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queen elizabeth iI

The longest reigning British monarch in history

Queen Elizabeth II was one of the longest-reigning monarchs in British history. She was born on 21st April 1926 and passed away on 8th September 2022 at the age of 96.

Wax figure of Queen Elizabeth II.Queen Elizabeth II Wax Figure

birth of queen elizabeth II

She was born on the 21st of April 1926 at Bruton Street, London, United Kingdom to Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and George VI. Her full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor. She is the eldest of two siblings, the other one being Princess Margaret.

Elizabeth's II Education / hobbies

Both Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret were educated at their home as were many other girls from wealthy families during those times.

Having been destined for the throne from an early age, she began studying constitutional history and law.

She was tutored both by her father King George VI and by Henry Marten the Vice-Provost of Eton. The Archbishop of Canterbury also gave her a religious education. Learning French gave her a better position especially when visiting French-speaking countries.

Princess Elizabeth loved her horses and corgis. She learned how to ride horses and also competed at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

world war iI

When World War II started on the 1st of September 1939, Elizabeth was only 13 years old. She, together with her sister was sent to Windsor Castle.

When she turned 18 years old, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women’s branch of the British Army.

She was ranked as a second subaltern in the ATS and then promoted to the rank of Junior Commander, the equivalent of a captain.

time in malta with prince philip

Princess Elizabeth on her visit to Malta with the Duke of Edinburgh.Princess Elizabeth in Malta

Queen Elizabeth II loved to travel especially to the island of Malta. She lived here with Prince Philip for a few months between 1949 and 1951 while she was still a princess. Her husband Prince Philip was a Royal Navy Officer and was assigned to Malta in the first few years of their marriage.

They stayed at Guardamangia Villa which today is being restored. She also travelled to Gozo, which is one of the Maltese islands.

Marriage with Prince Philip

Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth (as she was formerly known when she got married) exchanged vows on 20th November 1947.

death of king george vI

Queen Elizabeth II's father passed away on the 6th of February 1952 while she was in Kenya. Immediately after his death, Elizabeth become the next reign to the throne and she ascended to the throne as Queen. It was the first time since George I that a British monarch had succeeded while abroad.

elizabeth starts her reigning

Immediately after her father's death, she officially became Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. Struck by the tragedy of the death of her father, she had to start this role while out of the country. She immediately went back to the United Kingdom in preparation for her father's funeral. She was asked by her father to go to Kenya as his health was not good.

head of state & commonwealth

Queen Elizabeth II in Queensland Australia in 1970.Queen Elizabeth II in Australia

The Queen was the sovereign head of state to 32 independent countries[4]. She was also the head of the Commonwealth to 56 members[5] including the UK in her 70 years of reigning.

why she chose the name queen elizabeth II

At the beginning of every British monarch's reign, it is a tradition to choose a regal name which is a more formal calling when in the monarchy. When Elizabeth ascended to the throne she decided to keep her birth name since it was her official name.

Upon being asked to select her regnal name, she did not feel the need to select another name. To distinguish her from Queen Elizabeth I who reigned from 1533 to 1603, a number was added after her name.

queen elizabeth iI coronation

The Coronation of the Queen was held on the 2nd of June 1953 and was commemorated at Westminster Abbey in London. It was also the first-ever televised coronation service.

During the Coronation ceremony, Her Majesty the Queen was anointed and took her oath to “maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine worship, discipline, and government thereof, as the law established in England.”

All queen elizabeth II Jubilees & milestones

A official photo of Queen Elizabeth II.Queen Elizabeth II

Throughout her life, the former Queen has achieved quite a list of milestones including 6 official Royal Jubilees.

The following are all the Jubilees of Queen Elizabeth II:[8]

  • Silver Jubilee – 1977
  • Ruby Jubilee – 1992
  • Golden Jubilee – 2002
  • Diamond Jubilee – 2012
  • Sapphire Jubilee – 2017
  • Platinum Jubilee – 2022

the death of queen elizabeth iI

After several illnesses throughout the last year of her life, the queen passed away peacefully at her summer residence in Scotland on the 8th of September 2022 at the age of 96.

Source: [9]

queen elizabeth II funeral & burial

A billboard at one of London's streets after the official announcement of the Queens passing.Queen Elizabeth II Passing

After the official announcement of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II by Buckingham Palace, there were 10 days of mourning across the whole of the United Kingdom. During these 10 days, there was a new King, a tour of the UK with the Queen's coffin, her coffin lying in state at Westminster Palace, and the funeral and burial.

People lined the streets of London to visit the coffin. There was around a 5-mile queue to see the Queen's coffin lying in state at Westminster. An approximate 24-hour waiting. [10]

The Queen's funeral was on the 19th of September 2022 with a whole day of mourning. She is buried at King George VI Memorial Chapel. News reports state that the Queen's funeral was the most watched live broadcast event in history with an astounding 4.1 billion people watching. [11]

queen elizabeth's successor

After the death of the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her son Charles became the successor to the throne. Upon her death, Prince Charles was immediately and formerly presented as King Charles III. Several months after the passing of his mother, his coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 6th May 2023.

TV series about the queen life

  • The Crown is a series revolving around the Queen's reigning from the moment of marriage to Prince Philip.

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A beautiful wax figure of Queen Elizabeth II.

Photo sources & resources

  1. Queens Early Life and Education
  2. Queen Elizabeth II During WWII
  3. Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip in Malta
  4. List of Sovereign States
  5. Commonwealth
  6. Why Didn't Queen Elizabeth II Change Her Name
  7. The Queens Accession and Coronation
  8. List of Jubilees of the Queen
  9. Queen Elizabeth Health
  10. Queue For Queens Lying In State
  11. Most Watched Event in History
  12. Queen's Passing Announcment - Photo by on Unsplash
  13. Princess Elizabeth in Malta - National Museum of the United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  14. Queen Elizabeth Portrait - State of Queensland, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  15. The Queen during 1970 - Queensland State Archives, CC BY 3.0 AU, via Wikimedia Commons
  16. Queen in Uniform - Photograph taken by Julian Calder for Governor-General of New Zealand, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  17. Queen Wax Figure - Image by minka2507 from Pixabay

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