Biography of Queen Elizabeth 2. Skeletons in the closet of the Queen of England
Elizabeth 2 is of interest not only to British subjects, but also to many other people interested in history. Not so long ago, the UK celebrated the sapphire jubilee, which marked 65 years of the Queen's reign. Elizabeth was crowned at the age of twenty-seven, when the country was still recovering from the Second World War. Until now, the Queen maintains the authority of the British monarchy.
Childhood and family of the future Queen of Great Britain
Biography English queen Elizabeth II (then a princess) began on April 21, 1926. The baby was born in Mayfair, London, at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore on Brewton Street by caesarean section. Now this area has been redeveloped, and on the site of the house number 17 on Brewton Street there is a Chinese restaurant, on the wall of which there is a commemorative plaque. The event did not cause a stir at the court, because no one could have thought that the girl would eventually take the royal throne.
At first they wanted to call the baby Victoria. But the princess's father, after consulting with the reigning monarch, decided to name her Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. The baby's christening took place in the chapel at Buckingham Palace on May 29. The chapel was later destroyed during the hostilities. Four years later, Elizabeth's sister Margaret was born.
At that time, the grandfather of Elizabeth II, George V, reigned. The cousin of the latter Russian emperor Nicholas II ruled the country for more than two decades, although he also did not prepare to become king. He was third in the chain of succession. George's older brother Albert Victor died during an influenza epidemic, and his father, Edward VIII, son of Queen Victoria, died in 1910.
It was George V who renamed the Saken-Coburg-Gotha royal house into the Windsor dynasty. During the First World War, he renounced all personal and family German titles. Little Elizabeth loved her grandfather very much, although by nature he was a tough and stern person, and in education he often went too far. The result was the stuttering of Prince Albert, the second son of the king, from which he did not get rid of until the end of his life. But the king had the warmest feelings for his granddaughter.
George V died after a long illness in 1936 at the age of 70. Only 50 years later it became known that the life physician, on his own initiative, committed euthanasia when the king fell into a coma after severe bronchitis. His eldest son Edward was considered the heir to the throne, and the father of Elizabeth, who eventually became queen, was the second son of the king, Prince Albert. In the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England, there was not even a hint of a future as head of state.
After a sad event, the throne passed to Edward, but he never became king. He abdicated of his own free will due to an unequal marriage to American Wallis Simpson. Prince Albert became King George VI. He went down in history as a symbol of the struggle of the British Empire against Nazi Germany. The reign of the monarch was marked by the establishment of the position of the dominions and their relationship with Great Britain. So, the monarch created the British Commonwealth and became the king of all the dominions.
Elizabeth II at the time of the beginning of her father's reign was 10 years old. Henry's younger brother was declared heir to the throne because the king had no sons. But Henry refused such an honorary role in favor of Elizabeth. So the girl became the rightful heir to the British throne at such a young age. But if at that time she had a younger brother, then he would have inherited the throne.
Elizabeth received an excellent home education. The teachers taught her manners, the humanities, horseback riding and many other disciplines that were necessary for the princess. She studied religion, art, history, law. Many sources say that the girl was drawn to knowledge and even learned French almost on her own.
Elizabeth II during World War II
A courageous and conscious girl beyond her years appeared before the inhabitants of Great Britain during the Second World War. The biography of Elizabeth II began to resemble the life story of a member of the monarch's family. In 1940, at the age of 14, she spoke on the radio with an appeal to children who had suffered during the hostilities. And the first independent appearance of Elizabeth in public dates back to 1943. Then the girl visited the regiment of the Guards Grenadiers.
At the age of 18, the girl became one of the five advisers - a person who has the right to perform the functions of a monarch in the event of his incapacity or absence. In 1945, the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England (then crown princess) changed: she joined the self-defense squad and, along with other girls, was trained as an ambulance driver.
The girl received the military rank of lieutenant. The biography of Elizabeth II during the war years was connected with the front. The girl's military service lasted five months. She became the first woman from the British royal family to serve in the military. The future husband of Elizabeth 2, Philip, whose biography was connected with the fleet, also served at the front in those years.
