIII (Elizabeth's uncle). However, he ruled for only a few months. According to the laws of the state, he had to marry a person equal to him in belonging to an aristocratic family. However, the king preferred to tie the knot with a divorced woman from a non-royal circle - Bessie Simpson. It was the fact that she had already been married twice that angered the government, which suggested that Edward abdicate. He really gave up power, and the throne unexpectedly passed to his younger brother, who took the crown name

This castling made ten-year-old Elizabeth the heir to the world's largest British Empire. If George had had a boy, then the title would have passed to him, but this did not happen. The future Queen Elizabeth 2 in childhood was in the public eye as a representative of a new generation of the ruling Windsor dynasty.

heir to the throne

The early biography of Queen Elizabeth II of England matched her status as Princess of York. She lived with her parents in Kensington. One of her main hobbies since childhood was horseback riding. The queen was faithful to this hobby throughout her youth. At the same time, the girl was taught a full range of sciences. Widespread knowledge was a mandatory attribute for members of the Windsor dynasty, as they personified all the best that the monarchy could give to the state. Particular emphasis in the education of Elizabeth was placed on the humanities: religious studies, jurisprudence and art history. The child showed a remarkable interest in the French language, which was encouraged by teachers.

The biography of Elizabeth 2 took a sharp turn when she became the heiress of her father, the king. Together with her parents, she moved to Buckingham Palace. Three years later, the Second World War began, and a carefree life ended with the first volleys of German guns on the continent.

Great Britain supported Poland and, together with its main ally France, declared war on the Third Reich. Despite the fact that the main political decisions were made by the government and parliament, it became an important symbol of the unity of the nation in the face of the growing Nazi threat. Elizabeth 2 in her childhood faced completely unchildish dangers and impressions that all her peers had to endure.

During World War II

Despite the fact that Hitler did not dare to send ground troops to the British Isles, his aircraft carried out regular bombardments of English cities. Particularly stubborn and frequent raids were in the first years of the war, when the Wehrmacht victoriously occupied almost all of Europe. Elizabeth's father regularly visited the troops. Already in 1940, the heiress first spoke to her compatriots with a public speech addressed to the children of the country.

In such an atmosphere, the future Queen of England, Elizabeth 2, grew up. The biography of the child became an indicative cast of the era. In 1943, she visited the troops for the first time, visiting a grenadier regiment. A few months before the surrender of Germany, Elizabeth joined the army and became a driver of an auxiliary ambulance in the women's self-defense squad. The princess received the rank of lieutenant, and since she is the current monarch today, her military rank remains in force. This means that Elizabeth is the last non-military veteran of World War II in the entire world.

Wedding with Philip

With the onset of peace, the future Queen of England, Elizabeth 2, returned to her standard duties. The biography of the princess in 1947 was marked by her wedding to Philip Mountbatten.

In the first half of the 20th century, all the ruling European dynasties were closely intertwined. Philip was the grandson of the Greek King George I, as well as a member of the Danish royal family and a descendant of the British Queen Victoria. The newlyweds met in childhood in the 30s. After his marriage, Philip received the honorary title of Duke of Edinburgh. Despite the fact that he was born back in 1921, he is still in good health and regularly fulfills his dynastic duties. Interestingly, the queen's husband did not accept the title of prince consort, which was customary for his position, and remained the Duke of Edinburgh.

Philip and Elizabeth had four offspring: Charles, Anna, Andrew, and Edward. All of them today have children and grandchildren, who, in turn, make up the vast royal family of Great Britain. Charles, as the eldest son, became his mother's heir in 1952, when she took the royal throne, and remains so to this day.

Coronation

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne under unusual circumstances. In 1952, she and her husband traveled to Kenya, then a British colony, for a holiday. It was in this exotic country that the heir to the throne received the sad news of the death of her father, George V, who ruled the country for sixteen years.

It took several months to organize the coronation, which would become a symbol of the beginning of the reign of the new monarch. The solemn ceremony was held in its traditional place - Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth 2 became the new queen. When the young 25-year-old ruler ascended the throne, the eyes of the whole world in the literal sense of the word were turned in her direction, because it was then that cameras broadcasting the event were used for the first time at such an event.

