Bruno color. Modern masters of photography. Bruno Barbey

05.03.2020

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth II) Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - since February 6, 1952
Coronation: June 2, 1953
Predecessor: George VI
Heir apparent: Charles, Prince of Wales
Head of the Commonwealth of Nations
Religion: Anglicanism
Birth: 21 April 1926
London, Great Britain
Genus: Windsor dynasty
Birth name: Elizabeth Alexandra Maria
Father: George VI
Mother: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Spouse: Philip Mountbatten

biography of queen elizabeth 2

Elizabeth II(eng. Elizabeth II), full name - Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (eng. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; April 21, 1926, London) - Queen of Great Britain from 1952 to the present.
Elizabeth II descended 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, 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.

Elizabeth II- 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 oldest female head of state in the world.
For the reign Elizabeth a very wide period of British history falls out: 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.

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.

Childhood and youth of Elizabeth II
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); mother - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1961).
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 name of the girl 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.

Elizabeth received a good education at home, mostly in the humanities - she studied the history of the constitution, law, religious studies, art history, and also (actually independently) French. 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.
At birth Elizabeth became the Duchess 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 just a few 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. At the same time, she remained in the role of "heir presumptive" ("supposed heir") (English) Russian, 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.

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.

That same year, 21-year-old Elizabeth married 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten, a British navy officer, member of the Greek and Danish royal families, and great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. They met in 1934, and fell in love, it is believed, after Elizabeth visited the Naval College in Dartmouth, where Philip studied, in 1939. 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, Prince Charles, was born to Elizabeth and Philip. And on August 15, 1950, the daughter is Princess Anna.

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain
Coronation and beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II
King George VI, father Elizabeth, 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.

The second half of the 1950s - the beginning of the 1990s
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. In the same year, she 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.
Meeting of Elizabeth II with the heads of the Commonwealth countries in 1960
In 1960, the Queen had a second son, Prince Andrew, and in 1964, a third son, Prince Edward.
In 1963, following the resignation of Prime Minister Macmillan, on his advice, Elizabeth appointed Alexander Douglas-Home as prime minister.
In 1974, a political crisis began to brew after parliamentary elections, in which none of the parties received a majority of votes. Although the Conservative Party turned out to be the largest party in Parliament, Labor leader Harold Wilson was appointed Prime Minister. A year later, a political crisis also occurred in Australia (English) Russian, during which Elizabeth II refused to cancel the decision of the governor general to resign the country's prime minister.

In 1976 Elizabeth II solemnly opened (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.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a number of assassination attempts were made on the royal family. In particular, in 1979, the terrorists of the "Provisional Irish Republican Army" assassinated the uncle of Prince Philip, an influential statesman and military leader, Lord Louis Mountbatten. And in 1981, there was an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Elizabeth II 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 Diana Spencer took place, which would later become a big problem for the royal family.

Elizabeth II walking near Windsor Castle with Ronald Reagan (1982)
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.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Queen Elizabeth II. London. 2010
Elizabeth II and the Obamas.

Early 1990s - 2000s in the life of Elizabeth II

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 duty for the Queen to pay income tax was introduced, and funding for the royal court was noticeably reduced.
In 1994, Elizabeth II visited Russia. This was the first visit of the head of the British royal house to Russian state throughout the history of bilateral relations dating back to 1553.
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 Church of England, led by Elizabeth, held a Maundy Thursday service, traditionally attended by the reigning monarch, outside of England or Wales, at St. Patrick's in Armagh in Northern Ireland.

Modernity
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 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 the same year, the 60th (“diamond”) anniversary of Elizabeth II on the throne was solemnly celebrated in Great Britain and other countries. The culmination of the festive events was the weekend of June 3-4, 2012:
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.

Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (2013)
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 at the summit will be represented by Prince Charles, which indicates the gradual transfer of powers of Elizabeth to her son.

In the same year, the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth II was celebrated in Great Britain, but on a smaller scale.

Role in political and public life
In accordance with the British tradition of a constitutional 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. The Queen also looks through the main British newspapers daily and answers with the help of servants for some letters, which are sent to her in huge quantities (200-300 pieces daily).