The longest marriage in the history of the monarchy
Since childhood, the girl wanted to marry a farmer, but the biography of her husband Elizabeth 2 was not connected with agriculture. The girl was distinguished by an iron character, so the plans of her parents to marry her off as a noble young man were in jeopardy. But in the end, the girl abandoned this idea, because a sailor cadet attracted her attention. By the way, according to the royal family, it was not much better than a farmer.
The cadet Philip was of no interest to the Elizabeth family, although he was distinguished by a noble birth. The young man was the only son of the six children of King George I of Greece, at birth he had the title of Prince of Denmark and Greece. Philip is the great-grandson of Queen Victoria and the last Emperor Russian Empire Nicholas II. After the abdication of the Greek king Constantine, the family moved to France, and little Philip was sent to London to live with relatives.
Young people met at one of the family dinners. Then Elizabeth was only 13 years old, and the young prince was 18. The biography of Elizabeth 2 (the English queen in the future) began to change. The girl actively took part in social events, because in the future she was to become a monarch. And meeting the prince marked the beginning of the love story of her life.
There is an opinion that during the war, when the young man wrote tender and passionate letters to his beloved from the front, his terminally ill father asked George VI for the hand of Elizabeth, but was refused. The groom's family became impoverished, and during the war they almost completely ended up on the side of the Nazis, because Philip's sisters married German officers.
During the war, other applicants for marriage with the princess disappeared somewhere: someone got married, others decided to continue the search. Only Philip remained. They say that Elizabeth herself made a marriage proposal to Philip. The parents were not happy with this decision, but were forced to agree to the marriage.
The engagement was officially announced in the summer of 1947. The wedding was scheduled for November. The marriage took place in Westminster. The groom was allowed to invite only his mother, who had been seriously ill for several years, to the wedding. The bride was escorted to the altar by her father. Elizabeth chose a champagne-colored satin wedding dress that was embroidered with pearl and crystal beads. It took the court fashion designer several months to create this outfit.
After the marriage, the young spouses led an active social life. They often appeared at social events. Elizabeth showed an iron character, and the romantic prince even fell in love with the singer Pat Kirkwood, but Philip was always devoted to his queen. Elizabeth did everything to stop the rumors. Very soon, she gave birth to her first child, and then the couple left for the Philippines. Philip was sent there on duty.
Accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II
In early 1952, the royal couple went on a visit to the Commonwealth countries, but the trip was interrupted by the death of the king. He was diagnosed with lung cancer, but the man died from thrombosis. The newspapers reported that he had been in a normal state of health the night before.
Then Elizabeth and her husband were on vacation in Kenya. Philip was the first to hear the news. He was the first to bend the knee and take an oath to the queen. The queen was then in despair. A dispute broke out that the ruling house should now be the House of Mountbatten, where Philip comes from, and not the Windsors. But on the advice of Winston Churchill, the girl refused to take her husband's surname.
The biography of Elizabeth II has changed. The coronation took place in June 1953. The event was broadcast by central television in many countries of the world. The solemn ceremony gathered thousands of people at the TV screens and contributed to the popularization of television. This day should be to change the fate of the country. Twenty-seven-year-old Elizabeth Windsor was preparing for her coronation at Buckingham Palace.
In the biography of Elizabeth II of England, a new page began that day. The girl was expected to be crowned with a crown created for Queen Victoria. But she insisted on wearing the traditional St. Edward's crown, which weighed more than three kilograms. Her father and grandfather put on this crown only for a few hours during the coronation, while Elizabeth II turned out to be the first monarch who did not remove the sign of power during the entire ceremony.
Design coronation dress Elizabeth remained a secret for a long time. The white satin outfit, adorned with pearls, diamonds and amethysts, was supposed to look especially impressive in the spotlight. The skirt had the emblems of Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries.
With this detail almost came out of embarrassment. The royal tailor mistakenly painted the daffodil as the emblem of Wales. The officials insisted that the dress had a leek (this is a real emblem). The tailor ennobled the leek, based on the traditions of military uniforms. The Queen called the dress gorgeous.
Elizabeth's rehearsals were not in vain. During the ceremony, she forgot to make only one curtsey, while many mistakes were made during her father's accession to the throne. When the queen moved to the exit from the abbey, she was closed by pages. The BBC producer decided to make a close-up, although media representatives were warned in advance that there should not be any close-ups.
The beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II: actions and events
Since then, the attention of all citizens of the United Kingdom has been riveted to the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England (photo of the coronation above). At the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth granted the title of "sir" to Prime Minister Winston Churchill and went on a trip to the Commonwealth countries, the colonies of Great Britain and other states. She became the first monarch in Britain to visit New Zealand and Australia.
Second half of the fifties - early nineties
short biography Elizabeth II usually includes a dry enumeration of the events and actions of the monarch in office, but only the most important facts are really worth mentioning. In 1956, Elizabeth received Nikita Khrushchev and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR at Buckingham Palace. Following the meeting, leaders Soviet state the Queen was presented with a decorated horse, a painting by Aivazovsky, a sable cape, and a box with a portrait of the royal family. Prince Philip received as a gift a set of wines, a Tula samovar, a painting and a box with a portrait of his wife. Little Charles was given a decorated horse, a set of illustrated children's books by Soviet authors, and a set of sweets. Princess Anna was even given a three-month-old bear cub.
That same year, Elizabeth met Marilyn Monroe at London's Empire Theatre. In autumn, the Olympic Games were held, the opening ceremony of which was led by the Queen's husband. In 1957, Queen Elizabeth II had to choose the head of government. Harold Maxillan, who at that time was 63 years old, was appointed to the post. In May of that year, the Queen received Eleanor Roosevelt, and in October she made visits to Canada and the United States. Also, Elizabeth II became the first monarch who congratulated his subjects on Christmas on television.
In 1960, the couple's second son, Prince Andrew, was born. He became the first child in the last century who appeared with a reigning monarch. The following year, the queen continued her active travels. She has visited Nepal, Pakistan, the Vatican, Ghana, Cyprus, India, Turkey, Iran and Italy.
At the same time, a new page began in the biography of Elizabeth II's sister, Margaret. The girl married a descendant of a Welsh noble family. Margaret was repeatedly called the "rebellious princess". She often appeared in the company of rockers, visited London clubs and constantly twisted novels. Since the eighties, she had health problems, an addiction to alcohol and smoking. The biography of sister Elizabeth 2 Margaret was tragically cut short in 2002. She died of a stroke.
In the summer of 1961, the Queen received the Kennedy couple, and in 1962, only Jacqueline, who went on tour on behalf of her husband. In 1965, members of the Kennedy family, together with Elizabeth, will open a number of memorial sites in the UK dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy.
In the summer of 1961, Elizabeth met the first cosmonaut in the world. In honor of Yuri Gagarin, a luncheon was held, which was attended by the royal couple, their children, as well as the queen's sister and uncle Prince Philip. In 1969, the first man to land on the moon, American Neil Armstrong, was hosted at Buckingham Palace.
In March 1964, the last child of Elizabeth II was born. Prince Edward will further abandon the traditional for boys born into the royal family, military career. He will earn a liberal arts degree and work for theater production companies.
In 1970, the biography of Queen Elizabeth II of England was replenished with new diplomatic meetings and visits. She met with American President Richard Nixon and traveled to New Zealand and Australia. During the trip was introduced new practice communication with subjects. The couple walked the streets and talked with a huge number of people.
The following year, the Japanese emperor was received in the UK, and in mid-1972, the couple and their daughter Anna paid a visit to socialist Yugoslavia. There they met with Josip Broz Tito. In September of the following year, the queen's husband unofficially paid a visit to the USSR. He met with Leonid Brezhnev, Alexei Kosygin and Nikolai Podgorny. Philip arrived in Moscow as president of the International Equestrian Federation.
In 1974, a crisis began to brew in the UK. This demanded intervention from the queen. No political party received the majority of the vote, but as a result, Harold Wilson was appointed prime minister.
In 1975, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to pay an official visit to Japan; two years later, she inaugurated the Olympic Games and received American President Jimmy Carter. In 1978, the leader of socialist Romania and his wife Elena visited Great Britain. In 1980, Elizabeth met with the Pope in the Vatican. In 1982, the Pope personally visited Great Britain (for the first time in 450 years).
In 1986, the Queen learned about civil war in the colony of Aden. At that moment she was on her yacht "Britain". Elizabeth II decided to enter the territorial waters and took on board more than a thousand evacuees.