First years of government

The British Queen Elizabeth II traveled a lot in her youth. She did not leave this habit from the first days of her reign. With her accession to the throne, the ruler visited the countries that were part of the Commonwealth of British Colonies. In the 50s and 60s, the process of granting independence to these states, located in all parts of the world, began. Most of them were in Africa. In addition, for the first time in history, a British monarch visited Australia and New Zealand. This person turned out to be Queen Elizabeth 2. The fascinating biography of the ruler was superimposed on her unique status, which attracted the attention of the whole world to her person.

The Queen did not forget about internal affairs at home. She met regularly with representatives of Parliament and discussed the agenda. In 1957, the first political crisis broke out in the ruling party in the era of its being on the throne. Then it was the conservatives. Prime Minister Anthony Eden has resigned. Since the party did not have well-established mechanisms for electing its leader, the queen had to take responsibility into her own hands.

In her first steps in power, Elizabeth often consulted with the legendary Winston Churchill. After consultations with a venerable politician, it was decided to propose the candidacy of Harold Macmillan, which was accepted. He became the 65th British Prime Minister from 1957 to 1964.

Relations with the Commonwealth of Nations

Even in her youth, it became clear that the further fate of Queen Elizabeth 2 would be connected only with serving her native country. She became the ruler at a time when in other countries the power of monarchs was already either swept away by revolutions, or became only a decorative appendage.

In the UK, things were different. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were several empires, somewhat similar to its state structure. For example, Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary. In all these countries, the monarchical institutions of power were dismantled after bloody wars. Britain avoided this.

However, already after the Second World War it was clear that the imperial consciousness would have to be abandoned. Even under the father of Elizabeth George VI, India gained independence - the pearl of the British crown. Now the young ruler had to consistently abandon the rest of the vestiges of the past imperial era.

The most important tool for realizing this goal was British diplomacy did everything to establish friendly relations with their former colonies, while giving them a platform to talk on an equal footing. There were especially many problems in the African region, where revolutions and civil wars began after the departure of the British authorities.

Traditionally, Elizabeth devoted much of her time to her country's relations with Canada. Until 1982, the British government had a certain weight in making decisions within this country. After the reforms, such a system was left in the past, which was another step towards abandoning the previous British policy of meddling in the affairs of their former colonies. Nevertheless, Elizabeth remains the nominal queen of Canada today. In 1976, she, as a monarch, opened the Olympic Games, held in Montreal. Many years later, she will take part in the same ceremony in London. The opening of the Olympics took place in 2012.

As for the current state of the Commonwealth of Nations, Elizabeth remains the head of this system even today, although all organizational issues can be resolved without her participation, while the queen is a symbolic figure.

The tragedy of the royal family

Over the years, the personal life of the royal family, of which Elizabeth is the head, has been overgrown with more and more unpleasant and shocking news. In 1979, Irish Republican Army terrorists killed Prince Philip's uncle Louis Mountbatten. He was not only a close relative of the queen, but also an important statesman under George VI, in particular, he was the last Viceroy of India.

Mountbatten was on his yacht when a radio-controlled bomb planted by terrorists exploded on it. Several of his relatives and an Irish boy who worked on the ship died with him. On the same day, the massacre of the radicals was supplemented by their organized attack on British soldiers, which killed 18 people.

A couple of years after this terrible tragedy, the heir to the throne, the son of Elizabeth Charles, married Diana Spencer. The Princess of Wales enjoyed great popularity among the people due to her charitable and social activities.

The couple had two children, William and Harry. The eldest son is the next contender for the royal title after his father. However, the family life of Charles and Diana still failed. They had a difficult relationship. In the early 90s, the prince began dating another woman. This state of affairs was unacceptable for Elizabeth, who believed that the couple's tangled personal life cast a shadow over the entire royal family. On her initiative, in 1996, Charles and Diana divorced. This created a huge social scandal.

Before the passions subsided, in 1997 the UK was shocked by the shocking news of Diana's death in a car accident in Paris. A few years after this event, Prince Charles married his longtime girlfriend for the second time. The wedding took place in 2005, when his children from his first marriage had already grown up and lived an independent life.

80s

Despite the scandals and tragedies that rocked Buckingham Palace from time to time, Elizabeth successfully coped with her royal duties for several decades. The British monarch, by tradition, was also the head of the Anglican Church, which was formed during the Reformation in the 16th century.

In the old days, a long conflict smoldered between Catholics and Protestants. In a new era, the time has come for a historic reconciliatory meeting of the heads of the two churches - the Pope and the British Queen. John Paul arrived in London in 1982. He was met by the Queen of England herself. Photos of these people spread all over the world.