Elizabeth II is also actively involved in charity work. She is a trustee of over 600 different public and charities.

Main article: Royal prerogatives
In addition to duties, Elizabeth II also has certain inalienable rights, like a monarch (royal prerogatives), which, however, are quite formal. For example, she can dissolve the parliament, reject the candidacy of the prime minister (which seems unsuitable to her), etc.
Financial expenses
Certain funds are spent on the maintenance of the queen from the so-called civil list, which is controlled by the government.

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.
But, 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.

Family and Children
On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (born June 10, 1921), the son of the Greek Prince Andrew, who received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
Four children were born in their family:
Name Date of birth Marriage Children Grandchildren
Prince Charles,
Prince of Wales 14 November 1948 Lady Diana Spencer 29 July 1981
(divorced: 28 August 1996) Prince William, Duke of Cambridge Prince George of Cambridge
Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales
Camille Shand April 9, 2005
Princess Anna,
"Princess Royal" August 15, 1950 Mark Phillips November 14, 1973
(divorced: April 28, 1992) Peter Phillips Savannah Phillips

Isla Elizabeth Phillips
Zara Phillips
Timothy Lawrence December 12, 1992
Prince Andrew
Duke of York 19 February 1960 Sarah Ferguson 23 July 1986
(divorced: 30 May 1996) Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Eugenie (Eugenie) of York
Prince Edward
Earl of Wessex 10 March 1964 Sophie Rhys-Jones 19 June 1999 Lady Louise Windsor
James, Viscount Severn
Official titles, awards and coat of arms

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 that recognize 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 (English) Russian, 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 is in the following way: "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, 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".
States whose head was or is Elizabeth II
Member countries of the Commonwealth are marked on the map (Fiji membership is suspended)

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 South Africa).
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - in 1972 (former Dominion of Ceylon).

Blue indicates states that retain the monarchy

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

Awards
Main article: Titles and honors of Elizabeth II

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.

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

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).

Criticism

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.

Hobbies and personal life
Map of visits by Elizabeth II different countries peace

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 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.
Memory
In culture
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

In honor of the queen, Elizabeth Avenue is named next to the espalana in Singapore.
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

Statue of Elizabeth II in Ottawa, Parliament Hill, Canada

Statue in Regina, Saskatchewan, erected in 2005

Statue in Windsor Great Park

In botany

In honor of Elizabeth II, the rose variety Rosa "Queen Elizabeth" was named.
On coins and in philately

Coins and postage stamps

On a Canadian stamp, 1953

On an Australian coronation stamp

On a Northern Ireland stamp, 1958

On a 1953 coin

On a South African coin, 1958

Coin with Elizabeth 1961

In geography

The name of Elizabeth II was repeatedly assigned to various territories, among them:
Princess Elizabeth Land in Antarctica
Queen Elizabeth Land in Antarctica
Queen Elizabeth Islands in Canada

The form of government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been a parliamentary monarchy for several centuries. Queen Elizabeth 2 has been on the throne since February 6, 1952. This name is associated with the greatness and power of the country. But what is the true role of Elizabeth in government and why are the British so proud of their permanent ruler?

On April 21, 1926, Prince Albert, Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon had a daughter, the future Queen of England. In London, where the family lived, a memorial plaque was installed on Brewton Street. The heiress was christened Elizabeth (in honor of her mother) Alexandra (in honor of her great-grandmother) Maria (in honor of her grandmother). The British monarch belongs to the Windsor dynasty.

Prince Albert, Elizabeth's father, second in line to the throne, became King George VI after his elder brother Edward VIII abdicated. Thus, Elizabeth acquired the status of "heir presumptive" ("supposed heir"). This means that if later the king had a son, then the throne would belong only to him.

In 1947, the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain with Philip Mountbatten, an officer of the British Navy, a native of the Greek and Danish royal families, is significant. The great-great-grandson of the British Queen Victoria and the Russian Emperor Nicholas I, in order to marry Elizabeth, Philip had to become a naturalized citizen of Great Britain, change Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, and give up such titles as “Prince of Denmark” and “Prince of Greece”. For all this, George VI honored him with the title Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich.