The reign of Elizabeth II in the late 90s - early 2000s
By the definition of the Queen herself, 1992 was a "terrible year." In the biography of the Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II, then the next sad pages really appeared. Princess Anne was going through a divorce from her husband, Princes Andrew and Charles also separated from their lovers, but at that time still unofficially. In the same year, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire, the court's funding was reduced, and the queen became liable to pay income tax.
In 1995, the Queen paid an official visit to Russia, and the following year she received Bill Clinton and his wife at Buckingham Palace. At the same time, the divorce of Princess Diana and Prince Charles was officially announced. A year later, the princess tragically died in a car accident. This came as a shock to ruling family and ordinary citizens.
The Queen's 50th Anniversary
Solemn events on the occasion of the fifty years of Elizabeth's stay on the throne were held in 2002. This is the golden anniversary. Sadly, that same year, Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret passed away. The biography of the mother of Queen Elizabeth 2 was tragically interrupted in the same year. The Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, died at the age of 101 from a severe cold. It was hard for all of England. The biography of Elizabeth 2 continued. In 2007, she became the first monarch to celebrate a diamond wedding (sixty years of marriage) and the oldest British monarch in history.
Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth
The Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 2012 in the UK and Commonwealth states. To date, the Queen rules sixteen states (twelve of them were dominions at the time of Elizabeth's coronation). Elizabeth became the second British monarch to celebrate this anniversary. The first was Queen Victoria. Many celebrations were planned. Parliament, as an anniversary gift, invited the queen to the meeting as an observer. It happened for the first time.
Role in political and public life
It seems that the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England (and the photos confirm this) is only receptions, visits and participation in social events. Partly it is. Elizabeth performs exclusively representative functions and has practically no visible influence on state affairs. But during the entire period of her reign, she rather strengthens the authority of the monarchy. The Queen's duty is to visit different countries with visits, meetings with high-ranking guests, reading of annual messages to ministers, knighting, awarding and receiving ambassadors. Every day, Elizabeth II looks through the news and personally answers a few random letters that she huge quantities sent by subjects.
Family and succession to the throne
In short, the biography of Queen Elizabeth II of England has been focused all her life on maintaining the authority of the monarchy and performing representative functions. At the same time, she managed to give birth to two children while on the throne. In total, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, have four children: Charles, Anna, Andrew, Edward. The Queen has nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. First in line of succession is Charles, followed by his son, Prince William, and his grandchildren (George, Charlotte, Louis).
Of particular interest is the biography of the daughter of Elizabeth 2. Princess Anna survived several assassination attempts, she is acting as a member of the royal house of Britain. After leaving school, the royal princess constantly organized meetings, participated in the work of several funds to help those in need. The daughter of Queen Elizabeth II visited Russia more often than other members of the royal seven. She also officially represented her state at the Olympic Games in the Russian Federation.
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 young years 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 all of you 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 lunch was arranged, which was attended by the Queen herself, her husband Philip and their children - Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew (he was only a 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 culture places Moscow and St. Petersburg, as the State Hermitage Museum, leaving an entry in the book of honored guests of the museum, Peter and Paul Fortress, Moscow Classical Gymnasium No. 20, Moscow Kremlin, Red Square, Center for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Children, 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 with diplomatic visits, receiving ambassadors, meeting with high-ranking government officials(especially with the prime minister), reading annual messages to parliament, presenting awards, knighting, and so on. 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 always followed 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 to appoint 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 acted according to the British constitutional tradition, according to which she should not take any important decisions without the advice of her ministers and privy councillors.
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 work 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 expenditures 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 FaithDuring 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".
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.
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.
In spite of 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 have a positive view of the institute 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.
In spite of positive attitude 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
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth II), full name - Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary). Born April 21, 1926 in London. Queen of Great Britain since 1952.
She ascended the throne on February 6, 1952 at the age of twenty-five, after the death of her father, King George VI. Is among all the monarchs in the history of Great Britain.
The oldest British (English) monarch in history.
She also ranks second in the world in terms of tenure as head of state among all current heads of state (after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand). She is the world's oldest female current head of state, and in Europe the oldest current head of state.