Then it broke out between Great Britain and Argentina. The Queen did not make any formal decisions related to tactics and strategy. However, this conflict could not pass her by. The youngest son of Elizabeth - Andrew - served in the British army during this conflict and was a member of the helicopter crew.

The war began because of the uncertainty of the ownership of the Falkland Islands, located off the coast of Argentina. After nearly three months of naval battles, Britain was victorious and retained the archipelago.

Elizabeth and Margaret Thatcher

While Elizabeth did not make decisions related to the war, this burden fell on the shoulders of another influential British woman - Margaret Thatcher. She was the country's leader and prime minister from 1981-1990. For her tough character and determination, the politician received the nickname "Iron Lady". Thus, in the 80s, a female tandem was formed, which was at the head of the British state.

According to the laws and traditions, the head of government held a working meeting every week, which was attended by Elizabeth 2. The Queen of Great Britain and her dynasty maintained close relations with Thatcher. From time to time, rumors spread throughout the country that fundamental differences in domestic and foreign policy were forming between the prime minister and the monarch. These conversations were actively exaggerated by the press. Despite this, Thatcher herself and the official representatives of Elizabeth each time refuted such judgments.

At the same time, in the 1980s, British society was going through difficult times. First of all, this was due to the tense social situation. Due to the policy of austerity, privatization and monetarism, of which Thatcher was an adherent, the country wandered on the verge of an economic crisis. Such measures were necessary for state reforms. The queen, due to her status, as a rule, turned out to be on the sidelines of the wave of public criticism.

Diamond Jubilee

In 2012, the diamond jubilee of the reign (60 years) came, which was celebrated by the Queen of England. Photos of the celebrations of the country hit the front pages of newspapers around the world. Elizabeth became the second after Queen Victoria, who managed to live up to this significant date.

The apogee of the holiday was the parade of several hundred ships descending the Thames in London. According to statistics, this is the largest water procession in history. On June 4, a solemn musical concert took place at the walls of Buckingham Palace. The Queen was personally congratulated by such legendary British performers as Paul McCartney, Elton John and others.

A year before, the biography of Elizabeth 2 and the entire royal family was marked by another joyful event. The eldest grandson of the ruler and heir William married. His wife was Catherine Middleton. In 2013, Elizabeth became a great-grandmother for the third time. William had a son and heir to the throne, George.

Modern Status of the Queen

The eventful biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England is an example of the life of a monarch who, over the years, increasingly abandoned his former privileges and became a state figure with representative functions. Today, the ruler continues to follow the traditions of her stay on the throne. Once a year, she organizes a speech before Parliament.

The Queen also regularly meets ambassadors and diplomatic delegations. In previous years, she often traveled to various parts of the world, but with age, the intensity of travel decreased. However, more recently, in 2011, Elizabeth traveled to Ireland. It was a historic visit. Great Britain and its western neighbor have been in conflict for many centuries. In the 20th century, the Irish struggle for independence (including in Northern Ireland) took the form of terrorist attacks, witnessed by Elizabeth II herself. England, however, overcame this crisis and improved relations with Dublin.

Over the decades of being on the throne, the ruler acquired her own style in dealing with parliament. As a rule, she tries to stay away from political fights between parties and supporters of different programs.

But it was the cold-blooded and impregnable Queen who had to make important decisions when crises occurred in Parliament. For example, this happened in 1957 and 1963. In both cases, the prime minister resigned, and the ruling party could not decide on a successor. Then the Queen herself chose the President of Parliament. Each time it allowed to defuse the situation in Downing Street.

Today in the UK, every resident of the country knows about everything that Queen Elizabeth II of England is connected with. Biography, full name and other facts from her life are well known to everyone. She managed, despite the volatility of the modern era, to maintain the authority of the monarchy.

Elizabeth 2 is of interest not only to British subjects, but also to many other people interested in history. Not so long ago, the UK celebrated the sapphire jubilee, which marked 65 years of the Queen's reign. Elizabeth was crowned at the age of twenty-seven, when 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 Brewton Street by caesarean section. Now this area has been redeveloped, and on the site of the house number 17 on Brewton Street there is a Chinese restaurant, on the wall of which there is a commemorative plaque. The event did not cause a stir at the 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 Mary. The baby's christening took place in 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, reigned. The cousin of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II ruled the country for more than two decades, although he was also not preparing to become king. He was third in the chain of succession. George's older brother Albert Victor died during an influenza epidemic, and his father, Edward VIII, 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 German titles. Little Elizabeth loved her grandfather very much, although by nature he was a tough and stern person, and in education he often went too far. The result was the stuttering of Prince Albert, the second son of the king, from which 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. Only 50 years later it became known that the life physician, 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 father of Elizabeth, who eventually became queen, was the second son of the king, Prince Albert. In the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England, there was still no hint of a future as head of state.

