Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is inseparable from millions of people. She is an amazing personality; this extraordinary woman has devoted almost her entire life to her native country.

Early life and education

The future Queen Elizabeth was born on 21 April 1926 in the capital of Great Britain. Her father was the Duke of York, the second heir to the throne after King George V. Initially, he was not intended to inherit the throne, but circumstances changed.

The Home Office named the future queen Lilibet and gave her an excellent education. In addition to the standard school subjects, she studied economics, constitutional law and jurisprudence. The girl learned horse riding, music and dancing. Her mother introduced her to palace etiquette.

The heir to the British throne was fully prepared for political activities, which included lessons in constitutional history and law — Elizabeth attended Eton College.

She demonstrated a strong character from an early age, which became particularly evident during the Second World War: the future queen remained in the capital, hosting radio programmes for children and participating in charity events.

In 1940, Elizabeth addressed the citizens of Great Britain for the first time. In 1945, she trained as a train driver and by the end of the war she had been promoted to junior commander.

The reign of Elizabeth II

Like Elizabeth I Tudor, the representative of the Windsor dynasty embodies an entire era. Her accession to the throne was preceded by certain events.

The beginning of her reign

In 1936, the eldest son of George V – Elizabeth's father's brother – Prince Edward decided to abdicate the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, an American woman who had been divorced twice. According to the laws of the time, the king of England did not have the right to marry a divorced woman. So Elizabeth's father George VI ascended the throne and she became heir to the crown.

When Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne, British possessions were greater than they are today. South Africa, Pakistan and the island of Ceylon, which later abolished British rule, were considered part of the empire. The newly crowned queen immediately visited each of the states. She was the first monarch to visit the Australian continent and New Zealand.

Coronation of Elizabeth II

The official coronation took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in the British capital. Despite heavy rain, thousands of people gathered in the evening to watch the procession. A total of around 3 million citizens gathered in the streets of London to welcome the new monarch.

For the first time in British history, the coronation was broadcast on television.

Political activity and influence

Many people are interested in: How long was Queen Elizabeth queen?

Her reign began in February 1952 and ended in September 2022 with her death.

According to established traditions, she had almost no influence on the administration of the state. The Crown Princess represented the state at international summits and upheld the authority of Great Britain. Throughout her reign, she managed to maintain good relations with all prime ministers.

Elizabeth was very knowledgeable and regularly met with Commonwealth ministers and prime ministers visiting England. The country's ministries and diplomatic missions sent her regular reports.

Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth II remained faithful to the modern tradition of British monarchs to remain above the political fray. She never openly expressed her political views.

One of Elizabeth's inalienable rights as monarch was to reject an applicant for the post of prime minister if the candidate did not appeal to her for any reason whatsoever.

Statesmen often consulted Elizabeth II on important matters. Her opinion was always respected.

In 2012, Elizabeth II attended the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in the British capital.

Royal duties and charitable work

The Queen's main duties consisted of:

1. At the annual opening of Parliament in the House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster.
2. Approving bills, thereby turning them into fully-fledged laws after they have passed through the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
3. Weekly meetings with the Prime Minister.
4. Participating in military services and celebrations.

Elizabeth participated in all events of state importance alongside members of the government. She was also actively involved in charitable activities. She was responsible for approximately 600 public organisations, whose main work was charitable in nature, in the following areas:

• physiotherapy;
• enclosure;
• environmental protection;
• youth empowerment;
• care for the seriously ill;
• women's issues.

Through her involvement, the reigning queen raised the profile of charitable organisations.

Family and private life

The queen's younger sister was called Margaret. She died at the age of 72. Disabled sister Queen Elizabeth - Nerissa is her cousin, as is Catherine, who also had serious health problems. The people closest to the British monarch are her husband, children and grandchildren.

Prince Philip is the Queen's husband

Elizabeth married Prince Philip on 20 November 1947. Her husband is a great-grandson of Queen Victoria. After his marriage, he was given the title Duke of Edinburgh.

At the time of the marriage to Elizabeth, Prince Philip Mountbatten was an officer in the British Navy. He was descended from the royal dynasties of Greece and Denmark.

When the future spouses met Elizabeth, she was only 8 years old. In 1939, romantic feelings developed between them. At that time, the princess was attending the naval academy, where the young Philip was studying.

In the first half of 2021, the Queen's husband underwent surgery for heart problems. This took place in February, and he was already back home by March. The news of the Duke of Edinburgh's death was announced on 9 April.

Children of Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth's fourth child, Prince Edward, first held the title Earl of Wessex and was later given the title Duke of Edinburgh. Her Majesty and Prince Philip have four children in total. The eldest is Charles III, who is now King of Great Britain. After him came Anne, followed by Andrew.

All of Elizabeth II's children in the United Kingdom received a good education and established personal lives.

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom grandchildren

All four children have given Queen Elizabeth and her husband grandchildren.

• Charles' marriage to Diana Spencer produced sons William (Prince of Wales 1982) and Prince Harry (Duke of Sussex 1984).
• Princess Anne's children are named Peter Phillips (1977) and Zara Tindall (1981).
• Prince Andrew has two daughters, Princess Beatrice of York (1988) and Princess Eugenie of York (1990).
• Prince Edward's daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, was born in 2003, and a son, Lord Jaymes, Viscount Severn, was born in 2007.

The grandchildren of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom are the successors to the dynasty, and there are high expectations for them.

Queen Elizabeth dogs

The dogs of Queen Elizabeth II, whom she adored, deserve special attention. They were her companions for decades. Thanks to the Queen, corgi dogs became one of the symbols of Great Britain. The animals took part in the promotion for the 2012 Olympic Games, held in London, and posed with the hostess for Vanity Fair magazine.

Queen Elizabeth had more than 30 dogs in her lifetime. The animals were treated like royalty at the palace: they were fed steak and chicken fillet, had a personal chef and their own quarters, where they slept in wicker baskets.

In addition to dogs, the Queen of Great Britain also loved horse riding, but as she grew older she replaced horses with cars. She was also fond of stamp collecting and, since 2009, gardening.

And the head of Great Britain loved to travel and visited more than 130 countries during her lifetime.

Her final years and death

Age took its toll and in her final years, the Queen's health declined. Reports of this appeared in the media in early 2022. In May, Queen Elizabeth did not attend the opening of Parliament for the first time in 60 years. In July, she partially transferred her powers and duties to her first heir, Prince Charles. During the audience, the Queen said that she was suffering from back pain and had difficulty moving.

In 2021, Elizabeth was hospitalised for the first time in eight years, after which she withdrew from some events and appeared in public with a walking stick.

In 2022, Great Britain celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne. She appeared twice before the people on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

On 20 February 2022, it was announced that the Queen had tested positive for coronavirus. Queen Elizabeth's family assured the public that she was experiencing mild symptoms.

When did Queen Elizabeth pass away?

The Queen died on 8 September 2022. She passed away at Balmoral. After Elizabeth's death, her eldest son, who took the name Charles III, ascended the throne. In connection with the Queen's death, 10 days of mourning were declared in the country.

Funeral of Queen Elizabeth

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth began with a liturgy at the Palace of Westminster. This is where the public farewell took place. A guard stood watch over the coffin 24 hours a day, changing every six hours. The line of people who wanted to say goodbye to the queen was 4 kilometres long.

Many people wonder: how old was Queen Elizabeth when she died? The monarch was 96 years old.

Elizabeth II was buried in the George VI Memorial Chapel, near Windsor Castle. The remains of Prince Philip were also transferred to the chapel.

The funeral took place 10 days after the queen's death, on 19 September 2022. It was broadcast in cinemas across England. The song ‘God Save the Queen’ was played during the funeral service.

In the autumn of 2022, the media reported that the cause of death of the queen was a rare form of bone marrow cancer - multiple myeloma.

At Elizabeth II's funeral, 500 heads of state were invited, who performed and not only that.

King Willem-Alexander gave a speech about the passing of the British monarch:

We remember Queen Elizabeth II with deep respect and great affection. She was a steadfast and wise woman who dedicated her long life to serving the British people. We have strong ties with the United Kingdom and its royal family, and we share their grief at this time. We are very grateful for the close friendship between our countries, to which Queen Elizabeth made such an unforgettable contribution.