Who was the king of England before Elizabeth 2. Queen Elizabeth II: family secrets and funny habits

Elizabeth 2 is of interest not only to British citizens, but also to many other people interested in history. Not long ago, the UK celebrated the sapphire jubilee, which marked 65 years of the Queen's reign. Elizabeth was crowned at the age of twenty-seven, when the country was still recovering from the Second World War. To this day, the Queen maintains the authority of the British monarchy.

Childhood and family of the future Queen of Great Britain

The biography of the English Queen Elizabeth 2 (then a princess) began on April 21, 1926. The baby was born in the Mayfair area of London, at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore on Brewton Street, by caesarean section. The area has now been rebuilt, and on the site of 17 Brewton Street there is a Chinese restaurant with a commemorative plaque on the wall. The event did not cause a stir at court, because no one could have imagined that the girl would eventually take the royal throne.

At first they wanted to name the baby Victoria. But the princess's father, after consulting with the reigning monarch, decided to name her Elizabeth Alexandra Maria. The baby's christening took place in the chapel at Buckingham Palace on May 29. The chapel was later destroyed during hostilities. Four years later, Elizabeth's sister Margaret was born.

At that time, Elizabeth II's grandfather George V reigned. The cousin of the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II, ruled the country for more than two decades, although he was also not preparing to become king. He was third in the chain of succession to the throne. George's older brother Albert Victor died during the influenza epidemic, and his father, Edward VIII, Queen Victoria's son, died in 1910.

It was George V who renamed the Sacken-Coburg-Gotha royal house into the House of Windsor. During the First World War he renounced all personal and family German titles. Little Elizabeth loved her grandfather very much, although by nature he was a tough and stern man, and in his upbringing he often went too far. The result was a stutter for Prince Albert, the king's second son, which he did not get rid of until the end of his life. But the king had the warmest feelings for his granddaughter.

George V died after a long illness in 1936 at the age of 70. Only 50 years later it became known that the life physician, on his own initiative, performed euthanasia when the king fell into a coma after severe bronchitis. His eldest son Edward was considered the heir to the throne, and the father of Elizabeth, who eventually became queen, was the king's second son, Prince Albert. In the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England there was not yet a hint of a future as head of state.

After the sad event, the throne passed to Edward, but he never became king. He abdicated the throne of his own free will due to an unequal marriage with the American Wallis Simpson. Prince Albert became King George VI. He went down in history as a symbol of the British Empire's struggle against Nazi Germany. The reign of the monarch was marked by the establishment of the position of the dominions and their relationship with Great Britain. Thus, the monarch created the British Commonwealth and became king of all dominions.

Elizabeth II was 10 years old at the start of her father's reign. Henry's younger brother was declared heir to the throne because the king had no sons. But Henry refused such an honorable role in favor of Elizabeth. So the girl became the legal heir to the British throne at such a young age. But if at this time she had a younger brother, he would have inherited the throne.

Elizabeth received an excellent education at home. Teachers taught her manners, humanities, horse riding and many other disciplines that were necessary for the princess. She studied religion, art, history, and law. Many sources say that the girl was drawn to knowledge and even practically learned French on her own.

Elizabeth II during World War II

A courageous and conscientious girl beyond her years appeared before the people of Great Britain during the Second World War. The biography of Elizabeth II began to resemble the life story of a member of the monarch's family. In 1940, at the age of 14, she spoke on the radio with an appeal to children who suffered during the war. And Elizabeth’s first independent appearance in public dates back to 1943. Then the girl visited the regiment of Guards Grenadiers.

At the age of 18, the girl became one of the five advisers - a person who has the right to perform the functions of the monarch in the event of his incapacity or absence. In 1945, changes occurred in the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England (then Crown Princess): she joined a self-defense unit and, together with other girls, was trained as an ambulance driver.

The girl received the military rank of lieutenant. The biography of Elizabeth II during the war was connected with the front. The girl's military service lasted five months. She became the first woman from the British royal family to serve in the army. The future husband of Elizabeth 2, Philip, whose biography was connected with the navy, also served at the front in those years.

The longest marriage in the history of the monarchy

Since childhood, the girl wanted to marry a farmer, but the biography of Elizabeth 2’s husband was not related to agriculture. The girl had an iron character, so her parents’ plans to marry her to a noble young man were in jeopardy. But in the end, the girl abandoned this idea because a sailor cadet attracted her attention. By the way, according to the royal family, it was not much better than a farmer.

Cadet Philip was of no interest to Elizabeth’s family, although he was distinguished by noble origin. The young man was the only son of six children of King George I of Greece, and at birth had the title of Prince of Denmark and Greece. Philip is the great-grandson of Queen Victoria and the last Emperor of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II. After the abdication of the Greek king Constantine, the family moved to France, and little Philip was sent to London to live with relatives.