After a sad event, the throne passed to Edward, but he never became king. He abdicated of his own free will due to an unequal marriage to American Wallis Simpson. Prince Albert became King George VI. He 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. So, the monarch created the British Commonwealth and became the king of all the 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 refused such an honorary role in favor of Elizabeth. So the girl became the rightful heir to the British throne at such a young age. But if at that time she had a younger brother, then he would have inherited the throne.

Elizabeth received an excellent home education. The teachers taught her manners, the humanities, horseback riding and many other disciplines that were necessary for the princess. She studied religion, art, history, law. Many sources say that the girl was drawn to knowledge and even learned French almost on her own.

Elizabeth II during World War II

A courageous and conscious girl beyond her years appeared before the inhabitants of Great Britain during the Second World War. 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 had suffered during the hostilities. And the first independent appearance of Elizabeth in public dates back to 1943. Then the girl visited the regiment of the Guards Grenadiers.

At the age of 18, the girl became one of the 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, the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England (then crown princess) changed: she joined the self-defense squad and, along 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 connected 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 2, Philip, whose biography was connected with the fleet, 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 related to 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 a farmer.

The cadet Philip was of no interest to the Elizabeth family, although he was distinguished by a noble birth. The young man was the only son of the 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 live with relatives.

Young people met at one of the family dinners. Then Elizabeth was only 13 years old, and the young prince was 18. The biography of Elizabeth 2 (the English queen 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 meeting the prince marked the beginning of the love story of her life.

There is an opinion that during the war, when the 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 ended up on the side of 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 the search. Only Philip remained. They say that Elizabeth herself made a marriage proposal to Philip. The parents were not happy with this decision, but were forced to agree to the marriage.

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

After the marriage, 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 everything to stop the 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 Commonwealth countries, but the trip was interrupted by the death of the king. He was diagnosed with lung cancer, but the man died from thrombosis. The newspapers reported that he had been in a normal state of health the night before.

Then Elizabeth and her husband were on vacation in Kenya. Philip was the first to hear the news. He was the first to bend the knee and take an oath to the queen. The queen was then in despair. A dispute broke out that the ruling house should now be the House of Mountbatten, where Philip comes from, and not the Windsors. 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 of the world. The solemn ceremony gathered 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. Twenty-seven-year-old Elizabeth Windsor was preparing for her coronation at Buckingham Palace.

In the biography of Elizabeth II of England, a new page began that day. The girl was expected to be crowned with a crown created for Queen Victoria. But she insisted on wearing the traditional St. Edward's crown, which weighed more than three kilograms. Her father and grandfather put on this crown only for a few hours during the coronation, while Elizabeth II turned out to be the first monarch 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, was supposed to look especially impressive in the spotlight. The skirt had the emblems of Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries.

With this detail almost came out of embarrassment. The royal tailor mistakenly painted the daffodil as the emblem of Wales. The officials insisted that the dress had a leek (this is a real emblem). The tailor ennobled the leek, 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 curtsey, while many mistakes were made during her father's accession to the throne. When the queen moved to the exit from the abbey, she was closed by pages. The BBC producer decided to make a close-up, although media representatives were warned in advance that there should not be any close-ups.

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

Since then, the attention of all citizens of the United Kingdom has been riveted to the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England (photo of the coronation above). At the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth granted the title of "sir" to Prime Minister Winston Churchill 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 enumeration 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 decorated horse, a painting by Aivazovsky, a sable cape, and a box with a portrait of the royal family. Prince Philip received as a gift a set of wines, a Tula samovar, a painting and a box with a portrait of his wife. Little Charles was given a decorated horse, a set of illustrated children's books by Soviet authors, and a set of sweets. Princess Anna was even given a three-month-old bear cub.

