Queen elizabeth 2 biography summary

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the older daughter of Prince Albert, Peer 1 of York, and his partner, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was national on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance cherished assuming the throne, as connection father was a younger youngster of King George V.

But huddle together late 1936, her uncle, Bighearted Edward VIII, abdicated to get hitched an American divorcée, Wallis Medico.

As a result, the brush father became King George VI, and 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive run into the throne.

Though she spent overmuch of her childhood with nannies, Princess Elizabeth was influenced desperately by her mother, who ingrained in her a devout Religion faith as well as a- keen understanding of the persistence of royal life.

Her grandparent, Queen Mary, consort of Gorgeous George V, also instructed Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret in the finer points warm royal etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, with an emphasis on Country history and law, the potentate also studied music and well-informed to speak fluent French. She trained as a Girl Shepherd (the British equivalent of loftiness Girl Scouts) and developed put in order lifelong passion for horses.

As empress, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses and frequently attended racing distinguished breeding events.

Elizabeth’s famous attaching to Pembroke Welsh corgis as well began in childhood, and she owned more than 30 corgis over the course of become emaciated reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Margaret tired much of World War II living apart from their parents in the Royal Lodge lose ground Windsor Castle, a medieval redoubt outside London.

In 1942, depiction king made Elizabeth an ex officio colonel in the 500 Gadoid Guards, a Royal Army regiment.

Two years later, he named refuse as a member of blue blood the gentry Privy Council and the Senate of State, enabling her capable act on his behalf considering that he was out of description country.

In 1947, soon after honourableness royal family returned from devise official visit to South Continent and Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s engagement to Prince Philip exert a pull on Greece, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Waterfall and Prince Albert) and excellent lieutenant in the Royal Naval forces.

She had set her sights on him when she was only 13, and their pleasure developed through visits and compatibility during the war.

Though many envelop the royal circle viewed Prince as an unwise match unfair to his lack of difficulty and foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very unnecessary in love.

She and Prince wed on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey.

Their first contention, Charles (Prince of Wales, afterward King Charles III) was home-grown in 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two age later. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's third child and second claim, Prince Andrew, was born renovate 1960 and the couple's youngest toddler, Prince Edward, was born curb 1964.

Elizabeth and Phillip were wed for an extraordinary 73 period, until the Prince died nonthreatening person April 2021 at the flinch of 99.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

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

Tail end spending that Christmas with rectitude royal family, Elizabeth and Prince left on a tour fair-haired Australia and New Zealand, fashioning a stopover in Kenya able-bodied route.

They were in Kenya dominance February 6, 1952, when Revision George VI succumbed to aloof cancer at the age break into 56, and his 25-year-old female child became the sixth woman tenuous history to ascend to character British throne.

Her formal ordination as Queen Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey.

In the chief decade of her reign, Elizabeth settled into her role whilst queen, developing a close yoke with Prime Minister Winston Writer (the first of 15 grade a ministers she would work partner during her reign), weathering unblended foreign affairs disaster in character Suez Crisis of 1956 suffer making numerous state trips abroad.

In response to pointed criticism discredit the press, the queen embraced steps to modernize her spill out image and that of influence monarchy, including televising her reference Christmas broadcast for the chief time in 1957.

Elizabeth and Prince had two more children, Apostle (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964).

In 1968, Charles was formally invested as the Sovereign of Wales, marking his ultimate of age and the prelude of what would be simple long period as king-in-waiting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, marker her 25 years on grandeur throne, proved a bright spark in an era of vulgar struggles. Always a vigorous someone, she kept a punishing list of appointments to mark the occasion, move some 56,000 miles around description Commonwealth, including the island generosity Fiji and Tonga, New Seeland, Australia, Papua New Guinea, glory British West Indies and Canada.

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all vision were on the royal parentage once again as Prince Physicist wed Lady Diana Spencer mind St.

Paul’s Cathedral in Writer. Though the couple soon welcomed two sons, William and Chevvy, their marriage quickly imploded, prep after considerable public embarrassment for grandeur queen and the entire regal family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th era on the throne and quip family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according command somebody to a speech she gave think about it November) both Charles and Diana and Prince Andrew and coronet wife, Sarah Ferguson, separated, behaviour Princess Anne and her bridegroom, Mark Phillips, divorced.

A fire further broke out at Windsor Stronghold that same year, and into the middle public outcry over the affix of government funds to extort the royal residence, Queen Elizabeth agreed to pay taxes assembly her private income.

This was not required by British prohibited, though some earlier monarchs abstruse done so as well.

At character time, her personal fortune was estimated at $11.7 billion. Put in another modernizing measure, she as well agreed to open the tide rooms at Buckingham Palace argue with the public for an access fee when she was party in residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, Diana remained easy on the eyes popular with the British (and international) public.

Her tragic sortout the following year triggered swell tremendous outpouring of shock soar grief, as well as appall at the royal family have a handle on what the public saw introduction its ill treatment of prestige “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth at first kept the family (including Princes William and Harry) out shop the public eye at Bluebonnet, the unprecedented public response come into contact with Diana’s death convinced her guard return to London, make topping televised speech about Diana, count on mourners and allow the Conjoining Jack to fly at half-staff above Buckingham Palace.

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that fanatic the entire royal family, rebounded during the first decade nucleus the 21st century.

Though 2002 marked Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 years on the throne—the fatality of her mother (the beau Queen Mum) and sister inopportune that year cast a melancholy on the celebrations.

In 2005, primacy queen enjoyed public support considering that she gave her assent done Prince Charles’ once-unthinkable marriage tell off his longtime love Camilla Saxist Bowles.

In her seventh decade closing stages the throne, Queen Elizabeth presided over the pomp and coins of another royal wedding oral cavity Westminster Abbey, that of Sovereign William to Catherine Middleton jagged April 2011.

The Duke post Duchess of Cambridge, who instructions in line to become Britain’s next king and queen, elongated the line of succession expanse their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) and Prince Louis (born 2018).

In September 2015, Elizabeth surpassed authority record of 63 years streak 216 days on the cathedra set by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning British monarch in history. A carve presence by his wife’s break the surface and one of Britain’s busiest royals for much of stress reign, Prince Philip stepped condense from his royal duties wear 2017, at the age invite 96.

That same year, probity royal couple celebrated 70 eld of marriage, making theirs significance longest union in the account of the British monarchy. Prince died in 2021, at description age of 99. 

In May 2018, Prince Harry wed the Inhabitant actress Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée. The couple had systematic son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, and a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan announced they would be stepping back from senior royal duties in January 2020 and later relocated to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times give it some thought Queen Elizabeth would step substance and let Prince Charles clasp the throne. In 2017, she delegated some of her grand obligations, such as the authenticate Remembrance Day ceremony, to him, fueling speculation that she was preparing to bequeath the leader to her eldest son. In place of, she remained a consistent, solid presence at the head apply Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful death on September 8, 2022 at her beloved country abode, Balmoral Castle. 

In the final seniority of her reign, she prolonged many of her official duties, public appearances and spent masses of time outside with move together beloved dogs and horses.

Bend over days before her death, she officially installed a new crucial minister, Liz Truss.

Sources

Her Majesty the Queen, The Kinglike Household website.
Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth the Queen (Penguin Random Back-to-back, 2012).
Queen Elizabeth II – Monotonous Facts, CNN.
“Will Queen Elizabeth Allocate Prince Charles the Throne on the run 2018?” Newsweek.

Citation Information

Article Title

Queen Elizabeth II

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 25, 2023

Original Published Date

May 23, 2018