The young people met at one of the family dinners. Then Elizabeth was only 13 years old, and the young prince was 18. The biography of Elizabeth 2 (the future queen of England) began to change. The girl actively took part in social events, because in the future she was destined to become a monarch. And the meeting with the prince marked the beginning of the love story of her life.

It is believed that during the war, when the young man wrote tender and passionate letters to his beloved from the front, his terminally ill father asked for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage from George VI, but was refused. The groom's family became impoverished, and during the war they almost completely sided with the Nazis, because Philip's sisters married German officers.

During the war, other candidates for marriage with the princess disappeared somewhere: some got married, others decided to continue their search. Only Philip remained. They say that Elizabeth herself proposed marriage to Philip. The parents were not happy with this decision, but were forced to agree to the marriage.

The engagement was officially announced in the summer of 1947. The wedding was planned for November. The wedding took place in Westminster. The groom was allowed to invite only his mother to the wedding, who had been seriously ill for several years. The bride was escorted to the altar by her father. Elizabeth chose a champagne-colored satin wedding dress, which was embroidered with pearl and crystal beads. It took the court designer several months to create this outfit.

After the marriage, the young couple led an active social life. They often appeared at social events. Elizabeth showed an iron character, and the romantic prince even fell in love with singer Pat Kirkwood, but Philip was always devoted to his queen. Elizabeth did everything to stop the rumors. Very soon she gave birth to her first child, and then the couple left for the Philippines. Philip was sent there on duty.

Accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II

In early 1952, the royal couple went on a visit to the Commonwealth countries, but the trip was interrupted by the death of the king. He was diagnosed with lung cancer, but the man died from thrombosis. Newspapers reported that he was in normal health the previous evening.

Then Elizabeth and her husband were on vacation in Kenya. Philip was the first to hear the news. He became the first to bend the knee and take an oath to the queen. The Queen was then in despair. A dispute broke out that the ruling house should now be the House of Mountbatten, where Philip comes from, rather than the House of Windsor. But on the advice of Winston Churchill, the girl refused to take her husband’s surname.

The biography of Elizabeth II has changed. The coronation took place in June 1953. The event was broadcast on central television in many countries around the world. The ceremony brought together thousands of people in front of their television screens and contributed to the popularization of television. This day should be to change the destiny of the country. Twenty-seven-year-old Elizabeth Windsor was preparing for her coronation at Buckingham Palace.

A new page began in the biography of Elizabeth II of England on this day. It was expected that the girl would be crowned with a crown created for Queen Victoria. But she insisted on wearing the traditional St Edward's crown, which weighed more than three kilograms. Her father and grandfather wore this crown only for a few hours during the coronation, while Elizabeth II turned out to be the first royal person who did not remove the sign of power throughout the entire ceremony.

The design of Elizabeth's coronation dress remained a secret for a long time. The white satin outfit, decorated with pearls, diamonds and amethysts, was supposed to look especially impressive in the spotlight. The skirt featured the emblems of Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries.

There was almost an embarrassment with this detail. The Royal Tailor mistakenly painted the daffodil as the emblem of Wales. The officials insisted that the dress have a leek (this is a real emblem). The tailor refined the leek based on the traditions of military uniforms. The Queen called the dress magnificent.

Elizabeth's rehearsals were not in vain. During the ceremony, she forgot to make only one curtsy, while many mistakes were made during her father's accession to the throne. As the queen moved towards the exit of the abbey, her pages blocked her. The BBC producer decided to do a close-up, although the media were warned in advance that there should be no close-ups.

The beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II: actions and events

From now on, the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England (coronation photo above) has attracted the attention of all citizens of the United Kingdom. At the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth bestowed the title “Sir” on Prime Minister Winston Churchill and went on a tour of the Commonwealth countries, British colonies and other countries. She became the first British monarch to visit New Zealand and Australia.

Second half of the fifties - early nineties

A short biography of Elizabeth 2 usually includes a dry listing of the events and actions of the monarch in office, but only the most important facts are really worth mentioning. In 1956, Elizabeth received Nikita Khrushchev and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR at Buckingham Palace. Following the meeting, the leaders of the Soviet state presented the queen with a horse with decorations, a painting by Aivazovsky, a sable cape, and a box with a portrait of the royal family. Prince Philip received as a gift a set of wines, a Tula samovar, a painting and a box with a portrait of his wife. Little Charles was given a horse with decorations, a set of illustrated children's books by Soviet authors and a set of sweets. Princess Anne was even given a three-month-old bear cub.

That same year, Elizabeth met Marilyn Monroe at the Empire Theater in London. In the fall, the Olympic Games took place, the opening ceremony of which was led by the queen's husband. In 1957, Queen Elizabeth II had to choose the head of government. Harold Maxillan, who was 63 years old at the time, was appointed to the post. In May of the same year, the Queen received Eleanor Roosevelt, and in October she made visits to Canada and the United States. Elizabeth II also became the first monarch to wish her subjects a Merry Christmas on television.