He is the oldest reigning monarch in the world since January 24, 2015, after the death of the king Saudi Arabia Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Comes from the Windsor dynasty.
She is the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations and, in addition to Great Britain, the queen of fifteen independent states: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica.
He is also head of the Anglican Church and Supreme Commander of the British Armed Forces.
Queen of Great Britain
Eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI, 1895-1952) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002). Her grandparents are: on her father's side - King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess of Teck (1867-1953); by mother - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1862-1938).
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in the London district of Mayfair in the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at Brewton Street, house number 17. Now the area has been rebuilt, and the house no longer exists, but a memorial plaque has been erected on this site. She got her name in honor of her mother (Elizabeth), grandmother (Maria) and great-grandmother (Alexandra).
At the same time, the father insisted that the first name of the daughter be like that of the duchess. At first they wanted to give the girl the name Victoria, but then they changed their minds. George V remarked: “Bertie discussed the girl's name with me. He named three names: Elizabeth, Alexandra and Mary. The names are all good, I told him so, but about Victoria, I absolutely agree with him. It was redundant".
The christening of Princess Elizabeth took place on May 25 in the chapel of Buckingham Palace, later destroyed during the war years.
In 1930, Elizabeth's only sister, Princess Margaret, was born.
She received a good education at home, mainly in the humanities - she studied the history of the constitution, jurisprudence, religious studies, art history, and also (actually independently) French.
From a young age she was interested in horses and was engaged in horseback riding. She has been faithful to this hobby for many decades.
At birth, Elizabeth became the Princess of York and was third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII) and father. Since Prince Edward was young enough to be expected to marry and have children, Elizabeth was not initially considered a viable candidate for the throne.
However, Edward was forced to abdicate eleven months after the death of George V in 1936. Prince Albert (George VI) became king, and 10-year-old Elizabeth became heir to the throne and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace. However, she remained in the role "heir presumptive"("presumptive heir"), and if George VI had a son, he would have inherited the throne.
Second World War began when Elizabeth was 13 years old.
On October 13, 1940, she made her first radio appearance, addressing children affected by the disasters of the war.
In 1943, her first independent appearance in public took place - a visit to the regiment of the Guards Grenadiers.
In 1944, she became one of the five "state councilors" (persons entitled to perform the functions of the king in the event of his absence or incapacity).
In February 1945, Elizabeth joined the "Auxiliary Territorial Service" - women's self-defense units - and was trained as an ambulance driver, receiving the military rank of lieutenant. Her military service lasted five months, which gives reason to consider her the last participant in the Second World War who has not yet retired (the penultimate one was Pope Benedict XVI, who served as an anti-aircraft gunner in the German armed forces).
In 1947, Elizabeth accompanied her parents on a trip to South Africa and, on her 21st birthday, went on the radio with a solemn promise to devote her life to the service of the British Empire.
King George VI, Elizabeth's father, died February 6, 1952. Elizabeth, who at that time was on vacation with her husband in Kenya, was proclaimed Queen of Great Britain.
The coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. This was the first televised coronation of a British monarch, and is credited with having contributed significantly to the rise of television broadcasting.
Coronation of Elizabeth II
The full title of Elizabeth II in Great Britain sounds like "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other kingdoms and territories, the Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".
After that, in 1953-1954. The queen made a six-month tour of the Commonwealth, British colonies and other countries of the world.
Elizabeth II became the first monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand.
In 1957, after the resignation of Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden, due to the lack of clear rules for choosing a leader in the Conservative Party, Elizabeth II had to appoint a new head of government from among the Conservatives. After consultations with prominent members of the party and former Prime Minister Churchill, 63-year-old Harold Macmillan was appointed head of government.
In the same year, Elizabeth made her first visits to the United States and Canada as Queen of Canada. She also spoke for the first time at a session of the UN General Assembly. She was present at the opening session of the Canadian Parliament (for the first time in history with the participation of the British monarch). She continued her travels in 1961 when she made visits to Cyprus, the Vatican, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Iran, and Ghana.
In 1963, following the resignation of Prime Minister Macmillan, on his advice, Elizabeth appointed Alexander Douglas-Home as prime minister.
