Queen Elizabeth II reading a speech from the throne at the state opening of Parliament, 1958. She is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. In her seventh decade on the throne, Queen Elizabeth presided over the pomp and circumstance of another royal wedding at Westminster Abbey, that of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in April 2011. Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the Queen of the United Kingdom, and the other Commonwealth realms. The Queen has ruled for longer than any other Monarch in British history, becoming a much loved and respected figure across the globe. The Queen has important formal roles in relation to the Government of the UK The Queen and Law The Sovereign today still retains an important symbolic role as the figure in … Though the couple soon welcomed two sons, William and Harry, their marriage quickly imploded, causing considerable public embarrassment for the queen and the entire royal family. The following month she surpassed George III to become the second longest-reigning monarch in British history, behind Victoria. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). She continues to follow much the same schedule as she has for the entirety of her reign, including official work, public appearances and plenty of time outside with her beloved dogs and horses. Elizabeth was grounded in history by C.H.K. At the time, her personal fortune was estimated at $11.7 billion. Elizabeth and Phillip were married for an extraordinary 74 years, until the Prince died in April 2021 at the age of 99. As a result, her father became King George VI, and 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive to the throne. Guests will also be allowed to do a "self-guided garden tour for the first time." When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the elder daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was born on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance of assuming the throne, as her father was a younger son of King George V. But in late 1936, her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry an American divorcée, Wallis Simpson. When ...read more, A well-groomed, staid British family sit around the breakfast table. (From left) Queen Elizabeth, King George VI, Princess Margaret, and Princess Elizabeth, 1939. After her return there was an announcement of her betrothal to her distant cousin Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy, formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Her grandmother, Queen Mary, consort of King George V, also instructed Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret in the finer points of royal etiquette. The criticism intensified following Diana’s death in 1997, especially after Elizabeth initially refused to allow the national flag to fly at half-staff over Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth II at the State Opening of Parliament in 2014. Also in May, Elizabeth made a historic trip to Ireland, becoming both the first British monarch to visit the Irish republic and the first to set foot in Ireland since 1911. The queen’s popularity, and that of the entire royal family, rebounded during the first decade of the 21st century. Elizabeth's Family. The princess’s education was supervised by her mother, who entrusted Elizabeth and her sister to a governess, Marion Crawford. Philip was born into the Greek royal family in 1921, but was educated and had a naval career in Britain. The patron of hundreds of charities, Elizabeth II believes that giving … The Queen's Christmas Message 2001. In her 65-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II has answered more than 3.5 million … London (CNN) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has been pictured riding on horseback in Windsor, west of London, in her first public appearance since … With her father’s health declining in 1951, Elizabeth stepped in for him at various state functions. Though 2002 marked Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 years on the throne—the death of her mother (the beloved Queen Mum) and sister early that year cast a pall on the celebrations. Though she spent much of her childhood with nannies, Princess Elizabeth was influenced greatly by her mother, who instilled in her a devout Christian faith as well as a keen understanding of the demands of royal life. In the meantime, Elizabeth began to reduce her own official engagements, passing some duties on to Prince Charles and other senior members of the royal family, though the pool of stand-ins shrank when Charles’s younger son, Prince Harry, duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan, duchess of Sussex, controversially chose to give up their royal roles in March 2020. In August 2017 Prince Philip officially retired from public life, though he periodically appeared at official engagements after that. The marriage took place in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926, in London. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew attend the Badminton Horse Trials in 1973. She was the last of the House of Hanover and gave her name to an era, the Victorian Age. Queen Elizabeth II had showdown talks with the couple after their decision to step back from royal duties in January. But in the summer, after she had moved from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace, she undertook the routine duties of the sovereign and carried out her first state opening of Parliament on November 4, 1952. A small plane crash in Georgia killed … In April 2011 Elizabeth led the family in celebrating the wedding of Prince William of Wales—the elder son of Charles and Diana—and Catherine Middleton. The husband of Queen Elizabeth II had recently returned to Windsor Castle after the longest hospitalization of his life. The Princess Elizabeth became an honorary colonel of the Grenadier Guards regiment in 1942. A consistent presence by his wife’s side and one of Britain’s busiest royals for much of her reign, Prince Philip stepped down from his royal duties in 2017, at the age of 96. Queen Elizabeth II – Fast Facts, CNN. They took residence at Clarence House in London. Princess Elizabeth was christened in a lace gown originally worn by Queen Elizabeth I. As the child of a younger son of King George V, the young Elizabeth had little prospect of acceding to the throne until her uncle, Edward VIII (afterward duke of Windsor), abdicated in her father’s favour on December 11, 1936, at which time her father became King George VI and she became heir presumptive. This was not required by British law, though some earlier monarchs had done so as well. The surname Windsor proudly retained by Queen Elizabeth II was first assumed by the British royals during World War I. Grab a copy of our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! Her Majesty's jewelry box is unmatched. Since all British passports are issued in the queen’s name, she herself doesn’t need one. Prince Philip, The Husband Of Queen Elizabeth II, Has Died At 99. Their first son, Charles (Prince of Wales) was born in 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two years later. Elizabeth and her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark (June 10, … She is also a descendant of Queen Victoria. In line with her earlier attempts at modernizing the monarchy, the queen subsequently sought to present a less-stuffy and less-traditional image of the monarchy. Elizabeth II in her coronation robes, photograph by Cecil Beaton, 1953. Omissions? Extremely popular for nearly all of her long reign, the queen is known for taking a serious interest in government and political affairs, apart from her ceremonial duties, and is credited with modernizing many aspects of the monarchy. Corrections? In the first decade of her reign, Elizabeth settled into her role as queen, developing a close bond with Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 13 prime ministers she would work with during her reign), weathering a foreign affairs disaster in the Suez Crisis of 1956 and making numerous state trips abroad. She and Philip wed on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey. Learn more about how Elizabeth II became queen of the United Kingdom. Though many in the royal circle viewed Philip as an unwise match due to his lack of money and foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much in love. They were in Kenya on February 6, 1952, when King George VI succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 56, and his 25-year-old daughter became the sixth woman in history to ascend to the British throne. LONDON — Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband and the longest-serving consort of any British monarch, has died at age 99. She became queen on … In 2015 she surpassed Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as QE2, is a retired British ocean liner converted into a floating hotel. Marten, afterward provost of Eton College, and had instruction from visiting teachers in music and languages. Born in 1926, Elizabeth was the daughter of King George V’s second son, and had little expectation of succeeding to the throne until her uncle, King Edward VIII, ...read more, She’s one of the most iconic figures in world history: a queen whose reign has outlasted all other British monarchs and most other world leaders, too. Host 1 Credit. Educated by private tutors, with an emphasis on British history and law, the princess also studied music and learned to speak fluent French. During her reign the English monarchy took on its modern ...read more, The crown can be a heavy burden to bear, and the 1960s and 70s were challenging decades for Queen Elizabeth. Her extensive family includes several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Though Queen Elizabeth initially kept the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of the public eye at Balmoral, the unprecedented public response to Diana’s death convinced her to return to London, make a televised speech about Diana, greet mourners and allow the Union Jack to fly at half-mast above Buckingham Palace. Though rumors have swirled at various times that Queen Elizabeth would step aside and let Prince Charles take the throne—in 2017, she delegated some of her royal obligations, such as the official Remembrance Day ceremony, to her eldest son, fueling speculation that she was preparing to give him the throne—many royal experts doubt she will ever abdicate, and she remains a consistent, stable presence at the head of Britain’s reigning family. The princess’s education was supervised by her mother, who entrusted her daughters to a governess, Marion Crawford; the princess was also grounded in history by C.H.K. Prolific Correspondence. This article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt, Manager, Geography and History. In addition, as the country struggled with a recession, resentment over the royals’ lifestyle mounted, and in 1992 Elizabeth, although personally exempt, agreed to pay taxes on her private income. Her formal coronation as Queen Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, wait for the carriage carrying Princess Eugenie of York and husband Jack Brooksbank after their … Elizabeth, now queen, at once flew back to England. Always a vigorous