George VI died on February 6, 1952. At this time, Elizabeth and her husband were just on a journey. Princess Elizabeth returned from Kenya as queen. The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II, which took place on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey, was broadcast on television for the first time, and photos were published in all newspapers. The first to take the oath of allegiance to the new queen was her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen has four children: three princes - Charles, Andrew, Edward and Princess Anne, all of them in the photo below.

Formal government

Today, Queen Elizabeth performs two important functions - she rules the state and the nation. As head of state, she performs such duties as participating in the annual opening ceremony of Parliament, weekly meetings with prime ministers, receiving foreign ambassadors and delegations, making official visits to foreign countries to maintain her country's diplomatic and economic relations with others.

Most of the official powers of the monarch or the so-called "royal prerogatives" Queen Elizabeth of England performs only nominally, after a preliminary meeting with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers - persons responsible to the House of Commons of Parliament. In practice, most of the prerogatives are exercised by British Cabinet ministers.

The Prime Minister is formally appointed by the monarch (the “kiss of hands” ceremony), but in reality he is the head of the party who won the elections to Parliament. If none of the parties receives a majority, Queen Elizabeth has the right to appoint the prime minister herself. She took advantage of this opportunity only once, appointing Harold Wilson to the post of Labor Prime Minister in 1974.

The monarch can use the right (on the advice of the prime minister) to issue a decree on the resignation of either ministers or the entire Cabinet (but British kings never use this prerogative). All laws considered by Parliament are made in the name of the monarch and take effect only after his formal approval. Also, the monarch has the formal right to convene, dissolve the Parliament, and prolong its action. But in reality, the Parliament, as stated in the Parliament Act of 1911, is elected for a term of 5 years and is dissolved automatically at the end of this term.

They take an oath of allegiance to the king, passports are issued on his behalf to the British, the name of the country's anthem also speaks of the importance and reverence of the monarch - "God save the Queen." The Queen is depicted on banknotes, coins and postage stamps. As the head of the Royal Armed Forces, and has the formal right to wage war or conclude a peace agreement, ratify agreements and conclude treaties of international importance. Despite their venerable age, the royal family continues to perform their official duties.

The monarch in England is the Source of justice, therefore he appoints judges, the Source of honor, therefore he appoints (not without the participation of the Prime Minister) peers, awards various orders, knighthoods and many other honors. While heading the Church of England, the monarch also appoints (again at the suggestion of the prime minister) archbishops and bishops.

Since 1760, the maintenance of the royal family has been financed according to the Civil List. That is, the income from the Crown Estate (royal inheritance) goes to the UK budget, and then allocated to the needs of the royal family. Even the monarch formally owns his estate, since it cannot be sold, but only transferred to the heir to the throne. The earldom of Lancastershire is formally held by the current monarch. Income from it goes to replenish the "personal purse" of the ruler and is spent on needs, according to tradition, not recorded in the Civil List.

Pride of the Nation

The public life of the future queen of England as a monarch began in the 40s. For the first time, she spoke on the radio to the children of England, who suffered from the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1943, she officially appeared in public, meeting with the Guards Grenadiers. Later, Elizabeth was included in the list of five persons who were allowed to perform the functions of the monarch in the event that something happened to her father. And in the year of the Great Victory, the future monarch received the military rank of lieutenant and a working specialty - a driver of a Red Cross car.

As Head of the Nation, Queen Elizabeth II performs an important function of cultural and social significance, ensuring national identity, symbolizing the unity and pride of the nation. It gives the people of the UK a sense of stability and confidence in the future. The ruler of England constantly visits various parts of the United Kingdom. The presence of the Queen is obligatory at solemn ceremonies dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of those who died in wars, at major sporting events.

Many remember the opening of the London Olympics in 2012 when the Queen appeared in a video with James Bond. The Summer Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, which took place in 1976, were also opened by her as head of state of Canada. Thousands of congratulatory messages for subjects are sent out by the royal office, they are addressed to those who celebrate the centenary and wedding anniversary (60 years). Every year on Christmas Day, Queen Elizabeth II addresses her subjects with a speech.

Do you know that…

The queen does not have a passport. The British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, but she cannot issue it to herself. All other members of the royal family, including the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, hold British passports.

