Queen of England and her husband age. Skeletons in the closet of the Queen of England

    Queen Elizabeth II 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

    Elizabeth II Elizabeth II ... Wikipedia

    Elizabeth II Elizabeth II ... Wikipedia

    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

    Below is a list of the monarchs of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, that is, the states that existed or exist in the British Isles, namely: The Kingdom of England (871 1707, including Wales after it ... ... Wikipedia

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    - (אלישבע) Hebrew Other forms: Elisaveta, Elissiv (Old Slavic) Prod. forms: Liza Foreign language analogues: English. Elizabeth, Eliza Arab. اليزابيث‎‎ arm ... Wikipedia

Books

  • , Polyakova A.A. Everyone has heard about the English Queen Elizabeth II, but few people know what kind of person she is, how she lives and what it means to be a queen, especially in our time. This book will provide you…
  • Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. A look at the modern British monarchy, A. A. Polyakova. Everyone has heard about the English Queen Elizabeth II, but few people know what kind of person she is, how she lives and what it means to be a queen, especially in our time. This book will provide you…
  • Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain A look at the modern British monarchy, Polyakova A .. “My impressions of a trip to the UK during the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton led to an understanding that the UK and the monarchy are inseparable. In the Middle Ages, the exclamation "In the name of ...

“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

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 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).

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. Since 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 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).

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 also millions of ordinary Britons. For restraint and the absence of any reaction to the death of the former daughter-in-law, critical remarks immediately 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 that 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 acted according to the British constitutional tradition, according to which she should not take 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 prime ministers 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 is deeply mistaken. In fact, they take place in a calm business atmosphere, and Her Majesty always demonstrates her ability to cover a wide range of issues and her 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


Elizabeth II Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor , Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis. In all of these countries, except the United Kingdom, she is represented by governors-general appointed by her.

In addition, Elizabeth II also rules the British Overseas Territories, but not as their queen, but as the queen of the United Kingdom.

Chairman of the Commonwealth of Nations, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Lord of the Isle of Man, Supreme Steward of the Church of England, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Normandy.

Formally, Elizabeth II is the most powerful monarch in the world.

Place of Birth. Education. Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21, 1926 in the London district of Mayfair at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at Brewton Street, house number 17 in the family of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, the Duchess of York (Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Mother) . Her christening in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace was performed by Cosmo Langa, Archbishop of York on May 29 of that year. The princess' godparents were: George V, Queen Mary, Princess Mary, Earl of Strathmore, Duke of Connaught and Lady Elphinstone. She received her names in honor of her mother, Queen Alesandra - her paternal great-grandmother and Queen Mary - grandmother. In the family, she was called by the affectionate name "Lilibet" (Lilibet).

As the king's granddaughter in the male line, she received the title of British princess and was called - Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York. At the time of her birth, she was third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, the Prince of Wales and her father, the Duke of York, and her younger brother, the Prince of Wales. At that time, no one considered her a future queen.

She grew up surrounded by the love and care of her family. The future queen was educated at home, mainly with a humanitarian focus. Her governess was Marion Crawford, known as "Crawfie". She studied history under S. G. K. Merten of Eton and studied modern languages, especially French. Religious instruction was provided by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Heir to the Throne. On December 11, 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated and Elizabeth's father became king, he took the name George VI. Thus, Princess Elizabeth became the heiress presumptive, and if George VI had a son, he would have inherited the throne.

World War II began when Princess Elizabeth was thirteen years old. She and her younger sister Margaret were evacuated to Windsor. Plans were also being made to evacuate the princesses to Canada, but their mother, Queen Elizabeth, is known to have stated: "Children can't go anywhere without me, I will never leave the king, and the king will never leave his country.! » . At the time, the Princess was organizing pantomimes with the children of the Royal Household staff at Windsor, and in 1940 she made her first radio address during the BBC Children's Hour, in which she addressed evacuated children. At the age of thirteen, she met Philip Mountbatten, a cadet at the Dortmund Naval School, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece, and fell in love with him. They corresponded constantly during his service in the Royal Navy.

In 1945, Elizabeth was able to persuade her father to allow her to make her direct contribution to the victory. She joined the "Auxiliary Territorial Service" - Women's Self-Defense Squads, where she was known as No. 230873 Lieutenant Elizabeth Windsor, and trained as a driver. She was trained as an ambulance driver and received the military rank of lieutenant. Her military service lasted five months. This was the first time in the history of the royal family that a woman served in a military unit.

Elizabeth made her first foreign visit in 1947, when she visited South Africa with her father. In honor of her coming of age, which came when she was 21 years old, she made a radio address to the commonwealth and empire with the words: "I proclaim before you that all my life,be it longorshort, shouldabe dedicatedaserving you and our great imperial seveneto which we all belong".

Ascension to the throne. 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.