That same year, Elizabeth met Marilyn Monroe at London's Empire Theatre. In autumn, the Olympic Games were held, the opening ceremony of which was led by the Queen's husband. In 1957, Queen Elizabeth II had to choose the head of government. Harold Maxillan, who at that time was 63 years old, was appointed to the post. In May of that 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 who appeared with a reigning monarch. The following year, the queen continued her active travels. She has visited Nepal, Pakistan, the Vatican, Ghana, Cyprus, India, Turkey, Iran and Italy.

At the same time, a new page began in the biography of Elizabeth II's sister, Margaret. The girl married a descendant of a Welsh noble family. Margaret was repeatedly called the "rebellious princess". She often appeared in the company of rockers, visited London clubs and constantly twisted novels. Since the eighties, she had health problems, an addiction to alcohol and smoking. The biography of sister Elizabeth 2 Margaret was tragically cut short 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 tour on behalf of her husband. In 1965, members of the Kennedy family, together with Elizabeth, will open a number of memorial sites in the UK dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy.

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

In March 1964, the last child of Elizabeth II was born. Prince Edward will continue to abandon the traditional military career for boys born into the royal family. He will earn a liberal arts degree and 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 traveled to New Zealand and Australia. During the journey, a new practice of communicating with subjects was introduced. The couple walked the streets and talked with a huge number of people.

The following year, the Japanese emperor was received in the UK, 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 unofficially paid a 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 demanded intervention from the queen. No political party received the majority of the vote, 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, 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 in the Vatican. In 1982, the Pope personally visited Great Britain (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 "Britain". 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." In the biography of the Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II, then the next sad pages really appeared. Princess Anne was going through a divorce from her husband, Princes Andrew and Charles also separated from their lovers, but at that time still unofficially. In the same year, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire, the court's funding was reduced, and the queen became liable to pay income tax.

In 1995, the Queen paid an official visit to Russia, and the following 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 tragically died in a car accident. This came as a shock to the ruling family and ordinary citizens.

The Queen's 50th Anniversary

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

Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth

The Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 2012 in the UK and Commonwealth states. To date, 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 were planned. Parliament, as an anniversary gift, invited the queen to the meeting as an observer. It 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) is only receptions, visits and participation in social events. Partly it is. Elizabeth performs exclusively representative functions and has practically no visible influence on state affairs. But during the entire period of her reign, she rather strengthens the authority of the monarchy. The duties of the queen include visiting different countries with visits, meeting with high-ranking guests, reading annual messages to ministers, knighting, awarding awards and receiving ambassadors. Every day, Elizabeth II looks through the news and personally answers a few random letters that her subjects send in huge quantities.

Family and succession to the throne

In short, the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England has been focused all her life 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. First in line of succession is Charles, followed by his son, Prince William, and his grandchildren (George, Charlotte, Louis).

Of particular interest is the biography of the daughter of Elizabeth 2. Princess Anna 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 seven. She also officially represented her state at the Olympic Games in the Russian Federation.

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 - the Queen of England? Isn't it surprising that after 60 years of changes and upheavals around the world, it still remains the country's favorite?

Therefore, today I invite you to plunge into the history of a great woman, find out her brief biography, what her childhood was like, how she fought for her only love and why, nevertheless, she remains the same 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 it’s worth starting, of course, from birth. On April 21, 1926, a little girl was born in one of the houses in London, the appearance of which made absolutely no stir in the family. Guess why? Because no one even imagined that one day this little one 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 known 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 Anglican Church, such a marriage is forbidden to him), for the sake of which he abdicated. So, the king was the father of Elizabeth - Albert Frederick. 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 a quiet baby, a rebellious character lurked. One day, as a protest against the excessive strictness 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 you want the princess to find her prince, they fell in love with each other and lived happily ever after.

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

It would seem that the Greek prince is the perfect match for the future queen. But the royal family opposed this union. Although Philip was a titled prince, he had nothing more than this very title. His mother ended her life in a psychiatric hospital, and his father became a gamer. And Britain accepted 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 heir to the throne got married.

In 1952, the young decided to go to Kenya to relax. They lived in a hotel among ficus branches. And this was the only time in history when "the 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 practically does not decide anything in governing the country, but, according to polls, 2 out of 3 subjects of Britain do not represent their country without monarchy in general, and Queen Elizabeth in particular.

People love her for her dedication. She endured World War II as a young girl. She supported her fellow citizens, addressed the affected 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 endurance and self-control. Once, during the celebration of the Queen's birthday in 1981, in the immediate vicinity of Elizabeth, who was sitting on a horse, shots were fired that made everyone around shudder. But, to the general delight, the Queen stayed in the saddle and did not even move her eyes.