In 1976, Elizabeth II inaugurated (as Queen of Canada) the XXI Olympic Games in Montreal.
1977 became important date for the queen - the 25th anniversary of Elizabeth II's tenure on the British throne was celebrated, in honor of which many solemn enterprises were held in the Commonwealth countries.
Late 1970s - early 1980s There have been a number of assassination attempts on the royal family.. In particular, in 1979, the terrorists of the "Provisional Irish Republican Army" assassinated the uncle of Prince Philip (the queen's husband), an influential statesman and military leader, Lord Louis Mountbatten. And in 1981, there was an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Elizabeth II herself during a military parade in honor of the queen's "official birthday".
In 1981, the wedding of the son of Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and, which would later become a big problem for the royal family, took place.
At this time in 1982, as a result of changes in the Canadian constitution, the British Parliament lost any role in Canadian affairs, but the British Queen still remained the head of the Canadian state. In the same year, the first visit of Pope John Paul II to Great Britain in the last 450 years took place (the Queen, who is the head of the Anglican Church, received him personally).
In 1991, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the US Houses of Congress.
1992 was a "terrible year", according to the definition of Elizabeth II herself. Two of the Queen's four children - Prince Andrew and Princess Anne - divorced their spouses, Prince Charles separated from Princess Diana, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire, the obligation for the Queen to pay income tax was introduced, and funding for the royal court was noticeably reduced.
In 1996, at the urging of the Queen, a formal divorce was signed between Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
A year later, in 1997, there was tragic death Princess Diana in a car accident in Paris that shocked not only the royal family, but also millions of ordinary Britons. For restraint and the absence of any reaction to the death of the former daughter-in-law, critical remarks immediately rained down on the queen.
In 2002, celebrations were held in honor of the 50th anniversary of Elizabeth II on the British throne (Golden Jubilee). But in the same year, the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, and the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, died.
In 2008, for the first time in history, the Anglican Church, headed by Elizabeth, held a Maundy Thursday service, in which the reigning monarch traditionally participates, outside of England or Wales - in the Cathedral of St. Patrick's in Armagh in Northern Ireland.
In 2010, she spoke for the second time at a meeting of the UN General Assembly. Introducing the Queen, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called her "the saving anchor of our era."
In 2011, the first ever state visit by a British monarch to independent Ireland took place. In the same year, the wedding of Prince William (grandson of Elizabeth II) and Catherine Middleton took place.
In 2012, the XXX Olympic Games were held in London, solemnly opened by Elizabeth II, and the new law, changing the order of succession to the throne, in which male heirs lose priority over women.
In 2012, the UK and other countries solemnly celebrated the 60th (diamond) anniversary of Elizabeth II on the throne. On June 3, a solemn water parade of more than a thousand ships and boats took place on the Thames. It is believed that this is the most grandiose river procession in history. On June 4, 2012, a concert took place on the square in front of Buckingham Palace with the participation of such stars of British and world music as Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Cliff Richard, Elton John, Grace Jones, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Tom Jones and others. The evening was hosted by Take That lead singer Gary Barlow.
In 2013, for the first time in 40 years, Elizabeth II refused to go to the summit of the heads of the countries of the British Commonwealth, held in Sri Lanka. Britain was represented at the summit by Prince Charles, which indicates the gradual transfer of powers of Elizabeth to her son.
The Queen's interests include dog breeding (including Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, and travel. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige of the Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively in her possessions, and also happens in other countries of the world: she has more than 325 foreign visits to her account.
I have been gardening since 2009.
In addition to English, he is also fluent in French.
Height of Elizabeth II: 163 centimeters
Personal life of Elizabeth II:
In 1947, at the age of 21, she married 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten (born June 10, 1921) - an officer in the British Navy, a member of the Greek (son of the Greek Prince Andrew) and Danish royal families and great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria.
They met in 1934, and fell in love, it is believed, after a visit by Elizabeth in 1939 to the Naval College in Dartmouth, where Philip studied.
Having become the spouse of the princess, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
A year after the wedding - in 1948 - the eldest son was born to Elizabeth and Philip. And on August 15, 1950 - a daughter, Princess Anna.
Elizabeth II and Philip Mountbatten
In 1960, the Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, was born. In 1964, she gave birth to her third son, Prince Edward.