Residence. The Queen's official residence is Buckingham Palace, but she reportedly prefers Windsor Castle. In addition, her residences are the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh, Balmoral and Sandringham Palace.

Popularity. Today, the Queen is one of the most popular faces in the UK. According to the latest polls, it is supported by about 80% of citizens. Although Princess Diana's case shook the Queen's popularity and the authority of the monarchy for a while, in the long run, according to public opinion studies, it did not affect her.

Length of reign. From 5:30 pm on September 9, 2015, Elizabeth II became the second longest-reigning monarch in British history. Longer than her, the crown belonged only to Queen Victoria, who ruled the country for 63 years, 226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes from 1837 to 1901.

Visits. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige as the Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively in her possessions, and also happens in other countries of the world.

In February 1961, she visited Turkey at the invitation of President Kemal Gürsel, and later India and Pakistan for the first time. Elizabeth II visited most European countries and many non-European ones. In 2011, she became the first British monarch to visit independent Ireland.

She has more than 325 foreign visits to her credit (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries).

role in government. Formally, the Queen has legislative, executive and judicial power in the states she leads, but in fact her role is rather ceremonial due to the fact that she always acts on the advice of the Cabinet of Ministers, and most often appoints the chairman of the party who wins the election as prime minister. .

British premiers meet with the Queen on a weekly basis, which is taken very seriously. One of the prime ministers even said that he prepares more seriously for meetings with the queen than for parliamentary meetings, because the queen is aware of most issues. In addition, the Queen has regular meetings with other Commonwealth ministers and prime ministers when they are in the UK. Also, during her stay in Scotland, she meets with the First Minister of Scotland. British ministries and diplomatic missions send her regular reports.

Although it is customary that the queen does not interfere in politics, but because 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, Margaret Thatcher wrote about her weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth : “Everyone who thinks that they [meetings] are a mere formality or social convention is deeply mistaken. In fact, they are held in a relaxed business atmosphere, and Her Majesty always demonstrates her ability to cover a wide range of issues and her wide experience.

Awards. Elizabeth II in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries, as well as in other states, is the head of a number of knightly orders, and also has military ranks, numerous honorary titles, academic degrees. In addition, she is a holder of various domestic British awards, as well as a number of various awards from foreign countries.

Interests. From a young age, Elizabeth was interested in horses and was engaged in horseback riding. She has been faithful to this hobby for many decades. The Queen's interests include dog breeding (including Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, and travel. I have been gardening since 2009.

A family. At the age of thirteen, she met Philip Mountbatten, a cadet at the Dortmund Naval School, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece, and fell in love with him. They corresponded constantly during his service in the Royal Navy. On the eve of the wedding with the princess, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh. On 20 November 1947, she married the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip (born Prince of Greece and Denmark), who is her fourth cousin (they are both great-great-grandsons of King Christian IX of Denmark) and he is also a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria.

On November 14, 1948, she gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles. Earlier, by a special open letter, the king granted the right to the children of the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh to be called princes. On August 15, 1950, their second child, Princess Anne, was born.

On February 19, 1960, the Queen's third child was born - Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and on March 10, 1964 - Prince Edward, Earl of Essex.

👁 8.8k (28 per week) ⏱️ 6 min.

For more than 60 years, the invariable symbol of Great Britain and concurrently the ruling queen of this country is Elizabeth II, who has survived many world rulers, upheavals, scandals, and still remains not only a favorite of the British, but also a person who is watched by the whole world.

Childhood of the Queen

Elizabeth Alexandra Maria was born in 1926 on April 21 in one of the houses in London. This event was not loud, because at the birth of a girl, no one even thought that she would become the heir to the throne. Elizabeth II was the granddaughter of the then ruling king, who was supposed to pass the throne to her uncle or father, but not to her. Therefore, there was no excitement around the birth of Lilibet, as she was affectionately called in the family, just another member of the royal family was born.
Elizabeth II was a quiet child. Her favorite pastimes were horse racing and dog breeding. She received an excellent education, as befits a member of the Windsor dynasty. She studied many subjects, but placed special emphasis on jurisprudence, religious studies and art history. Elizabeth was also very interested in the French language.
Edward, Elizabeth's uncle, abdicated in favor of marriage to a twice-divorced woman, and since, as king, he was also the head of the Anglican Church, such a marriage was forbidden to him. The next successor to the throne was Elizabeth's father, Albert Frederick (later King George VI), and suddenly, at the age of 11, the girl became the direct heir to the throne, since she had no brothers. From Kensington, the Elizabeth family moved to Buckingham Palace, and 3 years later the Second World War began. Great Britain was one of the first countries to declare war on the Third Reich, and life in Europe changed dramatically.
Although the main political decisions in the United Kingdom were made by Parliament, the royal family was nevertheless a symbol of the unity of the nation, and it was hard work on her shoulders to maintain the strength of the country's spirit and faith in victory. King George VI regularly visited the troops, and Elizabeth took an active part in this, visited the grenadier regiment in 1943. A couple of months before the end of the war, Elizabeth II joined the army and today is the only ruler in the world who went through the Second World War, besides, she is the only participant in the Second World War who did not retire from the military. In the army, she served as a driver-mechanic of an auxiliary ambulance, listed in the women's self-defense squad. To this day, Queen Elizabeth II holds the rank of lieutenant.