traveler, she kept a punishing schedule to mark the occasion, traveling some 56,000 miles around the Commonwealth, including the island nations Fiji and Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, the British West Indies and Canada. Sir Gerald Wollaston reading the official proclamation of Elizabeth being queen of England, February 8, 1952. Queen ...read more, Philip Mountbatten married then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and the pair's marriage is longer than any other royal union in history. Queen Elizabeth II through the years 69 photos. When she married Prince Charles in 1981, Lady Diana Spencer became the first ...read more, Victoria (1819-1901) was queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837–1901) and empress of India (1876–1901). In 1992, a year that Elizabeth referred to as the royal family’s annus horribilis, Prince Charles and his wife, Diana, princess of Wales, separated, as did Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, duchess of York. Her coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the elder daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was born on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance of assuming the throne, as her father was a younger son of King George V. But in late 1936, her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry an American divorcée, Wallis Simpson. In the summer of 1951 the health of King George VI entered into a serious decline, and Princess Elizabeth represented him at the Trooping the Colour and on various other state occasions. From tabloid coverage of Princess Margaret’s affair to Prince Charles’s affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, the royal family entered the spotlight like never before. Elizabeth was the elder daughter of Prince Albert, duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Marten, afterward provost of Eton College, and had instruction from visiting teachers in music and languages. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne at just 25 years old in 1952 is certainly a fascinating story.Now one of the more compelling parts is back in … The first three months of her reign, the period of full mourning for her father, were passed in comparative seclusion. During her “Silver Jubilee” in 1977, she presided at a London banquet attended by the leaders of the 36 members of the Commonwealth, traveled all over Britain and Northern Ireland, and toured overseas in the South Pacific and Australia, in Canada, and in the Caribbean. 1. Elizabeth II, in full Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, officially Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, (born April 21, 1926, London, England), queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from February 6, 1952. Despite the risks, Elizabeth eventually joined … The celebrations were somewhat diminished by the deaths of Elizabeth’s mother and sister early in the year. December 18, 2012-Queen Elizabeth II attends a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing St, marking the end of the celebration of her Diamond Jubilee. In 1947, soon after the royal family returned from an official visit to South Africa and Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s engagement to Prince Philip of Greece, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) and a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 2016. The prince was a central figure in British public life for almost three-quarters of a century. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926 in 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London, England as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor (Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York). In another modernizing measure, she also agreed to open the state rooms at Buckingham Palace to the public for an admission fee when she was not in residence. Privately, she became a keen horsewoman; she keeps racehorses, frequently attends races, and periodically visits the Kentucky stud farms in the United States. Elizabeth II is the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Queen Elizabeth II's Most Glamorous Jewels and Tiaras. During World War II she and her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, perforce spent much of their time safely away from the London blitz and separated from their parents, living mostly at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and at the Royal Lodge, Windsor, and Windsor Castle. Elizabeth was born into royalty as the daughter of the second son of King George V. After her uncle Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 (subsequently becoming duke of Windsor), her father became King George VI, and she became heir presumptive. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-II, Vision - Queen Elizabeth II: Duty Comes First, The Home of the Royal Family - Her Majesty The Queen, Government of Canada - Canadian Heritage - Biography of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, The Canadian Encyclopedia - Biography of Queen Elizabeth II, Elizabeth II - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Elizabeth II - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Discover how Elizabeth II became queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth, King George VI, Princess Margaret, and Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth II: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Elizabeth II and Catherine, duchess of Cambridge. Had done so as well James BuzzFeed News Reporter Richard James BuzzFeed Reporter... 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