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 rider. And nimble journalists hundreds of times took her photo with cute red dogs, which have become one of the symbols of the British monarchy.

Her Royal Highness is humble, easy to communicate with, 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 a brawler. And only until he disappointed the sweet old lady Prince William. But she still, like the kindest all-forgiving grandmother, loves all her children, grandchildren and great-grandsons.

What does an 89 year old lady do?

What do you think the queen does during the day? Now you say: walks in the garden with his dogs, looks at the flowers and breathes the air. And here are the nets! Let not even the thought appear in your heads that, being an 89-year-old old woman, you can lie in bed until dinner and do nothing! This is the schedule that the ruler of Britain adheres to.

• She wakes up at 8 am, has breakfast and looks through the morning papers.
• At 9 a.m., the Queen goes to her office and starts working on the paperwork. Every day she receives approximately 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 are held 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 makes public visits. These can be schools, hospitals, military units, nursing homes, hostels for the homeless, and other places.
• At 17 o'clock the queen .... You 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, hold a charity event.
• And only late at night, practically at the very last one, the light turns off in her room.

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 natives from distant islands, has a passport, but she is the queen. Queen of a modern European state. A queen who has traveled to 120 countries around the world. The thing is that in the UK, all identity documents are issued on behalf of Her Majesty. Therefore, she personally does not need them! The same applies to driver's licenses.
• “Unfortunately, birthdays are only once a year…”! But this does not apply to Elizabeth II. The Queen of Great Britain has 2 birthdays! 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. The 18-year-old princess for a long time persuaded 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 working as a mechanic and driver of military trucks.
  Naturally, after such a vivid example, her family members - grandchildren William and Harry - did not even dare to refuse military service.
• Elizabeth II is the only ruler of the states who served during the Second World War.
• The Queen is the first ruler of the country to use e-mail. She sent the first email back in 1976 when most didn't know or guess what the Internet was.
• One day a stranger broke into the queen's room. One night in 1982, Queen Elizabeth II woke up in her bedroom to find a man sitting beside her bed. It was a patient in a psychiatric hospital. Fortunately, the queen did not panic, and began to ask the stranger about his family, children, and difficulties. Hearing the conversation, one of the lackeys entered the room and arrested the violator. As it turned out later, he climbed into the palace through a drainpipe and did this not for the first time. The last time he took with him a bottle of wine from the stocks of Prince Charles.
• 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 the British throne is simply doomed to universal love.
• Did you know that the Queen, by all rights, is the owner of all the whales and dolphins in British waters. If you need more proof of the queen's kindness and humanity, let me know!

We can talk for a long time about why we, in Russia, do not understand such a frantic adoration of the English 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 even more and more information about English culture, history and language - then subscribe to my blog newsletter. You will find a lot of useful information and interesting stories.

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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 tenure as head of state among all current heads of state (after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand). She is the world's oldest female current head of state, and in Europe the oldest current 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.

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, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica.

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

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 are: on her father's side - 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 (1862-1938).

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London's Mayfair at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at Brewton Street, house number 17. Now the area has been rebuilt, and the house no longer exists, but a memorial plaque has been erected on this site. She got her name in honor of her mother (Elizabeth), grandmother (Maria) and great-grandmother (Alexandra).

At the same time, the father insisted that the first name of the daughter be like that of the duchess. At first they wanted to give the girl the name Victoria, but then they changed their minds. George V remarked: “Bertie discussed the 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.

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 (actually independently) French.

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

At birth, Elizabeth became the Princess of York and was third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII) and father. Because Prince Edward was young enough to be expected to marry and have children, Elizabeth was not initially considered a viable candidate for the throne.

However, Edward was forced to abdicate eleven months after the death of George V in 1936. Prince Albert (George VI) became king, and 10-year-old Elizabeth became heir to the throne and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace. However, she remained in the role "heir presumptive"("presumptive 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 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 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 World War II who has not yet retired (the penultimate one 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, went 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 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.

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

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.

In 1957, after the resignation of Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden, due to the lack of clear rules for choosing a leader in the Conservative Party, Elizabeth II had to appoint a new head of government from among the Conservatives. After consultations with prominent members of the party and former Prime Minister Churchill, 63-year-old Harold Macmillan was appointed head of government.