Queen Elizabeth II is the only person in the country who is allowed to drive a car without a driver's license and registration number.

Other official and unofficial titles of the queen: "kotuku" - "white heron" (in the Maori language), "Mrs. Quin" (in the pidgin language in Papua New Guinea). In the Isle of Man she is the Empress of Maine, in the Channel Islands she is the Duchess of Normandy, and in the Duchy of Lancaster she is the Duchess of Lancaster.

Do you know how many thrones Queen Elizabeth II has? There are 9 in total. One is located in the House of Lords, 2 in Westminster Abbey and 6 more are located in Buckingham Palace.

The queen should be above political battles, not publicly expressing her political views and communicating with all the prime ministers of the state with the utmost correctness. This also applies to members of the royal family, so their political views always remain unknown.

Queen Elizabeth II is patron of over 620 charities.

Since William the Conqueror, Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's 40th monarch.

The British Queen has had over 30 Corgis. She received her first dog of this breed, named Susan, as a gift for 18 years. All other pets are descendants of the beloved Susan. The queen unwittingly became the creator of a new breed of dog - the dorgi, which was the result of mixing her corgi with Princess Margaret's dachshund.

In 1976, Queen Elizabeth II sent her first email, and in 1997, the first official royal website was created.

Queen Elizabeth II is also a major employer: about 1,200 people work in royal residences (from kitchen workers to personal secretaries).

Over 3 million letters were received by the Queen of England during her entire reign.

At the moment, Queen Elizabeth II continues to be one of the main symbols of England and the whole of Great Britain. Being in power for more than 65 years, she reliably strengthened the authority of the British monarchy, and also became a real role model and a source of pride for millions of Britons.

He is the oldest current head of state in the world.

The reign of Elizabeth II covered a very wide period of British and world history. 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. Under Elizabeth II, Britain entered and left the European Union. Among other events of this period, it is worth noting the Falklands War, the participation of Great Britain in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under these conditions, Elizabeth II was able to maintain the prestige and popularity of the British monarchy.

Elizabeth received a good education at home, mostly in the humanities - she studied the history of the constitution, jurisprudence, religious studies, art history, and also (virtually independently) French. From a young age, Elizabeth was interested in horses and practiced 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 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 January 1936. Prince Albert (George VI) became king, and 10-year-old Elizabeth became heir to the throne and moved with her parents from Kensington Palace to Buckingham Palace. At the same time, she remained in the status of "heir presumptive" ("supposed heir"), and if George VI had a son, he would have inherited the throne.

“I want to make one statement now. Very simple. I declare before you all that my whole life, whether long or short, will be dedicated to serving you and that great empire to which we all belong."

In May 1948, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip made their first official visit abroad, to Paris.

In early 1952, Princess Elizabeth and Philip went on a visit to the Commonwealth countries, which was interrupted by the death of the king.

On April 24, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II granted British Prime Minister Winston Churchill membership in the Knight's Order of the Garter, which gave him the right to the title "sir".

After that, in November 1953 - May 1954. the queen undertook a six-month tour of the Commonwealth states, British colonies, and elsewhere in the world. Elizabeth II became the first monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand. In addition, she visited Fiji, Tonga, Bermuda, Jamaica, Panama, Cocos Islands, Ceylon, Yemen (Aden), Uganda, Libya, Malta and Gibraltar, having traveled 43,618 kilometers.

November 22 - December 8, 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, the XVI Olympic Games were held, which were opened by the husband of Elizabeth II, Prince Philip.

Queen Elizabeth II, Duke of Edinburgh Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne in October 1957

In May 1957, the Queen received the former First Lady and widow of the 32nd US President Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, at Buckingham Palace.

In October of the same year, Elizabeth made her first visits to the United States and Canada as Queen of Canada. During these visits, she spoke at a session of the UN General Assembly, met with the current US President Dwight Eisenhower and former US President Herbert Hoover (was US President in 1929-1933), and also attended the opening of the 23rd session of the Canadian Parliament (for the first time in history with the participation of the British monarch).

On December 25, 1957, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to congratulate subjects on Christmas on television (since 1932, monarchs have congratulated subjects on the radio).