Children of Elizabeth II:
Born November 14, 1948. July 29, 1981 married Lady Diana Spencer. On August 28, 1996, the couple filed for divorce. They had two sons: the Duke of Cambridge and Wales.
Prince William, married to, has two children: Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.
Princess Anna, "Princess of royal blood" ("Princess Royal") - was born on August 15, 1950. She was married to Mark Phillips from November 14, 1973 to April 28, 1992 (divorced). The couple had two children: Peter Phillips and Zara Phillips.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York- was born on February 19, 1960. He was married to Sarah Ferguson from July 23, 1986 - May 30, 1996 (divorced). The couple had two daughters: Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie (Eugenie) of York.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex- was born on March 10, 1964. He is married to Sophie Rhys-Jones (the wedding took place on June 19, 1999). The couple have two children: Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
The role of Elizabeth II in the political and public life Great Britain:
In accordance with the British tradition of a parliamentary monarchy, Elizabeth II performs mainly representative functions, with little or no influence on the government of the country. However, during her reign, she successfully maintains the authority of the British monarchy. Her duties include visiting various countries on diplomatic visits, receiving ambassadors, meeting with high-ranking government officials (especially the Prime Minister), reading annual messages to Parliament, presenting awards, knighting, etc.
Also, the queen daily looks through the main British newspapers and, with the help of servants, answers some letters that are sent to her in huge quantities (200-300 pieces daily).
Throughout her time on the throne, the Queen maintained correct relations with all prime ministers. At the same time, she always remained true to the tradition of the English kings of modern times - to be above political fights. As a constitutional monarch, Elizabeth II should not publicly express her political likes or dislikes. She has always followed this rule by acting in a non-public manner - so her political views remain unknown.
Three times during her reign, the queen had constitutional problems with the formation of the British government.
In 1957 and 1963, with no clear mechanism for electing a leader in the Conservative Party, it was up to the Queen to decide whom to entrust with the formation of a government after the resignations of Anthony Eden and Harold Macmillan.
In 1957, Anthony Eden refused to advise the Queen on whom to appoint as his successor, and she turned for advice to, as the only conservative prime minister alive at that time (following the precedent for which, after the resignation of Andrew Bonar Law in 1923, King George V consulted Lord Salisbury's father and former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour).
In 1963, Harold Macmillan himself advised Alec Douglas-Home to be his successor. And in 1974, after the resignation of Edward Heath as a result of an unclear election outcome, Elizabeth II appointed opposition leader Harold Wilson as prime minister.
In all these cases, the Queen acted according to the British constitutional tradition, according to which she should not take any important decisions without the advice of her ministers and privy councillors.
In addition, British prime ministers meet with the Queen every week. The Queen is more knowledgeable on most matters than meets the eye. In addition, the Queen has regular meetings with other Commonwealth ministers and prime ministers when they are in the UK on a visit. Also, during her stay in Scotland, she meets with the First Minister of Scotland. The British Ministry and diplomatic missions send her regular reports.
Although it is customary that the Queen does not interfere in politics, but due to the fact that during her long reign she had the opportunity to work with many prime ministers and leaders of other countries, her advice is always taken seriously. In her memoirs, she wrote of her weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth: "Anyone who thinks that they [meetings] are a mere formality or social convention is deeply mistaken. In fact, they take place in a calm business atmosphere, and Her Majesty always demonstrates her ability to cover a wide range of issues and her great experience".
Elizabeth II is actively involved in charity and social activities. The Queen of Britain is a trustee of more than 600 different public and charitable organizations.
In addition to duties, Elizabeth II also has certain inalienable rights as a monarch (royal prerogatives). For example, she can dissolve the parliament, reject the candidacy of the prime minister (which seems unsuitable to her), and so on.
Financial costs for the queen:
So, according to data from Buckingham Palace, in the 2008-2009 financial year, each Briton spent $ 1.14 on the maintenance of the monarchy, which amounted to $ 68.5 million in total.
In 2010-2011, due to the government's new economic program, the Queen was forced to cut her spending to $51.7 million.
Starting in 2012, Elizabeth's income began to grow again (at an approximate rate of 5% per year).