In 1960, the couple's second son, Prince Andrew, was born. He became the first child in the last century to be born to a reigning monarch. The following year the Queen continued her active travels. She visited Nepal, Pakistan, Vatican City, Ghana, Cyprus, India, Turkey, Iran and Italy.

At the same time, a new page began in the biography of Elizabeth 2’s sister, Margaret. The girl married a descendant of a Welsh noble family. Margaret was repeatedly called the "rebel princess". She often appeared in the company of rockers, visited London clubs and constantly had affairs. Since the eighties, she has had health problems and an addiction to alcohol and smoking. The biography of Elizabeth 2's sister Margaret ended tragically in 2002. She died of a stroke.

In the summer of 1961, the Queen received the Kennedys, and in 1962, only Jacqueline, who went on tour on behalf of her husband. In 1965, members of the Kennedy family, together with Elizabeth, would open a number of memorial sites in the UK dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy.

In the summer of 1961, Elizabeth met the world's first astronaut. A lunch was held in honor of Yuri Gagarin, which was attended by the royal couple, their children, as well as the Queen's sister and Prince Philip's uncle. In 1969, the first man to land on the moon, American Neil Armstrong, was received at Buckingham Palace.

In March 1964, the last child of Elizabeth II was born. Prince Edward will later abandon the traditional military career for boys born into the royal family. He will pursue a liberal arts degree and work for theater production companies.

In 1970, the biography of Queen Elizabeth II of England was replenished with new diplomatic meetings and visits. She met with American President Richard Nixon and traveled to New Zealand and Australia. During the journey, a new practice of communicating with subjects was introduced. The couple walked the streets and talked with a huge number of people.

The following year, the Japanese Emperor was received in Great Britain, and in mid-1972 the couple and their daughter Anna visited socialist Yugoslavia. There they met with Josip Broz Tito. In September of the following year, the queen's husband made an unofficial visit to the USSR. He met with Leonid Brezhnev, Alexei Kosygin and Nikolai Podgorny. Philip arrived in Moscow as president of the International Equestrian Federation.

In 1974, a crisis began to brew in Great Britain. This required intervention on the part of the queen. No single political party received a majority of the votes, but the result was that Harold Wilson was appointed Prime Minister.

In 1975, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to pay an official visit to Japan; two years later she inaugurated the Olympic Games and received American President Jimmy Carter. In 1978, the leader of socialist Romania and his wife Elena visited the UK. In 1980, Elizabeth met with the Pope at the Vatican. In 1982, the Pope visited Great Britain in person (for the first time in 450 years).

In 1986, the Queen learned of civil war in the colony of Aden. At that moment she was on her yacht Britannia. Elizabeth II decided to enter territorial waters and took on board more than a thousand evacuees.

The reign of Elizabeth II in the late 90s and early 2000s

According to the Queen herself, 1992 was a “terrible year.” In the biography of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, then, indeed, new sad pages appeared. Princess Anne was going through a divorce from her husband, Princes Andrew and Charles also separated from their lovers, but at that time still unofficially. That same year, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire, funding for the court was reduced, and the queen began to be required to pay income taxes.

In 1995, the Queen visited Russia on an official visit, and the following year received Bill Clinton and his wife at Buckingham Palace. At the same time, the divorce of Princess Diana and Prince Charles was officially announced. A year later, the princess died tragically in a car accident. This came as a shock to the ruling family and ordinary citizens.

The Queen's fiftieth anniversary on the throne

Ceremonial events marking Elizabeth's fifty years on the throne were held in 2002. This is the golden anniversary. Unfortunately, Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret died that same year. The biography of the mother of Queen Elizabeth 2 was tragically interrupted in the same year. Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon died at 101 from a severe cold. All of England took this hard. The biography of Elizabeth 2 continued. In 2007, she became the first royal to celebrate a diamond wedding (sixty years of marriage) and the oldest British monarch in history.

Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee

The Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 2012 in the UK and Commonwealth countries. Today, the Queen rules sixteen states (twelve of them were dominions at the time of Elizabeth's coronation). Elizabeth became the second British monarch to celebrate this anniversary. The first was Queen Victoria. Many celebratory events were planned. Parliament, as an anniversary gift, invited the Queen to attend the meeting as an observer. This happened for the first time.

Role in political and social life

It seems that the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England (and the photos confirm this) is only receptions, visits and participation in social events. This is partly true. Elizabeth performs exclusively representative functions and has virtually no visible influence on state affairs. But throughout the entire period of her reign, she quite strengthens the authority of the monarchy. The Queen's duties include visiting different countries, meeting high-ranking guests, reading annual messages to ministers, knighting, presenting awards and receiving ambassadors. Every day, Elizabeth II watches the news and personally responds to several random letters that her subjects send to her in huge quantities.

Family and succession to the throne

In short, the biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England throughout her life was focused on maintaining the authority of the monarchy and performing representative functions. At the same time, she managed to give birth to two children while on the throne. In total, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, have four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward. The Queen has nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. First in line of succession is Charles, followed by his son, Prince William, and his grandchildren (George, Charlotte, Louis).

The biography of the daughter of Elizabeth 2 is of some interest. Princess Anne survived several assassination attempts; she serves as a member of the royal house of Britain. After graduating from school, the royal princess constantly organized meetings and participated in several funds to help those in need. The daughter of Queen Elizabeth II visited Russia more often than other members of the royal seven. She officially represented her state at the Olympic Games in the Russian Federation.

This summer, a long-awaited and extremely significant event for the British happened: exactly a month ago, on July 22, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge Catherine gave birth to a son, Prince George Alexander Louis. The fate of people of “blue blood” has always been of interest to the public, and now the people of Great Britain and the whole world are trying to find out new facts about the life of the royal dynasty and predict what George Louis will be like in the future, how the “royal inheritance” will affect his life, especially that the prince has every chance to lead the monarchy in the future, because George Louis is the third in line of contenders for the royal throne.

We were interested in old archival photographs, mainly from the first half of the last century, which depicted the childhood years of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. We present to your attention a selection of these rare photographs.

(Total 30 photos)

1. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain was born on April 21, 1926 in London into the family of the Duke and Duchess of York.

2. A newly discovered photograph of the Duke of York's young family. This casual photo was taken not by a professional royal photographer, but by ordinary tourists traveling in Scotland whose car suddenly broke down, forcing them to knock on the door of a nearby house for help. Elizabeth's parents opened the door with their newborn baby in their arms. They were so kind that they not only helped the travelers fix their car, but also happily posed for a memorable photo from Scotland.

3. 1928, Elizabeth 2 years old. In a narrow circle of the family, the little heir to the throne received the nickname Lilibet, because for a long time she could not learn to correctly pronounce her full name.

4. 1929, Elizabeth with her father.

5. At birth, Elizabeth became the Duchess of York and was third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII) and father.

6. Since Prince Edward was quite young and expected to marry and have children, Elizabeth was not initially considered as a possible candidate for the throne.

7. Soon she had a younger sister, Margaret. King George VI often said of his daughters: “Lilibeth is my pride and Margaret is my joy.”

8. Children's games of Princess Elizabeth.

9. Young Elizabeth with her parents.

10. 1932, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose with their parents at the Boy Scouts Parade at Windsor Castle, Berkshire. (Photo: /Getty Images)

11. King George and Queen Elizabeth with Princesses Elizabeth (center) and Margaret, as well as members of the royal family in full uniform, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the coronation, May 12, 1937. (Photo: Getty Images). A year earlier, Prince Albert (George VI) became king, and 10-year-old Elizabeth became heir to the throne and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace. At the same time, she remained in the role of “heir presumptive” (“presumed heir”), and if George VI had a son, he would inherit the throne.

12. The Queen, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose and the Royal Archers, 1937. (Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images)

13. Princess Elizabeth with a pony in Windsor Park, Berkshire, April 1939. (Photo: Central Press / Getty Images). According to the recollections of Elizabeth’s teacher, at the age of 12 the girl told her: “if I were not the queen, I would live in the village and get myself a lot of horses and dogs.”

14. When Elizabeth was 13 years old, World War II began. In 1940, at the age of 14, she made her first radio appearance, addressing children affected by the scourge of war. In 1943, Elizabeth appeared in public, paying a visit to the regiment of Guards Grenadiers. In 1944, she became one of the five “state councilors” - persons who have the right to perform the functions of the king in the event of his absence or incapacity. In 1945, the future queen joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (women's self-defense units), where she was trained as an ambulance driver and received the rank of lieutenant.

15. Here Elizabeth is captured as a young mother with her first child, Prince Charles. Prince Charles was born on November 14, 1948 at the royal family's residence, Buckingham Palace. In the photo, Queen Elizabeth II holds the prince in her arms after the baptism ceremony, which took place on December 15. During the ritual, the baby was dipped in water taken from the Jordan River.

16. The Prince of Wales's full name was Charles Philip Arthur George. He became the first contender for the royal throne, born in a “violation” of a centuries-old tradition: this time the country’s Minister of Internal Affairs did not have the honor of being present at the royal birth. The innovations that accompanied Charles's life, however, did not end there: he became the first crown prince to be sent to school (young monarchs before him were taught at home) and the first to receive a university diploma.

17. The prince was raised by a nanny, because his mother, according to Charles himself, “played the queen” more...

19. Royal Family, August 1951. From left to right: Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, the Duke of Edinburgh, King George and Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II), as well as little Princess Anne in her pram. The following year, 1952, Princess Elizabeth became Queen of Great Britain.

20. The teachers did not spoil the heir to the throne too much: for his offenses they simply... flogged him.

22. Elizabeth with little Charles and Anne.26. At the age of 9, the prince was sent to the luxurious Hill House private school, where, according to tradition, blue-blooded students swept the yard and washed the floors. No exception was made for the king's son. In the photo, the prince introduces his mother to his classmates and teachers.

27. By the way, little Charles really didn’t like school, he didn’t study well, and once complained to a friend about his classmates who “beat him with pillows at night.”

28. Charles did not understand his exclusivity for a long time: having once heard how prayers were being offered in church services for his mother, the queen, and for him as an heir, the prince said: “I would like them to pray for other boys too.”

29. At Princess Margaret's wedding, 1960.

30. September 1960, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh with their children, Prince Andrew (center), Princess Anne (left) and Charles, Prince of Wales near Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Queen Victoria's husband purchased Balmoral Castle in 1846. Queen Victoria visited Scotland frequently with her family, especially after the death of her husband in 1861, and Balmoral is still a favorite holiday destination for the royal family. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images).

The institution of monarchy has been the most important phenomenon in British social life since the time of the first English king, William the Conqueror, to the present day. What is this - a relic of the past or a symbol of national unity that has more than once united the British in difficult times?..

In our article we tried to give a brief historical background about the ruling dynasty of Windsor and the current reigning monarch - Queen Elizabeth II of England.

You will be able to get acquainted with the regional information necessary for everyone who has seriously decided - the biography of the Queen of Great Britain, interesting facts and even curiosities from the life of the royal family - as well as get acquainted with the original and learn the translation of the national anthem of the British Empire. Let's learn English like royalty!

Royal family name

The surname Windsor arose relatively recently. During the First World War, Elizabeth's future grandfather King George V (cousin of both the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and the last German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm), who belonged to the German Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty (the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha), defiantly out of patriotic feelings abandoned his German roots, adopting the surname Windsor [ˈwɪnzə] after the castle that was home to the royal family at the time.

Thus, the beginning of the Windsor surname should be considered 1917 - a fairly young age for a European monarchical dynasty.

Until 1917, members of the royal family (British royals) did not have surnames: they were replaced by the name of the royal house and the name of the lands owned by the dynasty. Therefore, kings and queens signed only with the name - .

After the marriage of Princess Elizabeth Windsor to Prince Philip Mountbatten, it was decided that the heir to the throne would bear the surname Windsor, and descendants without the right to the throne would be called Mountbatten-Windsor.

Other royals have the right to choose their own surname: in addition to the Windsor surname, there are many others in the royal family tree (the surname is often replaced by the title).

Common forms of addressing members of the royal family:

	HM - His (Her) Majesty	His (Her) Majesty	address to the king or queen
Prince and Princess	HRH - His (Her) Royal Highness	His (Her) Royal Highness	address to a prince or princess
Duke and Duchess		His (Her) Lordship	address to the Duke or Duchess
Earl and Countess, Viscount and Viscountess	The Rt Hon - The Right Honourable	Hon.	address to the Count and Countess, Viscount and Viscountess

Young heir to the throne

Little Lilipeth, as she was later called in the family, was born on April 21, 1926 in the family of a prince belonging to one of the most ancient and proud monarchies in Europe. And, what is especially important, it is a ruling one, albeit a constitutional one (the monarch governs his state only formally, since the laws are still passed by the parliament elected by the people).

However, the golden-haired girl’s chances of ruling the state were not so great: her father Albert (Bertie) Windsor, Duke of York, was not the heir to the throne.

But chance intervened: the young princess was not yet ten when a romantic and scandalous story took place in the British Kingdom.

In 1936, Albert’s elder brother Edward, by that time already King Edward VIII, decided to marry the American Bessie Wallis Simpson, a divorced woman (twice!), and also suspected of having connections with the military intelligence of Nazi Germany.

As the head of the Church of England, the king could not have demonstrated to his subjects a more flagrant example of a violation of the Seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”: to marry a divorced person (“divorced”), and even twice, and even a member of the royal family (“royal family”), was equated with adultery.

Everyone and everyone was against the loving couple: the Archbishop of Canterbury, government ministers, and the British people. The king made a choice: after reigning for less than a year, Edward VIII abdicated (“abdicated”) on his own behalf and on behalf of his descendants (“descendants”), declaring the following in a speech on national radio:

And Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor - Bertie, Elizabeth's father - ascended the throne, taking the name George VI and making the eldest of his two daughters heir to the imperial throne.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

When World War II began (1 September 1939), Princess Elizabeth was thirteen. London suffered from enemy bombing and the children of many residents of the capital were evacuated. But Elizabeth’s mother flatly refused to leave London:

In 1940, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth made her first appearance on BBC radio, addressing the children of evacuated towns:

In 1943, at the age of sixteen, the princess made her first public speech to soldiers of the Grenadier Guards, of which she had been a colonel for several months. After completing a driving and mechanics course, five months later the princess was promoted to junior officer (Junior Commander).

But despite the mother’s fears, the marriage turned out to be happy: after the wedding in 1947, according to tradition - in Westminster Abbey of London, the prince and princess - and then the king and queen - lived in peace and harmony for many years , celebrating silver, gold and diamond weddings.

It is noteworthy that the princess bought fabric for her wedding dress using coupons - in the post-war period in Great Britain there were restrictions on the purchase of food, clothing, shoes, etc.; Out of solidarity with the people, the royal family adhered to the generally accepted card system.

The heir to the dynasty, Prince Charles, was born in 1948, and a few years later Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward were born.

Crown for the queen!

The coronation of the 25-year-old Elizabeth II as monarch of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon took place on June 2, 1953 (her father died a year earlier, in 1952).

The dress for the ceremony, like the Queen's wedding dress, was created by fashion designer Norman Hartnell. It was a work of art imbued with deep symbolism: the white silk of the robe was embroidered with floral motifs symbolizing the countries of the Commonwealth.

The luxurious royal dress featured: English Tudor rose, Scottish thistle [ˈθɪs(ə)l]), Welsh leek (leek), Irish clover (shamrock), Australian acacia (wattle [ˈwɒt(ə) l]), Canadian maple leaf (maple [ˈmeɪp(ə)l] leaf), New Zealand fern (fern), South African protea (protea), lotus flowers, symbolizing India and Ceylon, as well as the emblems of Pakistan - wheat ( wheat), cotton and jute.

For luck, the creator of the dress, secretly from the customer, placed a leaf of a four-leaf clover on it exactly where the queen's left hand should touch it.

The coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey was not much different from the traditional one, except that it was the first such ceremony to be shown on television.

The coronation was accompanied by magnificent celebrations in all countries of the Commonwealth, and in London, an official coronation luncheon was given in honor of the new queen, at which the chefs delighted the guests with “Coronation Chicken” - a dish created especially for this occasion.

The royal family lives in Buckingham Palace: it has 775 rooms, served by more than 800 people, each of whom is traditionally sent a Christmas pudding by the Queen once a year.
The monarchy "costs" the British people just over £36 million a year.
The Queen's fortune is estimated at £300 million, which gives her the right to take only 257th place in the ranking of the richest people in Britain.
The crown treasures do not belong to the queen - she only uses them by proxy, without the right to sell or give them away.
The Queen was born at the end of April, but celebrates her birthday twice a year: the first time - in April with her family, the second, the so-called Queen's Official Birthday - on one of the Sundays in May or June, at the choice of the government .
Why at the beginning of summer? The official birthday of the monarch was traditionally celebrated with lush open-air festivities, so the choice of the exact date of the royal birthday party always depended on weather conditions - and at this time the weather in London is as dry and sunny as ever.
In 1981, during the Trooping the Color ceremony dedicated to the Queen's official birthday, while Elizabeth was riding her horse Burmese, six pistol shots were fired (as it later turned out, the attacker fired blank cartridges) . Without losing her presence of mind, the queen continued the ceremony, showing an example of restraint and composure in the face of danger.
During her reign, the Queen answered more than 3.5 million letters and sent more than 175,000 telegrams to her subjects in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries.
The queen's breakfast consists of muesli and oatmeal, yogurt and two types of marmalade - light and dark.
Elizabeth II is a passionate lover of horses and dogs. Its purebred horses often win races, and its success in breeding new dog breeds is admirable. Officially, the Queen is the creator of the Dorgi and Fergi breeds, which were created by crossing the Corgi breed with other dog breeds.

How to address the queen

You can write to Her Majesty at the following address:
Her Majesty The Queen
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA
If you wish to adhere to all the rules of etiquette when communicating in writing with the Queen, address your addressee Madam, and end your message with the following phrase:

However, you may well adhere to a free style of presentation: after all, it is known that the queen even understands, because she often has to “SMS” with her older grandchildren.

Elizabeth II bears many titles and honorary titles, including the seemingly “masculine” titles of Duke of Normandy and Lord of Maine. But the official website of the British monarchy, when communicating with the queen, advises at the beginning of the conversation to simply address her: Your Majesty ("Your Majesty"), and after that - Madam or Ma "am. By the way, it is becoming increasingly popular with the queen, do not miss your chance:

National anthem of the British Empire

Its origin dates back to the eighteenth century. Depending on the gender of the monarch - and there are 40 monarchs in the United Kingdom: 34 kings and 6 queens, including the current one - the anthem was called God Save The King or God Save The Queen. queen"). The authorship of the words and music has not been established.

God save the queen!

(free translation)

God save our merciful queen!
Long live our noble queen!
God save the queen!
Bless her with victories,
Happiness and glory
And long reign over us,
God save the queen!

With your chosen gifts
Shower her with Thy mercy,
May she reign for a long time.
May she protect our laws,
To always give us a reason
Sing with your heart and voice:
"God save the queen!"

There are many different variations of the British anthem: we have given only a short official version, but you can find expanded and modified versions in the English-language Wikipedia.

From the point of view of English grammar, the British anthem is interesting primarily for two reasons:

The use of archaisms (the shortened version included only the obsolete form of the pronoun your - thy [ðʌɪ]).
Widespread use of the subjunctive mood - the Present Subjunctive, the subjunctive mood of the present tense - which is formed using the infinitive of the semantic verb without the particle to and means wish:
God to save the Queen! God to bless you!

Wherein:
The verb be remains unchanged regardless of person:
I'll be
he, she, it be
we, you, they be
In other cases, compared to the indicative mood, verbs in the 3rd person have singular. there is no ending -s:
he/she/it makes s
The modal verb may is also used in wishes:
May the force be with you! - May the force be with you!

So, God save the Queen! Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, Her Majesty Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Her Other Kingdoms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, Defender of the Faith.

A symbol of the English state, a mother of four children, a persistent and courageous person, a passionate animal lover and a woman pleasant in every way!

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Published: March 20, 2013 at 01:15

Queen of England- another iconic symbol of London. British Queen Elizabeth 2 has been on the throne for more than sixty years.

During this time, the map of the planet changed many times, states appeared and disappeared, coups, revolutions and wars occurred, and Her Royal Majesty Elizabeth 2 personified the stability and sustainable development of her country - Great Britain.

Neither fascism, nor communism, nor any forms of extremism have passed here. Great Britain and its queen were, are and always will be.

And although the great imperial times are long gone, the glory of Britain does not fade, the country is developing, its standard of living was and remains one of the highest in the world, and the English Queen Elizabeth is loved by millions of subjects. The recently magnificently celebrated diamond anniversary of her reign - the sixtieth anniversary - is direct evidence of this.

BornElizaveta Alexandra Maria(full name of Queen Elizabeth 2) April 21, 1926 in a London area that remains wealthy and aristocratic today. The house where the future queen was born, unfortunately, has not survived, but even today, wandering through the streets in the area of Berkeley Square and Brewton Street, it is quite possible to feel the spirit of the glorious Windsor past.

In 1947, Princess Elizabeth got married for Lieutenant of the British Navy Philippa Mountbatten, a member of several royal families of Europe, the great-grandson of three monarchs, including the Russian Emperor Nicholas 2. The Queen had an only younger sister - Princess Margaret (1930 - 2002).

Elizabeth became British monarch February 6, 1952 after the death of his father George 6. The coronation took place June 2, 1953 in Westminster Abbey.

During this time, more than a dozen prime ministers and several thousand deputies of the House of Lords and the House of Commons ruled the country with her. Queen Elizabeth 2 experienced both sad and joyful moments in the history of the country, crises, wars, the Olympics, the World and European Football Championships, the British flight into space and much, much more.

The Queen of Great Britain lives in, in the very center of London.

The palace is closed to visitors. Only a few of its halls are open to tourists in the summer, when Her Royal Majesty goes to one of her country residences.

In normal times, country residences are open to the public, unlike Buckingham Palace.

One of the queen's most interesting country residences is the Palace with a huge garden, located in.

It is 20 miles east of London.

The Queen and her husband Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh have four children. Children of Queen Elizabeth 2: Prince Charles, princess Anna, prince Andrew and the prince Edward.

The image of Queen Elizabeth II and the English monarchy as a whole appears in London at every turn - in souvenirs, in the names of streets, squares, theaters and pubs, in street advertising, and, it seems, even in the very air of London.

What do you call a person who does not have a passport and does not need one? What if he doesn’t have a driver’s license, again not needing one?

You’ll shrug your shoulders: you never know the inhabitants of New Guinea, the Amazonian jungle, and ordinary vagabonds live like this...

Let's narrow the search: this person, not embarrassed by his age, famously drives one of his two favorite cars on his estates, his profile is sometimes minted on coins of 35 countries.

Didn't guess the answer? Let us solemnly announce the name/position: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

Is it possible to separate Great Britain and the monarchy? If people are willing to live in a tent in the cold air of a London street for two or three days, with children, for the opportunity to see the passage of the royal wedding carriage for a minute, it turns out: for citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in addition to football, cricket, the Magna Carta (it already 803 years old) there is a higher priority - the monarchy. This opinion is confirmed by passionate “cheering” for the planned/unplanned events that occur in the royal family: from birthdays and weddings to scandals and divorces.

Several decades ago, Elizabeth II became a world-famous brand of Great Britain and the entire Commonwealth, which has existed since 1931, today numbering five dozen countries. Can an unsuccessful project last that long?

A “reigning, but not ruling” queen has many responsibilities and serious powers, some of which are traditional Not applies. Elizabeth II (head of the country, commander-in-chief of all armed forces) has the right to veto legislation passed by parliament; may please parliament with an extraordinary session; can overclock it (sorry, dissolve), setting a date for early elections 1. Plus, the Queen of Great Britain, being the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, expands the country’s “soft influence” (linguistic, cultural, scientific) almost a third of modern countries in the world.

Of course, the British Prime Minister (in her lifetime, Elizabeth II fruitfully collaborated with thirteen, a similar number of US presidents, and seven Popes) has full executive power and similar responsibility, being the most important civil servant of Great Britain. They come and go, but monarchs reign - and indirectly rule.

How was the childhood and youth of the future Queen of Great Britain?

A father's positive example has a positive influence on children. The young heir to the throne, brought up at home, observing the responsible attitude of her father - King George VI - to his royal duties (which he Not achieved), was a disciplined, punctual, attentive, diligent child. Throwing toys/clothes around was new to her; She could even arrange candies strictly according to the color scheme of the wrapper.

However, it is necessary to note the cases of disobedience of Elizabeth (whom her relatives called Lilibet at home) to her parents’ will. The first heir to the throne refused at the outbreak of hostilities to go to Scotland/Canada away from the bombings, because her parents, the king and queen, considered it indecent to leave their people in trouble. The king refused the heiress the post of London nurse; in February 1945 (date of birth - 04/21/1926) she joined the ranks of ATS 2, becoming Lieutenant Elizabeth Windsor; service life was five months 3.

Marriage, beginning of the reign of Elizabeth 2

Is etiquette required for weddings to include a small dose of love? Most likely not, but Lilibet, who had been corresponding with her fourth cousin Philip for five years, wished just that.

In 1922, the king of Greece abdicated the throne; together with his relatives he was expelled from the country. The one-year-old son of the king's brother, Prince Andrew, Philip, ended up in Paris, and in 1928 he moved to London.

A high-born aristocrat, the grandson of the King of Denmark, the son of Prince Philip of Greece, deigned to arrive in Great Britain by special transport (we are talking about a box in which oranges comfortably traveled in front of him). After leaving school in 1939-40, he graduated from the Royal Naval College (Dartmouth), received the rank of midshipman, and served in World War II, rising to the rank of first lieutenant.

In 1946, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark turned to King George VI, asking for permission to marry the heir to the throne. The royal family was against it (non-compliance with the requirements - a ruined family that had lost power...), but Lilibet was “for”; this turned out to be enough.

Philip had to:

give up existing titles;
become Mountbatten (an anglicized version of his mother's surname);
take British citizenship;
accept Anglicanism (was baptized in Greek Orthodoxy);
to respectfully accept the titles granted by King George VI before the marriage, making him Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merionett, Baron of Greenwich 4.

The Duke and Princess were married on November 20, 1947 (61 years ago), the ceremony location was Westminster Abbey. The wedding was one of the most magnificent in history; at the same time, it was the first to be broadcast on television, which contributed to the popularity of the newlyweds.

It’s probably not possible to call their married life ideal: the Duke of Edinburgh was a rather proud and obstinate husband, so preserving the marriage is primarily the merit of the loving queen.

The first child who made the couple a family - Prince Charles, heir to the throne - was born on November 14, 1948, his sister, Princess Anne, was born on August 15, 1950.

After this, the time of trials came: on 02/06/1952 the king died of lung cancer; Lilibet was proclaimed Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The official coronation took place on 06/02/1953, and two months before this, Elizabeth II’s grandmother, Queen Mary, died of cancer. Her last will was to hold the coronation at the appointed time, without taking into account the declared mourning.

The beginning of the reign was not easy - the coming and going of prime ministers, growing unrest in the colonies, a high level of expectations of the subjects. The Queen was able to comprehend the incredible complexity of royal duties, to overcome then (and in the future) the most difficult problems.

Already “under the crown” Elizabeth gave birth to two more sons - Princes Andrew (02/19/1960) and Edward (03/10/1964) 5 .

Lifestyle and habits of Elizabeth 2

Is the royal title a symbol of idleness? The Queen of Great Britain works every day for over 66 years of reign; the exception is the main holiday of the Nativity of Christ for Western Europe, which a large family - the royal couple, three sons and a daughter, numerous grandchildren (eight!), great-grandchildren (five, but there will be more) celebrates together.

The red briefcase is a container for various documents (including intelligence and intelligence data) that Elizabeth II receives at nine in the morning every day; some of them require her signature. This information greatly contributes to the weekly professional communication of the monarch with the next prime minister.

The Queen is still interested in horseback riding and car riding, in the first case without a jockey helmet, in the second without wearing a seat belt. Fishing also enjoys her favor. A royal family hobby is pheasant hunting (from October to November), the chickens of which are bred on the estates specifically for this purpose. Let's clarify: men are shooting, women are only present. