Queen Elizabeth II
Who was Queen Elizabeth II?
It seems very strange and sad to be referring to Queen Elizabeth II in the past tense. This blog post is a tribute to our late Queen and her most fascinating life.
To use her full title - Elizabeth
the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of
the Commonwealth & Defender of the Faith - was the longest-serving monarch in British history and served on the throne for 70 years.
Early Life
Our late Queen was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor on 21st April 1926. She was born to parents namely Prince Albert, Duke of York (who would later become King George VI) and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, The Duchess of York.
Amazingly, when little Princess Elizabeth was born it was extremely unlikely that she would ascend to the throne. As the daughter of King Edward VIII’s younger brother, she was third in line for the monarchy. Quite simply, it was presumed that Edward would find a wife and that his first child would become the heir to the throne along with any subsequent children he may have. This would in fact have shifted Princess Elizabeth further down the line of succession.
However, this is when fate played a hand to set the monarchy on a different path of events. The plot twist was significant and it resulted in Princess Elizabeth becoming next in line to the throne. In December 1936: her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated and the crown passed to his brother, Princess Elizabeth’s father.
Following her uncle's abdication, young
Princess Elizabeth's life changed drastically. She was no longer simply a member of the Royal Family: she was the heir to the throne! Her preparation for the position began straightaway in terms of education and how she needed to present herself. Young Elizabeth, who affectionately went by the nickname Lilibet (her husband would lovingly also later call her by this name), had enjoyed a gentle and quite peaceful childhood up until this point. As heir to the throne though, Princess Elizabeth became a figure of keen public interest.
Along with her sister, Princess
Margaret (born in 1930), Princess Elizabeth was home-educated by a team
of private tutors as well as by her father - The King - and other teachers of expertise.
Elizabeth and Margaret, the close sisters,
were tutored in mathematics, French, music and religion. Queen Elizabeth was in fact fluent in French and was a devout Christian for all of her life. As heir to the throne, the older sister also received lessons in constitutional history and law.
Shortly after the outbreak of
the Second World War in 1939, Princess
Elizabeth and her sister, along
with other members of the
Royal Family, had to leave their home in London. A young Elizabeth spent much of the war away from London at
Windsor Castle in Berkshire and other rural locations.
It was from Windsor Castle that the young Queen-in-waiting made the very first of her famous radio
addresses. She was only 14 years old and she received high praise for her reassuring words which reportedly provided particular comfort to the children of Britain. She calmly and bravely said,
"...in the end, all will be
well; for God will care
for us and give us victory
and peace.”
Marriage
Princess Elizabeth first met Prince Philip in 1934 when she was a mere 8 years old. Not that she knew it then but he would become her husband. Aged 21, on 9th July 1947, their engagement was officially announced and the wedding
took place at Westminster Abbey on 20th November 1947. It was a true love match that was set to last for decades. They were only parted by Prince Philip's sad death in 2021.
Throughout their long, joyous marriage, the royal couple had a large family of four children. In total, they also had eight grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren in their extended family.
Becoming Queen
On 6th February 1952, very sadly, Princess Elizabeth’s father, King
George VI, died. From the very moment of his passing, she became Queen Elizabeth II. She was a mere 26 years of age and a mother of two. At this point, she assumed
the role and responsibility
of the monarch, however, she was not crowned Queen Elizabeth II until her official coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on 2nd June 1953.
The entire ceremony was broadcast on radio and, at the direct
request of Queen Elizabeth II herself, on television! Televising the coronation was a ground-breaking moment for this form of media, as, at the time, it was still a relatively new technology. More
than 20 million people watched our late Queen being crowned. This actually outnumbered the radio audience for the first time.
Her Reign
Throughout her time on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II was praised by many people for her peaceful manner and calm nature. The much-loved Monarch met weekly with the prime minister of the UK as part of her constitutional duties. Incredibly, throughout her time as Queen, she reigned over 15 different PMs.
Historically and most notably, she built a strong and agreeable relationship with former prime minister, Winston Churchill. During her lengthy reign, her Majesty travelled extensively across
the Commonwealth of Nations and encouraged younger members of the Royal Family to do the same. She was also the driving force in introducing some modernisation to the Royal Family.
Queen Elizabeth II was kept mightily busy with her Royal duties. However, outside of her service role, she enjoyed many hobbies and outdoor pursuits. She was known for having a particular fondness for horse racing and tending to her beloved dogs - corgis by breed.
Her Death and Her Legacy
Devastatingly, Queen Elizabeth II died on the 8th September 2022 at the age of 96. Her eldest son, Charles, immediately ascended the throne to succeed her.
Queen Elizabeth II will long be remembered for her extraordinarily epic reign, her lifelong drive for duty, and her unwavering commitment to her subjects both in the UK and across all the Commonwealth countries.
Whether you are a royalist or not, it is undeniable that Queen Elizabeth II kept her promise 'to serve' for seven decades. She always presented herself with poise, elegance and dignity, and became a ressuring constant in our lives. Her efforts and contributions to endeavour to retain World Peace will never be forgotten.
Rest in peace Your Majesty. Your duty is well and truly done. You have set a shining example to those who follow you. They have big shoes to fill.
Thank you for everything Ma'am.
It seems very strange and sad to be referring to Queen Elizabeth II in the past tense. This blog post is a tribute to our late Queen and her most fascinating life.
To use her full title - Elizabeth
the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of
the Commonwealth & Defender of the Faith - was the longest-serving monarch in British history and served on the throne for 70 years.
Early Life
Our late Queen was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor on 21st April 1926. She was born to parents namely Prince Albert, Duke of York (who would later become King George VI) and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, The Duchess of York.
Amazingly, when little Princess Elizabeth was born it was extremely unlikely that she would ascend to the throne. As the daughter of King Edward VIII’s younger brother, she was third in line for the monarchy. Quite simply, it was presumed that Edward would find a wife and that his first child would become the heir to the throne along with any subsequent children he may have. This would in fact have shifted Princess Elizabeth further down the line of succession.
However, this is when fate played a hand to set the monarchy on a different path of events. The plot twist was significant and it resulted in Princess Elizabeth becoming next in line to the throne. In December 1936: her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated and the crown passed to his brother, Princess Elizabeth’s father.
Following her uncle's abdication, young
Princess Elizabeth's life changed drastically. She was no longer simply a member of the Royal Family: she was the heir to the throne! Her preparation for the position began straightaway in terms of education and how she needed to present herself. Young Elizabeth, who affectionately went by the nickname Lilibet (her husband would lovingly also later call her by this name), had enjoyed a gentle and quite peaceful childhood up until this point. As heir to the throne though, Princess Elizabeth became a figure of keen public interest.
Along with her sister, Princess
Margaret (born in 1930), Princess Elizabeth was home-educated by a team
of private tutors as well as by her father - The King - and other teachers of expertise.
Elizabeth and Margaret, the close sisters,
were tutored in mathematics, French, music and religion. Queen Elizabeth was in fact fluent in French and was a devout Christian for all of her life. As heir to the throne, the older sister also received lessons in constitutional history and law.
Shortly after the outbreak of
the Second World War in 1939, Princess
Elizabeth and her sister, along
with other members of the
Royal Family, had to leave their home in London. A young Elizabeth spent much of the war away from London at
Windsor Castle in Berkshire and other rural locations.
It was from Windsor Castle that the young Queen-in-waiting made the very first of her famous radio
addresses. She was only 14 years old and she received high praise for her reassuring words which reportedly provided particular comfort to the children of Britain. She calmly and bravely said,
"...in the end, all will be
well; for God will care
for us and give us victory
and peace.”
Marriage
Princess Elizabeth first met Prince Philip in 1934 when she was a mere 8 years old. Not that she knew it then but he would become her husband. Aged 21, on 9th July 1947, their engagement was officially announced and the wedding
took place at Westminster Abbey on 20th November 1947. It was a true love match that was set to last for decades. They were only parted by Prince Philip's sad death in 2021.
Throughout their long, joyous marriage, the royal couple had a large family of four children. In total, they also had eight grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren in their extended family.
Becoming Queen
On 6th February 1952, very sadly, Princess Elizabeth’s father, King
George VI, died. From the very moment of his passing, she became Queen Elizabeth II. She was a mere 26 years of age and a mother of two. At this point, she assumed
the role and responsibility
of the monarch, however, she was not crowned Queen Elizabeth II until her official coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on 2nd June 1953.
The entire ceremony was broadcast on radio and, at the direct
request of Queen Elizabeth II herself, on television! Televising the coronation was a ground-breaking moment for this form of media, as, at the time, it was still a relatively new technology. More
than 20 million people watched our late Queen being crowned. This actually outnumbered the radio audience for the first time.
Her Reign
Throughout her time on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II was praised by many people for her peaceful manner and calm nature. The much-loved Monarch met weekly with the prime minister of the UK as part of her constitutional duties. Incredibly, throughout her time as Queen, she reigned over 15 different PMs.
Historically and most notably, she built a strong and agreeable relationship with former prime minister, Winston Churchill. During her lengthy reign, her Majesty travelled extensively across
the Commonwealth of Nations and encouraged younger members of the Royal Family to do the same. She was also the driving force in introducing some modernisation to the Royal Family.
Queen Elizabeth II was kept mightily busy with her Royal duties. However, outside of her service role, she enjoyed many hobbies and outdoor pursuits. She was known for having a particular fondness for horse racing and tending to her beloved dogs - corgis by breed.
Her Death and Her Legacy
Devastatingly, Queen Elizabeth II died on the 8th September 2022 at the age of 96. Her eldest son, Charles, immediately ascended the throne to succeed her.
Queen Elizabeth II will long be remembered for her extraordinarily epic reign, her lifelong drive for duty, and her unwavering commitment to her subjects both in the UK and across all the Commonwealth countries.
Whether you are a royalist or not, it is undeniable that Queen Elizabeth II kept her promise 'to serve' for seven decades. She always presented herself with poise, elegance and dignity, and became a ressuring constant in our lives. Her efforts and contributions to endeavour to retain World Peace will never be forgotten.
Rest in peace Your Majesty. Your duty is well and truly done. You have set a shining example to those who follow you. They have big shoes to fill.
Thank you for everything Ma'am.