Such figures cause dissatisfaction among the Republican-minded part of the British population, which considers it necessary to cut them.
States whose head was or is Elizabeth II:
Upon accession to the throne in 1952, Elizabeth became queen of seven states: Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon.
During her reign, some of these countries became republics. At the same time, as a result of the process of decolonization, numerous British colonies gained independence. In some of them, the Queen of Great Britain retained the status of head of state, in others she did not.
Abolition of the monarchy in the original possessions of Elizabeth II:
Pakistan - in 1956 (former Dominion of Pakistan)
South Africa - in 1961 (former SA)
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - in 1972 (former Dominion of Ceylon).
Newly independent states that retained the monarchy:
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Grenada
Papua New Guinea
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Solomon islands
Tuvalu
Jamaica
Newly independent states that abandoned the monarchy:
Guyana
Gambia
Ghana
Kenya
Mauritius
Malawi
Malta
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
Tanganyika
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Fiji
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth 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, 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 armed forces Great Britain.
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 the London district of Mayfair in the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at Brewton Street, house number 17. Now the area has been rebuilt, and the house no longer exists, but a memorial plaque has been erected on this site. She got her name in honor of her mother (Elizabeth), grandmother (Maria) and great-grandmother (Alexandra).
At the same time, the father insisted that the first name of the daughter be like that of the duchess. At first they wanted to give the girl the name Victoria, but then they changed their minds. George V remarked: “Bertie discussed the 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, mainly 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, in which the reigning monarch traditionally participates, outside of England or Wales - in the Cathedral of 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 with 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).
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.
Elizabeth II is also actively involved in charity work. She is a trustee of over 600 different public and charitable organizations.
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 sounds like this: "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God the Queen of Australia and her other kingdoms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth."
On the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, Elizabeth II also bears the title of Duke of Normandy, on the Isle of Man - the title of "Lord of Maine".
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 orders of chivalry, 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 around the world
The Queen's interests include dog breeding (including Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, and travel. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige of the Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively around her possessions, and also visits other countries of the world (for example, in 1994 she visited Russia). She has more than 325 foreign visits to her credit (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries).
I have been gardening since 2009.
In addition to English, he is also fluent in French.
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 performed leading role in the film, won the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, as well as 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). Queen in different periods 5 actresses played her life: 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
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
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(English Elizabeth II), full name - Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (English Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; April 21, 1926, London) - Queen of Great Britain from 1952 to the present.
Elizabeth II 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 grandparents are: on her father's side - King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess of Teck (1867-1953); by mother - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1961).
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in the London district of Mayfair in the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at Brewton Street, house number 17. Now the area has been rebuilt, and the house no longer exists, but a memorial plaque has been erected on this site. She got her name in honor of her mother (Elizabeth), grandmother (Maria) and great-grandmother (Alexandra).
At the same time, the father insisted that the first name of the daughter be like that of the duchess. At first they wanted to give the girl the name Victoria, but then they changed their minds. George V remarked: “Bertie discussed the 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, mainly 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.
In the same year, 21-year-old Elizabeth married 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten, an officer in the British Navy, a 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.
Second half of the 1950s - early 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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NY4CNDGu0w
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 obligation 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 the Russian state in the entire 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, solemn events were held in honor of the 50th anniversary of Elizabeth II on the British throne (Golden Jubilee. But in the same year, the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, and the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, died.
In 2008, for the first time in history, the Anglican Church, headed by Elizabeth, held a Maundy Thursday service, in which the reigning monarch traditionally participates, outside of England or Wales - in the Cathedral of St. Patrick's in Armagh in Northern Ireland.
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 with 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).
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.
Elizabeth II is also actively involved in charity work. She is a trustee of over 600 different public and charitable organizations.
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 sounds like this: "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God the Queen of Australia and her other kingdoms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth."
On the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, Elizabeth II also bears the title of Duke of Normandy, on the Isle of Man - the title of "Lord of Maine".
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 around the world
The Queen's interests include dog breeding (including Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, and travel. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige of the Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively around her possessions, and also visits other countries of the world (for example, in 1994 she visited Russia). She has more than 325 foreign visits to her credit (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries).
I have been gardening since 2009.
In addition to English, he is also fluent in French.
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
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