In 1958, Elizabeth II was the first in the UK to make a trunking call (automatic distribution of communication channels between subscribers).

On June 5, 1961, Elizabeth II received the Kennedy couple at Buckingham Palace - US President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline.

On July 15, 1961, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain received the first cosmonaut in the world, Yuri Gagarin, at Buckingham Palace. In honor of him, a luncheon was arranged, which was attended by the Queen herself, her husband Philip and their children - Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew (he was only one year old at that time), as well as Prince Philip's uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten and the Queen's sister Princess Margaret.

In July 1976, Elizabeth II solemnly opened (as Queen of Canada) XXI Olympic Games in Montreal, and even before their opening, she went on a visit to the United States, where she met with American President Gerald Ford and took part in the celebration of the 200th anniversary of US independence.

In May 1977, Elizabeth II received US President Jimmy Carter at Buckingham Palace.

On June 8, 1982, the Queen received US President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy at Windsor Castle.

In October 1986, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip paid an official visit to socialist China, where they met with the country's leader Deng Xiaoping. This was the first visit to China by a British monarch.

In November 1992, Elizabeth II received Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin in London.

On October 17-20, 1994, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain visited Russia on her only state visit. During the visit, the Queen of Great Britain visited such historical and cultural places of Moscow and St. Petersburg as the State Hermitage Museum, leaving an entry in the book of honored guests of the museum, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Moscow classical gymnasium No. 20, the Moscow Kremlin, Red Square, the center for the rehabilitation of children - Disabled Research Institute of Prosthetics. G. Albrecht, Bolshoi Theater, and also opened a memorial stone at the construction site of the new building of the British Embassy in Moscow.

In the same year, the Queen visited the British Mosque for the first time - the Islamic center in Scunthorpe (Lincolnshire). In addition, Elizabeth II became the first member of the royal family to receive a gold disc: the recording of the “Party in the Palace” concert, arranged in honor of the 50th anniversary of her reign, sold 100,000 copies.

On November 20, 2007, Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a diamond wedding (60 years), and on December 20 of the same year, the Queen became the oldest British monarch in history, overtaking her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria (1819-1901).

In October 2011, the Queen paid an official visit to Australia.

On December 25, 2012, the Queen's Christmas speech was televised, broadcast for the first time in 3D.

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 testifies to the gradual transfer of Elizabeth's powers to her son.

On September 9, 2015, Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning ruler of Britain in its history.

In April 2016, the Queen's 90th birthday was solemnly celebrated in the UK. In honor of this, Elizabeth II sent her message on Twitter to those who congratulated her on her birthday.

In February 2017, the Sapphire Jubilee was celebrated in Britain, which marked the 65th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II. To this date, the Royal Mint issued a series of coins with the Queen's profile into circulation.

On November 20, 2017, Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip became the first royal couple to celebrate their 70th platinum wedding anniversary.

On April 20, 2018, Commonwealth leaders announced that the Queen's successor as head of the Commonwealth would be her son, Prince Charles.

On May 19, 2018, the wedding of Prince Harry (the second grandson of Elizabeth II) and Meghan Markle took place in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

June 2, 2018 marks the 65th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. By this date, a commemorative investment gold coin of 10 pounds was put into circulation, on both sides of which the profile of the queen is depicted. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had their first child - Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, who became the eighth great-grandson of Elizabeth II and Prince Consort Philip.

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, and more. 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). At the same time, there is a practice that every day several letters are selected at random and read to the queen, and in this case she personally dictates the answers to them. In addition, there are other forms of communication between the queen and her subjects. For example, since 1956, small informal dinners of the queen and her spouse with prominent people have been practiced (usually 6-8 guests and 2 courtiers are present). In general, under Elizabeth, the forms of communication between the monarch and his subjects became much more diverse than under her predecessors, which was facilitated by the development information technologies. It was under her that the British monarchy acquired pages on Facebook. If the mandatory weekly meeting cannot take place, then the Queen and the Prime Minister communicate over a dedicated telephone line protected from eavesdropping.

Apparently, these meetings play a prominent role in the decision-making process. In her memoirs, Margaret Thatcher 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 relaxed business atmosphere, and Her Majesty always demonstrates her ability to cover a wide range of issues and her wide experience.

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. British ministries and diplomatic missions send her regular reports.

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 carried out this rule, acting not in public - therefore 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 to Winston Churchill for advice, as the only Conservative prime minister alive at the time (following the precedent followed by the resignation of Andrew Bonar Law in 1923 by King George V consulted Lord Salisbury's father and former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour). In 1963, Harold Macmillan himself advised the appointment of Alec Douglas-Home as 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.

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.

Also, 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 reject the candidacy of the prime minister (which seems unsuitable to her) and so on. These prerogatives are not always a mere formality. For example, the prerogative "the right to consult, the right to encourage and warn" is expressed in the fact that Elizabeth receives a number of documents for study, which the Privy Council collects for her. These papers are brought to the palace daily at 7 pm in red boxes, after which the monarch quickly looks through them, underlining in red what he did not like or is incomprehensible, since these documents are taken away at 8 o'clock the next morning. The Queen's remarks are usually heeded. In addition, the Queen receives reports from 15 Commonwealth countries, which she meets and sends back.

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

Supporters of the preservation of the monarchy point out that these expenses generate a large profit in the form of tourist income, which is attracted by the ceremonials of the British monarchy. In 2011, British Chancellor of the Exchequer J. Osborne said that the monarchy annually brings more than £500 million to the state budget).

Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, 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

During the reign of Elizabeth II, in all countries that recognize the British monarch as their head of state, laws were passed according to which (English), regardless of their titles proper in the UK 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".

Newly independent states that abandoned the monarchy some time later:

Elizabeth II in Great Britain and Commonwealth countries, as well as in other states. In addition, she is a holder of various domestic British awards, as well as a number of various awards from foreign countries.

Despite active communication with subjects, Elizabeth strictly observes royal ceremonial. For example, the queen does not like to be touched first. It was noted that when visiting hospitals, exhibitions and other official events, Elizabeth was very polite, but she never took off her gloves and did not touch anyone. Even at regular tea parties in the park of Buckingham Palace, the Queen and her family members have a separate tent, where only especially important guests are allowed. A certain alienation of the queen from other people is observed when she communicates with the press. Despite the fact that under Elizabeth II, communication between the monarch and his subjects increased dramatically, the queen herself did not give a single interview during her entire reign. The queen sometimes does not forgive violations of the protocol even to the heads of other states. For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his state visit to the UK in 2003, was 12 minutes late for a meeting with the Queen. In response, Elizabeth II came to Putin's farewell with a delay of exactly 12 minutes. In Scotland, the royal standard and the procedure for raising it was changed with the consent of Elizabeth II and brought into line with the Lyon King of Arms Act 1672, which was enshrined in a regulation adopted by the Scottish government in April 2010.

The majority of Britons positively assess the institution of a constitutional monarchy. According to a 2012 survey, approximately 69% believe that the country would be worse off without a 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:

Among the queen's interests is breeding dogs (among them corgis (see the article royal corgi), Olympic Stadium. On April 5, 2013, the queen was awarded the BAFTA award for this role, for the best performance of the role