In the same year, Elizabeth made her first visits to the United States and Canada as Queen of Canada. She also spoke for the first time at a session of the UN General Assembly. She was present at the opening session of the Canadian Parliament (for the first time in history with the participation of the British monarch). She continued her travels in 1961 when she made visits to Cyprus, the Vatican, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Iran, and Ghana.

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

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

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

Late 1970s - early 1980s There have been a number of assassination attempts on the royal family.. In particular, in 1979, the terrorists of the "Provisional Irish Republican Army" assassinated 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 assassination attempt on 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 and, which would later become a big problem for the royal family, took place.

At this time in 1982, as a result of changes in the Canadian constitution, the British Parliament lost any role in Canadian affairs, but the British Queen still remained the head of the Canadian state. In the same year, the first visit of Pope John Paul II to Great Britain in the last 450 years took place (the Queen, who is the head of the Anglican Church, received him personally).

In 1991, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the US Houses of Congress.

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

In 1996, at the urging of the Queen, a formal divorce was signed between Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

A year later, in 1997, the tragic death of Princess Diana in a car accident in Paris occurred, which shocked not only the royal family, but millions of ordinary Britons. For restraint and the absence of any reaction to the death of the former daughter-in-law, critical remarks immediately rained down on the queen.

In 2002, celebrations were held in honor of the 50th anniversary of Elizabeth II on the British throne (Golden Jubilee). But in the same year, the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, and the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, died.

In 2008, for the first time in history, the Anglican Church, headed by Elizabeth, held a Maundy Thursday service, in which the reigning monarch traditionally participates, outside of England or Wales - in the Cathedral of St. Patrick's in Armagh in 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 by a British monarch to independent Ireland took place. In the same year, the wedding of Prince William (grandson of Elizabeth II) and Catherine Middleton took place.

In 2012, the XXX Olympic Games were held in London, inaugurated by Elizabeth II, and a new law was approved that changes the order of succession, according to which male heirs lose priority over women.

In 2012, the UK and other countries solemnly celebrated the 60th (diamond) anniversary of Elizabeth II on the throne. On June 3, a solemn water parade of more than a thousand ships and boats took place on the Thames. It is believed that this is the most grandiose river procession in history. On June 4, 2012, a concert took place on the square in front of Buckingham Palace with the participation of such stars of British and world music as Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Cliff Richard, Elton John, Grace Jones, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Tom Jones and others. The evening was hosted by Take That lead singer Gary Barlow.

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

The Queen's interests include dog breeding (including Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, and travel. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige of the Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively in her possessions, and also happens in other countries of the world: she has more than 325 foreign visits to her account.

I have been gardening since 2009.

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

Height 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 a visit by Elizabeth in 1939 to the Naval College in Dartmouth, where Philip studied.

Having become the spouse of the princess, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

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

Elizabeth II and Philip Mountbatten

In 1960, the Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, was born. In 1964, she gave birth to her third son, Prince Edward.

Children of Elizabeth II:

Born November 14, 1948. July 29, 1981 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 of royal blood" ("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 from July 23, 1986 - May 30, 1996 (divorced). The couple had two daughters: Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie (Eugenie) of York.

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex- was born on March 10, 1964. He is married to Sophie Rhys-Jones (the wedding took place 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 the Prime Minister), reading annual messages to Parliament, presenting awards, knighting, etc.

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

Throughout her time on the throne, the Queen maintained correct relations with all prime ministers. At the same time, she always remained true to the tradition of the English kings of modern times - to be above political fights. As a constitutional monarch, Elizabeth II should not publicly express her political likes or dislikes. She has always followed this rule by acting in a non-public manner - so 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, with no clear mechanism for electing a leader in the Conservative Party, it was up to the Queen to decide whom to entrust with the formation of a 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 conservative prime minister alive at the time (following the precedent for which, after the resignation of Andrew Bonar Law in 1923, King George V consulted Lord Salisbury's father and former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour).

In 1963, Harold Macmillan himself advised Alec Douglas-Home to be 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 has acted according to the British constitutional tradition that she should not make any important decisions without the advice of her ministers and privy councillors.

In addition, British prime ministers meet with the Queen every week. The Queen is more knowledgeable on most matters than meets the eye. In addition, the Queen has regular meetings with other Commonwealth ministers and premiers when they are in the UK on a visit. Also, during her stay in Scotland, she meets with the First Minister of Scotland. The British Ministry and diplomatic missions send her regular reports.