Queen's marriage

In most cases, royals marry and marry those applicants who are beneficial to the country, and not for love. But in the case of Elizabeth II, everything was different, and she, as in a fairy tale, found her love in her youth and defended her marriage to her beloved. Today we can see that this choice was the right one, because the future queen fell in love once and for all her life.
With Philip, her future husband, Elizabeth met at the naval school. Although he was a Greek prince, he could offer nothing but the title and his love to the future queen. And yet, Elizabeth fell in love without memory, wrote letters to him throughout the war, and still defended the right to her love, becoming engaged to the prince. At the age of 21, Elizabeth II got married on November 20, 1947. After the wedding, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh and renounced the title of prince consort that was customary for his position. Born in 1921, the Duke of Edinburgh is still in good health and accompanies the Queen to events. In 1952, the young went to rest in Kenya, and at the same time, Elizabeth's father died. At that moment, she became Queen of Great Britain.
Four children were born in the family of Elizabeth II and Philip. Firstborn Charles (1948) is the heir to the throne, as the eldest son of the Queen. He has a sister Anna (1950) and brothers Andrew (1960) and Edward (1964). Today, the Queen has 8 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, so the royal family is quite extensive.

The first years of the queen's reign

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was watched literally by the whole world, as it was the first such event to use cameras. The 25-year-old ruler ascended the throne by tradition at Westminster Abbey. After the ceremony, the queen, accustomed to traveling, did not leave her habit and visited first of all the member countries of the British Commonwealth. Just in the 50-60s of the last century, these states were granted independence, there were especially many of them in Africa. At the same time, for the first time in history, the British monarch visited New Zealand and Australia, because Elizabeth II is still nominally the queen of these countries. If we talk about the current state of the Commonwealth of Nations, then Elizabeth II is still its permanent head. All organizational issues in the Commonwealth countries are resolved without her participation, she has become only a symbolic figure.
In addition to external affairs, the queen did not forget about the internal issues of the country. She regularly held meetings with representatives of parliament and discussed the pressing affairs of the state. In 1957, the first crisis broke out during the reign of the queen - Anthony Eden, who was then prime minister, resigned, and since the party did not yet have established mechanisms for electing a leader, this issue had to be decided by the queen. At that time, Elizabeth II often consulted with the legendary Winston Churchill, and at his suggestion, the queen proposed a new candidate for prime minister - Harold Macmillan, who was accepted to the post.

Being a queen is not easy at all!

Throughout her long life and long reign, Queen Elizabeth II has experienced many hardships and even scandals. And yet in every situation, with a truly British sense of dignity, she found the right words or actions.
In 1979, Prince Philip's uncle, Louis Mountbatten, was killed, and a radio-controlled bomb was planted in his yacht by terrorists from the Irish Republican Army. On the same day, the radicals decided to deal with the British soldiers, organizing an attack on them. As a result, 18 people died.
After 2 years, the son of Elizabeth II Charles married Diana Spencer. Today we know that this marriage was not for love and ended tragically. Lady Dee, or the Princess of Wales, was a favorite not only of Great Britain, but of the whole world, she led a rich charitable and social life. Even despite the two children, the couple did not find a common language and, according to both, they cheated on each other. For the queen, such behavior was unacceptable, she insisted on the divorce of Charles and Diana, which took place in 1996. In 1997, Lady Dee was in a car accident that became fatal for her. After that, many condemned Queen Elizabeth II for her cold behavior during the days of mourning and after them. Subsequently, Charles married his longtime love, the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker-Bowles.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the Falklands War also took place, ending with the victory of Great Britain and the preservation of the archipelago as part of the United Kingdom.
The Queen was also able to reconcile Catholics and Protestants in her country, because by tradition she is also the head of the Anglican Church. The conciliatory meeting of the Pope and the British Queen, the heads of the two churches, was watched by the whole world.
In 2017, there was the 65th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and this is a whole era.

Monarchy today

The world does not stand still, and the UK is constantly changing. If back in the century before last the power of the monarch was absolute, today all legislative issues are decided by the prime minister and members of parliament, but, again, only with the consent of the queen. “England”, “monarchy”, in the understanding of many, are synonymous words, and not without reason: the queen continues to play a major role in the life of the state - she has the right to declare war or conclude a truce, and it is to her that they take the “oath of allegiance”.