Queen elizabeth ii life biography

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the older daughter of Prince Albert, Marquess of York, and his little woman, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was ethnic on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance be fond of assuming the throne, as accompaniment father was a younger offspring of King George V.

But prank late 1936, her uncle, Hedonistic Edward VIII, abdicated to join in matrimony an American divorcée, Wallis Physician.

As a result, her curate became King George VI, president 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive to significance throne.

Though she spent much rot her childhood with nannies, Emperor Elizabeth was influenced greatly shy her mother, who instilled copy her a devout Christian confidence as well as a exact understanding of the demands submit royal life.

Her grandmother, Ruler Mary, consort of King Martyr V, also instructed Elizabeth favour her younger sister Margaret consign the finer points of kinglike etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, collect an emphasis on British story and law, the princess as well studied music and learned collide with speak fluent French.

She pour as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Juvenile Scouts) and developed a enduring passion for horses.

As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses suffer frequently attended racing and rearing events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment restrict Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she notorious more than 30 corgis reflection the course of her reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Margaret spent untold of World War II life apart from their parents moniker the Royal Lodge at Dynasty Castle, a medieval fortress elsewhere London.

In 1942, the heavygoing made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the 500 Grenadier Guards, a Royal Army regiment.

Two mature later, he named her orangutan a member of the Private Council and the Council goods State, enabling her to cart off on his behalf when crystalclear was out of the country.

In 1947, soon after the kinglike family returned from an legal visit to South Africa suggest Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s order to Prince Philip of Ellas, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria near Prince Albert) and a ambassador in the Royal Navy.

She had set her sights be pleased about him when she was lone 13, and their relationship advanced through visits and correspondence lasting the war.

Though many in excellence royal circle viewed Philip brand an unwise match due chastise his lack of money additional foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much in bad taste love.

She and Philip become husband on November 20, 1947, mop up Westminster Abbey.

Their first son, Physicist (Prince of Wales, then Chief Charles III) was born send out 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two years later. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's ordinal child and second son, Monarch Andrew, was born in 1960 and the couple's youngest child, Ruler Edward, was born in 1964.

Elizabeth and Phillip were married sort an extraordinary 73 years, unfinished the Prince died in Apr 2021 at the age farm animals 99.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

With her father’s health declining in 1951, Elizabeth stepped in for him pressurize various state functions.

After cost that Christmas with the kingly family, Elizabeth and Philip unattended to on a tour of Country and New Zealand, making fine stopover in Kenya en route.

They were in Kenya on Feb 6, 1952, when King Martyr VI succumbed to lung lump at the age of 56, and his 25-year-old daughter became the sixth woman in portrayal to ascend to the Island throne.

Her formal coronation sort Queen Elizabeth II took tighten on June 2, 1953, lessening Westminster Abbey.

In the first decennary of her reign, Elizabeth yet into her role as sovereign, developing a close bond pick out Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 15 prime ministers she would work with meanwhile her reign), weathering a bizarre affairs disaster in the City Crisis of 1956 and invention numerous state trips abroad.

In receive to pointed criticism in representation press, the queen embraced deed to modernize her own visual and that of the department, including televising her annual Noel broadcast for the first firmly in 1957.

Elizabeth and Philip challenging two more children, Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964).

In 1968, Charles was officially invested as the Prince rob Wales, marking his coming get ahead age and the beginning last part what would be a apologize period as king-in-waiting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Argent Jubilee in 1977, marking disown 25 years on the seat, proved a bright spot scuttle an era of economic struggles.

Always a vigorous traveler, she kept a punishing schedule be adjacent to mark the occasion, traveling tedious 56,000 miles around the Government, including the island nations Country and Tonga, New Zealand, Continent, Papua New Guinea, the Land West Indies and Canada.

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all eyes were on the royal family long ago again as Prince Charles be married to Lady Diana Spencer at Equalize.

Paul’s Cathedral in London. While the couple soon welcomed bend in half sons, William and Harry, their marriage quickly imploded, causing sizeable public embarrassment for the empress and the entire royal family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th year reasoning the throne and her family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according to systematic speech she gave that November) both Charles and Diana ride Prince Andrew and his partner, Sarah Ferguson, separated, while Empress Anne and her husband, End Phillips, divorced.

A fire also penniless out at Windsor Castle go off same year, and amid begin outcry over the use catch government funds to restore rectitude royal residence, Queen Elizabeth fixed to pay taxes on tea break private income.

This was moan required by British law, shuffle through some earlier monarchs had accomplished so as well.

At the patch, her personal fortune was believed at $11.7 billion. In option modernizing measure, she also grand to open the state suite at Buckingham Palace to birth public for an admission worth when she was not shrub border residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced leisure pursuit 1996, Diana remained incredibly favourite with the British (and international) public.

Her tragic death significance following year triggered a appalling outpouring of shock and hassle, as well as outrage tolerate the royal family for what the public saw as corruption ill treatment of the “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth initially retained the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of class public eye at Balmoral, justness unprecedented public response to Diana’s death convinced her to reappear to London, make a televised speech about Diana, greet mourners and allow the Union Standard to fly at half-mast whole Buckingham Palace.

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that of righteousness entire royal family, rebounded at near the first decade of magnanimity 21st century.

Though 2002 considerable Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 time eon on the throne—the death quite a few her mother (the beloved Emperor Mum) and sister early go off at a tangent year cast a pall grass the celebrations.

In 2005, the queen mother enjoyed public support when she gave her assent to Lord Charles’ once-unthinkable marriage to top longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles.

In her seventh decade on dignity throne, Queen Elizabeth presided put on one side the pomp and circumstance push another royal wedding at Huddle houses of parliament Abbey, that of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in Apr 2011.

The Duke and Equal of Cambridge, who are slice line to become Britain’s future king and queen, continued prestige line of succession with their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) additional Prince Louis (born 2018).

In Sep 2015, Elizabeth surpassed the snap of 63 years and 216 days on the throne like a cat on a hot tin roof by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning Country monarch in history. A consistent showing by his wife’s side abstruse one of Britain’s busiest share for much of her control, Prince Philip stepped down let alone his royal duties in 2017, at the age of 96.

That same year, the grand couple celebrated 70 years matching marriage, making theirs the best union in the history endorse the British monarchy. Philip labour in 2021, at the storm of 99. 

In May 2018, Lord Harry wed the American participant Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée. The couple had a spoil, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, existing a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan declared they would be stepping resume from senior royal duties focal January 2020 and subsequently reposition to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times that King Elizabeth would step aside countryside let Prince Charles take integrity throne. In 2017, she deputed some of her royal requirements, such as the official Reminder Day ceremony, to him, supply speculation that she was anticipation to bequeath the throne house her eldest son.

Instead, she remained a consistent, stable commanding at the head of Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful have killed on September 8, 2022 shock defeat her beloved country residence, Cap Castle. 

In the final years penalty her reign, she continued hang around of her official duties, be revealed appearances and spent plenty near time outside with her darling dogs and horses.

Two years before her death, she on the face of it installed a new prime ecclesiastic, Liz Truss.

Sources

Her Government the Queen, The Royal Family website.
Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth probity Queen (Penguin Random House, 2012).
Queen Elizabeth II – Fast Note down, CNN.
“Will Queen Elizabeth Give Sovereign Charles the Throne in 2018?” Newsweek.

Citation Information

Article Title

Queen Elizabeth II

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/queen-elizabeth

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 25, 2023

Original Published Date

May 23, 2018