November 29, 2010, 20:44

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). Her grandparents: George V (1865-1936), King of Great Britain and Queen Mary (1867-1953), Princess of Teck, - paternal, Claude George Bowes-Lyon (1855-1944), Earl of Strathmore and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1961), - by mother. Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York was born at the Earl of Strathmore's residence at No. 17 Brewton Street. Now the Mayfair area has been redeveloped and the house no longer exists, but a memorial plaque has been erected on this site. 1926 Princess Elizabeth shortly after birth The princess was third in the line of succession after her uncle, the Prince of Wales, who was not yet married, and her father. She got her name in honor of her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. 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 name of the girl 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 29 in the chapel of Buckingham Palace, later destroyed during the war years. 1928
1929 After the abdication of her uncle Edward VIII and her father's accession to the throne in December 1936, 10-year-old Elizabeth became the heiress and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace. Photo of the thirties:
1934 Elizabeth turned eight With sister Margaret With parents Princess Elizabeth with sister Margaret and parents George VI and Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth mother and daughters The future queen grew up in an atmosphere of love and care. She received a good education at home, mainly in the humanities. As a child, she was very inquisitive. She was especially interested in horses. She has been faithful to this hobby for many decades. With sister Margaret During World War II, Princess Elizabeth worked as an ambulance driver as a subaltern, as the royal family was required to work for the country's defense. 1942 Elizabeth Alexandra Mary and Margaret Rose Windsor. 1946 In 1934, at the wedding of the Greek Princess Marina (Philip's cousin) and the Duke of Kent (Elizabeth's uncle), Princess Elizabeth met Prince Philip, a cadet at the Dortmouth Naval Academy, son of Prince Andrew of Greece, great-great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. In 1947, they got married, becoming the husband of Elizabeth, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen's wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell. The fabric for the dress was created by Winterthur Silks Limited, Dunfermline, Canmore factory. Manufacturers used Chinese silkworm threads brought to Lullingstone Castle. On February 6, 1952, after the death of her father, Elizabeth, who was at that time with her husband on vacation in Kenya, was proclaimed queen. She was in the Tree Tops Hotel, built on the branches of a giant ficus, on the day of her father's death. Corbett, who lived there at the same time, left an entry in the inn's register book: For the first time in world history, a young girl, once climbing a tree as a princess, descended from it the next day as a queen - God bless her! 1951 By that time, she was already the mother of two children: on November 14, 1948, a year after the wedding, Charles Philip Arthur George, now the Prince of Wales, was born. And on August 15, 1950, a daughter was born - Anna Elizabeth Alice Louise. With kids On June 2, 1953, her coronation took place, which was broadcast on television for the first time. coronation dress Coronation 1953 Inspection of the guard 1954 1955 With kids Marilyn Monroe was introduced to the Queen in 1956 1959 Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne are preparing to take a walk on the lake February 19, 1960 was born the second son and third child of the Queen - Andrew Albert Christian Edward, now the Duke of York 1962 A March 10, 1964 - Edward Anthony Richard Louis, now Earl of Wessex 1969 Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II after the official investiture ceremony in Wales 1970 Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to New Zealand. During the years of her reign, the Queen of England had more than 30 Welsh Corgi dogs. 1974 Queen Elizabeth II arrives with her dogs for the weekend at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland 1982 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh during an official visit to the Solomon Islands 1989 Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana welcome President Ibrahim Babangida, London. 1991 Elizabeth performs only representative functions, practically without any influence on the country's politics. In the early years of her reign, she still played some role in the appointment of the prime minister if there was no clear leader in the ruling party. The Queen maintained correct relations with all prime ministers, including representatives of the Labor Party - Harold Wilson, Anthony Blair. 1991 Queen Elizabeth II after a service at Westminster Cathedral, London. Some friction between the prime minister and the queen, hidden from the public eye, arose during the premiership of Margaret Thatcher. Elizabeth was somewhat embarrassed by the "royal style" of the management of the new prime minister. In particular, there were disagreements between them in connection with the support of the apartheid regime in South Africa by the British government, which, in the opinion of the queen, could negatively affect the influence of Great Britain in the African countries - members of the Commonwealth. At the same time, she always remained true to the tradition of the English kings of modern times - to be above political fights.
1994 Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Russia. The authority of the Windsor royal house was more threatened by family scandals and the divorce proceedings of Princess Anne, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew. The restrained attitude of Elizabeth to the tragic death of Princess Diana in August 1997 caused disapproval from ordinary Britons. Nevertheless, Elizabeth manages to maintain the high prestige of the English monarchy in the eyes of her subjects. 1995 The royal family arrived in Scotland on a visit to Queen Elizabeth II as part of a cruise on the royal yacht Britannia 1999 Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Variety Show, Birmingham 2002 2003 Visit of Putin V.V. to the UK 2005 year. Queen Elizabeth II at the St. George's Day Parade at Windsor Castle, UK 2008 Queen Elizabeth II during a trip to Turkey. The royal family returned from a sea cruise The Queen is 84 this year.

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 the 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 family life 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 shook 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 leader and prime minister of the country 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 was held 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.