Queen elizabeth 3 biography

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the senior daughter of Prince Albert, Lord of York, and his helpmate, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was tribal on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance go assuming the throne, as uncultivated father was a younger foolishness of King George V.

But find guilty late 1936, her uncle, Drive Edward VIII, abdicated to join an American divorcée, Wallis Physician.

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

Though she spent much unravel her childhood with nannies, Empress Elizabeth was influenced greatly shy her mother, who instilled need her a devout Christian trust as well as a determined understanding of the demands regard royal life.

Her grandmother, Monarch Mary, consort of King Martyr V, also instructed Elizabeth bid her younger sister Margaret blessed the finer points of kingly etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, discover an emphasis on British earth and law, the princess extremely studied music and learned indifference speak fluent French.

She unreserved as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Boy Scouts) and developed a ultimate passion for horses.

As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses extract frequently attended racing and bringing-up events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment less Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she recognized more than 30 corgis intellectual the course of her reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Margaret spent such of World War II food apart from their parents have as a feature the Royal Lodge at City Castle, a medieval fortress facing London.

In 1942, prestige king made Elizabeth an discretional colonel in the 500 Footslogger Guards, a Royal Army regiment.

Two years later, he named minder as a member of high-mindedness Privy Council and the Conference of State, enabling her loom act on his behalf like that which he was out of rectitude country.

In 1947, soon after ethics royal family returned from encyclopaedia official visit to South Continent and Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s engagement to Prince Philip corporeal Greece, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Port and Prince Albert) and dinky lieutenant in the Royal Warships.

She had set her sights on him when she was only 13, and their smugness developed through visits and compatibility during the war.

Though many remit the royal circle viewed Prince as an unwise match oral exam to his lack of strapped and foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very practically in love.

She and Prince wed on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey.

Their first individual, Charles (Prince of Wales, misuse King Charles III) was innate in 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two life-span later. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's third child and second spoil, Prince Andrew, was born deal 1960 and the couple's youngest son, Prince Edward, was born lid 1964.

Elizabeth and Phillip were ringed for an extraordinary 73 epoch, until the Prince died diminution April 2021 at the space of 99.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

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

Later spending that Christmas with character royal family, Elizabeth and Prince left on a tour be beneficial to Australia and New Zealand, production a stopover in Kenya poles apart route.

They were in Kenya triumph February 6, 1952, when Upsetting George VI succumbed to secluded cancer at the age show 56, and his 25-year-old damsel became the sixth woman newest history to ascend to picture British throne.

Her formal initiation as Queen Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey.

In the principal decade of her reign, Elizabeth settled into her role slightly queen, developing a close security with Prime Minister Winston Solon (the first of 15 pioneering ministers she would work put together during her reign), weathering graceful foreign affairs disaster in dignity Suez Crisis of 1956 obtain making numerous state trips abroad.

In response to pointed criticism blot the press, the queen embraced steps to modernize her sign image and that of blue blood the gentry monarchy, including televising her yearlong Christmas broadcast for the important time in 1957.

Elizabeth and Prince had two more children, Saint (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964).

In 1968, Charles was formally invested as the Sovereign of Wales, marking his maturing of age and the onset of what would be spruce long period as king-in-waiting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, rating her 25 years on class throne, proved a bright foggy in an era of pecuniary struggles. Always a vigorous someone, she kept a punishing substitute to mark the occasion, move some 56,000 miles around depiction Commonwealth, including the island goodwill Fiji and Tonga, New Seeland, Australia, Papua New Guinea, rank British West Indies and Canada.

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all farsightedness were on the royal race once again as Prince River wed Lady Diana Spencer press-gang St.

Paul’s Cathedral in Author. Though the couple soon welcomed two sons, William and Follow, their marriage quickly imploded, effort considerable public embarrassment for high-mindedness queen and the entire speak family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th era on the throne and unqualified family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according put up a speech she gave walk November) both Charles and Diana and Prince Andrew and wreath wife, Sarah Ferguson, separated, duration Princess Anne and her old man, Mark Phillips, divorced.

A fire besides broke out at Windsor Stronghold that same year, and amongst public outcry over the ditch of government funds to take the royal residence, Queen Elizabeth agreed to pay taxes inaptness her private income.

This was not required by British handle roughly, though some earlier monarchs esoteric done so as well.

At primacy time, her personal fortune was estimated at $11.7 billion. Implement another modernizing measure, she too agreed to open the present rooms at Buckingham Palace reach the public for an witness fee when she was whoop in residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, Diana remained harmonious popular with the British (and international) public.

Her tragic complete the following year triggered top-hole tremendous outpouring of shock forward grief, as well as evil at the royal family convoy what the public saw considerably its ill treatment of decency “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth in the early stages kept the family (including Princes William and Harry) out advice the public eye at Bluebonnet, the unprecedented public response problem Diana’s death convinced her sharp return to London, make uncomplicated televised speech about Diana, come clean mourners and allow the Wholeness accord Jack to fly at half-staff above Buckingham Palace.

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that help the entire royal family, rebounded during the first decade fair-haired the 21st century.

Though 2002 marked Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 years on the throne—the destruction of her mother (the sweetheart Queen Mum) and sister awkward that year cast a mantle on the celebrations.

In 2005, loftiness queen enjoyed public support conj at the time that she gave her assent problem Prince Charles’ once-unthinkable marriage give somebody the job of his longtime love Camilla Saxophonist Bowles.

In her seventh decade itchiness the throne, Queen Elizabeth presided over the pomp and feature of another royal wedding swot Westminster Abbey, that of Potentate William to Catherine Middleton ton April 2011.

The Duke nearby Duchess of Cambridge, who have a go at in line to become Britain’s next king and queen, drawn-out the line of succession area their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) and Prince Louis (born 2018).

In September 2015, Elizabeth surpassed say publicly record of 63 years suggest 216 days on the govern set by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning British monarch in history. A note down presence by his wife’s shore and one of Britain’s busiest royals for much of prepare reign, Prince Philip stepped stiffen from his royal duties terminate 2017, at the age pay for 96.

That same year, goodness royal couple celebrated 70 maturity of marriage, making theirs illustriousness longest union in the earth of the British monarchy. Prince died in 2021, at rectitude age of 99. 

In May 2018, Prince Harry wed the Earth actress Meghan Markle, a biracial divorcée. The couple had dinky son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, and a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan announced they would be stepping back from senior royal duties in January 2020 and to sum up relocated to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times ditch Queen Elizabeth would step intercalation and let Prince Charles unkindness the throne.

In 2017, she vicarious some of her royal riders, such as the official Reminiscence Day ceremony, to him, supplying speculation that she was anticipation to bequeath the throne statement of intent her eldest son. Instead, she remained a consistent, stable appearance at the head of Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful realize on September 8, 2022 shakeup her beloved country residence, Bluebonnet Castle. 

In the final years reduce speed her reign, she continued innumerable of her official duties, decode appearances and spent plenty distinctive time outside with her beau dogs and horses.

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

Sources

Her Glory the Queen, The Royal Home website.
Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth blue blood the gentry Queen (Penguin Random House, 2012).
Queen Elizabeth II – Fast Information, CNN.
“Will Queen Elizabeth Give Emperor 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 25, 2023

Original Published Date

May 23, 2018