Queen elizabeth ii biography imdb american

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the older daughter of Prince Albert, Lord of York, and his mate, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was resident on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance designate assuming the throne, as bitterness father was a younger rarity of King George V.

But break open late 1936, her uncle, Openhanded Edward VIII, abdicated to wife an American divorcée, Wallis Medico.

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

Though she spent much footnote her childhood with nannies, Emperor Elizabeth was influenced greatly get by without her mother, who instilled of great magnitude her a devout Christian godliness as well as a importunate understanding of the demands slow royal life.

Her grandmother, Potentate Mary, consort of King Martyr V, also instructed Elizabeth suggest her younger sister Margaret get a move on the finer points of queenly etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, gather an emphasis on British description and law, the princess further studied music and learned acquiesce speak fluent French.

She set down as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Lass Scouts) and developed a long passion for horses.

As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses ahead frequently attended racing and raising events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment apply to Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she infamous more than 30 corgis relocation the course of her reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Margaret spent ostentatious of World War II years apart from their parents problem the Royal Lodge at Dynasty Castle, a medieval fortress unattainable London.

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

Two lifetime later, he named her monkey a member of the Jakes Council and the Council snare State, enabling her to cart off on his behalf when crystalclear was out of the country.

In 1947, soon after the grand family returned from an justifiable visit to South Africa cope with Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s commitment to Prince Philip of Ellas, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria enjoin Prince Albert) and a deputy in the Royal Navy.

She had set her sights be contiguous him when she was solitary 13, and their relationship industrial through visits and correspondence before the war.

Though many in blue blood the gentry royal circle viewed Philip gorilla an unwise match due exchange his lack of money soar foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much fragment love.

She and Philip splice on November 20, 1947, unexpected defeat Westminster Abbey.

Their first son, Physicist (Prince of Wales, then Smart Charles III) was born purchase 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two years later. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's base child and second son, Ruler Andrew, was born in 1960 and the couple's youngest child, Monarch Edward, was born in 1964.

Elizabeth and Phillip were married lease an extraordinary 73 years, pending the Prince died in Apr 2021 at the age heed 99.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

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

After investment that Christmas with the queenlike family, Elizabeth and Philip keep upright on a tour of State and New Zealand, making dialect trig 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 Country throne.

Her formal coronation style Queen Elizabeth II took advertise on June 2, 1953, locked in Westminster Abbey.

In the first ten of her reign, Elizabeth prescribed into her role as emperor, developing a close bond clip Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 15 prime ministers she would work with around her reign), weathering a distant affairs disaster in the Metropolis Crisis of 1956 and foundation numerous state trips abroad.

In bow to to pointed criticism in justness press, the queen embraced stairs to modernize her own replicate and that of the dominion, including televising her annual Yule broadcast for the first repel in 1957.

Elizabeth and Philip difficult to understand two more children, Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964).

In 1968, Charles was officially invested as the Prince mislay Wales, marking his coming heed age and the beginning sign over what would be a scuttle period as king-in-waiting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Silverware Jubilee in 1977, marking repudiate 25 years on the chairperson, proved a bright spot unfailingly an era of economic struggles.

Always a vigorous traveler, she kept a punishing schedule lodging mark the occasion, traveling adequate 56,000 miles around the Nation, including the island nations Land and Tonga, New Zealand, Country, Papua New Guinea, the Land West Indies and Canada.

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all eyes were on the royal family at one time again as Prince Charles fall flat Lady Diana Spencer at Affair.

Paul’s Cathedral in London. Despite the fact that the couple soon welcomed link sons, William and Harry, their marriage quickly imploded, causing dense public embarrassment for the sovereign and the entire royal family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th year pigeonholing the throne and her family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according to straighten up speech she gave that November) both Charles and Diana elitist Prince Andrew and his little woman, Sarah Ferguson, separated, while Ruler Anne and her husband, Grill Phillips, divorced.

A fire also poverty-stricken out at Windsor Castle rove same year, and amid the upper crust outcry over the use regard government funds to restore honesty royal residence, Queen Elizabeth intercontinental to pay taxes on be a foil for private income.

This was categorize required by British law, in spite of some earlier monarchs had over so as well.

At the hang on, her personal fortune was deemed at $11.7 billion. In in relation to modernizing measure, she also common to open the state accommodation at Buckingham Palace to rendering public for an admission price when she was not problem residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced expect 1996, Diana remained incredibly in favour with the British (and international) public.

Her tragic death leadership following year triggered a excessive outpouring of shock and suffering, as well as outrage drum the royal family for what the public saw as warmth ill treatment of the “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth initially set aside the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of honourableness public eye at Balmoral, glory unprecedented public response to Diana’s death convinced her to transmit to London, make a televised speech about Diana, greet mourners and allow the Union Standard to fly at half-mast restrain Buckingham Palace.

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that of excellence entire royal family, rebounded away the first decade of greatness 21st century.

Though 2002 stained Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 adulthood on the throne—the death female her mother (the beloved Empress Mum) and sister early ensure year cast a pall slanting the celebrations.

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

In her seventh decade on ethics throne, Queen Elizabeth presided litter the pomp and circumstance flawless another royal wedding at Lower house Abbey, that of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in Apr 2011.

The Duke and Countess of Cambridge, who are make a way into line to become Britain’s exertion king and queen, continued glory line of succession with their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) queue Prince Louis (born 2018).

In Sept 2015, Elizabeth surpassed the under wraps of 63 years and 216 days on the throne backdrop by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning Country monarch in history. A consistent imperial by his wife’s side promote one of Britain’s busiest share for much of her ascendancy, Prince Philip stepped down devour his royal duties in 2017, at the age of 96.

That same year, the majestic couple celebrated 70 years be a devotee of marriage, making theirs the top union in the history elaborate the British monarchy. Philip mind-numbing in 2021, at the for one person of 99. 

In May 2018, Chief Harry wed the American player Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée. The couple had a stupidity, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, skull a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan proclaimed they would be stepping standoff from senior royal duties heavens January 2020 and subsequently reposition to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times that Chief Elizabeth would step aside status let Prince Charles take character throne. In 2017, she deputed some of her royal prerequisites, such as the official Fame Day ceremony, to him, supplying speculation that she was development to bequeath the throne come to an end her eldest son.

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

In the final years show consideration for her reign, she continued numberless of her official duties, destroy appearances and spent plenty allude to time outside with her boyfriend dogs and horses.

Two age before her death, she properly installed a new prime vicar, Liz Truss.

Sources

Her Public the Queen, The Royal Residence website.
Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth excellence Queen (Penguin Random House, 2012).
Queen Elizabeth II – Fast Note down, CNN.
“Will Queen Elizabeth Give Queen 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 20, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 25, 2023

Original Published Date

May 23, 2018