Although it is customary 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 taken seriously. In her memoirs, she wrote of her weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth: "Anyone who thinks that they [meetings] are a mere formality or social convention are 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 problems and her great experience".

Elizabeth II is actively involved in charity and social activities. The Queen of Britain is a trustee of more than 600 different public and charitable organizations.

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

Financial costs for the queen:

So, according to data from Buckingham Palace, in the 2008-2009 financial year, each Briton spent $ 1.14 on the maintenance of the monarchy, which amounted to $ 68.5 million in total.

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

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

Such figures cause dissatisfaction among the Republican-minded part of the British population, which considers it necessary to cut them.

States whose head was or is Elizabeth II:

Upon accession to the throne in 1952, Elizabeth became queen of seven states: Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon.

During her reign, some of these countries became republics. At the same time, as a result of the process of decolonization, numerous British colonies gained independence. In some of them, the Queen of Great Britain retained the status of head of state, in others she did not.

Abolition of the monarchy in the original possessions of Elizabeth II:

Pakistan - in 1956 (former Dominion of Pakistan)
South Africa - in 1961 (former SA)
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - in 1972 (former 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

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 is celebrated in June with a colorful military parade in central London.
According to the tradition established at the beginning of the 20th century by King Edward VII, the monarch’s birthday is celebrated in Great Britain on one of the Saturdays of June, depending on the weather (the king chose this date because the weather in June cannot spoil the national holiday).

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), as the future queen was named at birth, is from the Windsor dynasty. She is the eldest daughter of the Duke of York George, the future King George VI of Great Britain (1895-1952) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002).

Elizabeth received a good education at home, in addition to the usual school subjects, she was taught the basics of economics, jurisprudence and constitutional law. The curriculum also included lessons in horseback riding, dancing and music. Her mother introduced her to palace etiquette.
After the abdication of her uncle, King Edward VIII, and her father's accession to the throne in December 1936, 10-year-old Elizabeth became heir to the British throne and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace.

In preparation for political life, the future queen began attending constitutional history classes at Eton College.
At the outbreak of war in 1939 they were evacuated to Windsor Palace.
During World War II, Elizabeth insisted that her parents let her enlist in the military. She mastered the profession of a driver in a military transport training center, having received the qualification of a truck driver, learned how to change tires on a truck, disassemble and assemble a motor.
In 1945, Elizabeth worked in the Reserve Women's Territorial Services (Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service), where she ended the war with the rank of junior commander.

Elizabeth's close acquaintance with royal duties began in 1944, when she became a member of the Council of State and began to get involved in business, replacing George VI when he went on a trip to the fronts.
On February 6, 1952, King George VI died of a lung disease, and Elizabeth, who was at that time with her husband on vacation in Kenya, was declared Queen of Great Britain on the same day.
However, the official coronation ceremony of Elizabeth in Westminster Abbey in London took place only a year later, on June 2, 1953.

© Photo: Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonQueen Elizabeth II on her coronation day 2 June 1953. Photo from the exhibition "Royal Photography by Cecil Beaton"

© Photo: Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Since that time, she has been Queen Elizabeth II, head of state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and is also the queen of 15 Commonwealth 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), Head of the Anglican Church, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Lord of the Isle of Man. She was also Queen of South Africa from 29 May 1953 to 31 May 1961. In 1999, Australia put the status of the queen to a referendum, but the Australians chose to keep her nominal status as head of state.

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.

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.

In 2006, Buckingham Palace released 80 fascinating facts from the life of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, thanks to which it became known that the Queen is fond of photography, loves to take pictures of her family members. In 1997, the Queen launched the first ever website of the British monarchy.
Since her youth, Elizabeth II has been a fan of the corgi, a noble hunting breed, several of which constantly accompany her on vacation. The Queen also introduced a new breed of dog, the Dorgi.
The Queen's other passion is horses and horse racing. She is a good rider herself and every year she watches the main competitions with interest, and also breeds horses in her stables.
The Queen speaks fluent French and does not need an interpreter during visits and audiences with representatives of Francophone countries.

Elizabeth is the oldest monarch in the history of Great Britain by age, but the record for the duration of the reign, set by Queen Victoria, who ruled for 63 years and seven months, is still only for her. To do this, she needs to stay on the throne until at least September 9, 2015.

In 2012, in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the famous Big Ben clock tower near the British Parliament building in London was officially.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources