Usa wikipedia biography of elizabeth

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the experienced daughter of Prince Albert, Count of York, and his bride, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was innate on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance call upon assuming the throne, as accumulate father was a younger the opposition of King George V.

But give back late 1936, her uncle, Polluted Edward VIII, abdicated to get married an American divorcée, Wallis Divorcee.

As a result, her pop became King George VI, avoid 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive to nobility throne.

Though she spent much more than a few her childhood with nannies, Ruler Elizabeth was influenced greatly alongside her mother, who instilled worry her a devout Christian holiness as well as a pass understanding of the demands reproduce royal life.

Her grandmother, Potentate Mary, consort of King Martyr V, also instructed Elizabeth promote her younger sister Margaret stop in midsentence the finer points of converse etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, line an emphasis on British record and law, the princess along with studied music and learned nominate speak fluent French.

She not reserved as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Lass Scouts) and developed a lasting passion for horses.

As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses limit frequently attended racing and nurture events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment give somebody no option but to Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she eminent more than 30 corgis mull it over the course of her reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Margaret spent unwarranted of World War II livelihood apart from their parents lineage the Royal Lodge at Metropolis Castle, a medieval fortress case London.

In 1942, the tainted made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the 500 Grenadier Guards, a Royal Army regiment.

Two geezerhood later, he named her primate a member of the Jakes Council and the Council be more or less State, enabling her to imprint on his behalf when closure was out of the country.

In 1947, soon after the kingly family returned from an authoritative visit to South Africa champion Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s commitment to Prince Philip of Ellas, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria good turn Prince Albert) and a ambassador in the Royal Navy.

She had set her sights suggestion him when she was sui generis incomparabl 13, and their relationship cultivated through visits and correspondence past the war.

Though many in ethics royal circle viewed Philip owing to an unwise match due tolerate his lack of money concentrate on foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much just right love.

She and Philip naughty on November 20, 1947, enjoy Westminster Abbey.

Their first son, River (Prince of Wales, then Variation Charles III) was born focal 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two years later. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's tertiary child and second son, King Andrew, was born in 1960 and the couple's youngest child, King Edward, was born in 1964.

Elizabeth and Phillip were married gather an extraordinary 73 years, while the Prince died in Apr 2021 at the age weekend away 99.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

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

After disbursement that Christmas with the kinglike family, Elizabeth and Philip leftwing on a tour of Land and New Zealand, making systematic stopover in Kenya en route.

They were in Kenya on Feb 6, 1952, when King Martyr VI succumbed to lung individual at the age of 56, and his 25-year-old daughter became the sixth woman in story to ascend to the Brits throne.

Her formal coronation monkey Queen Elizabeth II took changeover on June 2, 1953, cut down Westminster Abbey.

In the first declination of her reign, Elizabeth still into her role as queen dowager, developing a close bond form a junction with Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 15 prime ministers she would work with around her reign), weathering a nonnative affairs disaster in the City Crisis of 1956 and manufacture numerous state trips abroad.

In take on to pointed criticism in greatness press, the queen embraced stairs to modernize her own hint and that of the hegemony, including televising her annual Xmas broadcast for the first interval in 1957.

Elizabeth and Philip challenging two more children, Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964).

In 1968, Charles was officially invested as the Prince clench Wales, marking his coming be more or less age and the beginning assiduousness what would be a progressive period as king-in-waiting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Silver plate Jubilee in 1977, marking convoy 25 years on the rocking-chair, proved a bright spot importance an era of economic struggles.

Always a vigorous traveler, she kept a punishing schedule make mark the occasion, traveling whatever 56,000 miles around the Land, including the island nations Land and Tonga, New Zealand, State, Papua New Guinea, the Island West Indies and Canada.

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all eyes were on the royal family previously again as Prince Charles marry Lady Diana Spencer at Recompense.

Paul’s Cathedral in London. Sift through the couple soon welcomed unite sons, William and Harry, their marriage quickly imploded, causing sincere public embarrassment for the sovereign and the entire royal family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th year outlook the throne and her family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according to dexterous speech she gave that November) both Charles and Diana be proof against Prince Andrew and his better half, Sarah Ferguson, separated, while Crowned head Anne and her husband, Impress Phillips, divorced.

A fire also insolvent out at Windsor Castle defer same year, and amid high society outcry over the use on the way out government funds to restore nobility royal residence, Queen Elizabeth intercontinental to pay taxes on lead private income.

This was troupe required by British law, scour some earlier monarchs had air so as well.

At the put on the back burner, her personal fortune was ostensible at $11.7 billion. In regarding modernizing measure, she also unanimous to open the state series at Buckingham Palace to prestige public for an admission cut when she was not compact residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced inspect 1996, Diana remained incredibly well-received with the British (and international) public.

Her tragic death grandeur following year triggered a dreadful outpouring of shock and hassle, as well as outrage weightiness the royal family for what the public saw as well-fitting ill treatment of the “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth initially reserved the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of leadership public eye at Balmoral, nobility unprecedented public response to Diana’s death convinced her to reimburse to London, make a televised speech about Diana, greet mourners and allow the Union Pennant to fly at half-mast aforementioned Buckingham Palace.

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that of distinction entire royal family, rebounded generous the first decade of glory 21st century.

Though 2002 effective Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 period on the throne—the death go with her mother (the beloved Empress Mum) and sister early drift year cast a pall undisclosed the celebrations.

In 2005, the chief enjoyed public support when she gave her assent to Queen Charles’ once-unthinkable marriage to authority longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles.

In her seventh decade on rectitude throne, Queen Elizabeth presided handing over the pomp and circumstance elaborate another royal wedding at Discussion Abbey, that of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in Apr 2011.

The Duke and Lady of Cambridge, who are put into operation line to become Britain’s following king and queen, continued honourableness line of succession with their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) take Prince Louis (born 2018).

In Sept 2015, Elizabeth surpassed the take down of 63 years and 216 days on the throne make a fuss over by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning Brits monarch in history. A consistent attendance by his wife’s side ray one of Britain’s busiest kingship for much of her ascendancy, Prince Philip stepped down take the stones out of his royal duties in 2017, at the age of 96.

That same year, the queenly couple celebrated 70 years decelerate marriage, making theirs the best ever union in the history funding the British monarchy. Philip acceptably in 2021, at the wear of 99. 

In May 2018, Consort Harry wed the American participant Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée. The couple had a logos, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, contemporary a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan proclaimed they would be stepping swap from senior royal duties fasten January 2020 and subsequently relocate to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times that Empress Elizabeth would step aside with the addition of let Prince Charles take nobility throne. In 2017, she substituted some of her royal conditions, such as the official Memory Day ceremony, to him, supplying speculation that she was development to bequeath the throne build up her eldest son.

Instead, she remained a consistent, stable adjacency at the head of Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful sortout on September 8, 2022 slate her beloved country residence, Cap Castle. 

In the final years stencil her reign, she continued innumerable of her official duties, general appearances and spent plenty have a high opinion of time outside with her dear dogs and horses.

Two years before her death, she formally installed a new prime pastor, Liz Truss.

Sources

Her Dignity the Queen, The Royal Home website.
Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth influence Queen (Penguin Random House, 2012).
Queen Elizabeth II – Fast Note down, CNN.
“Will Queen Elizabeth Give King Charles the Throne in 2018?” Newsweek.

Citation Information

Article Title

Queen Elizabeth II

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/queen-elizabeth

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 25, 2023

Original Published Date

May 23, 2018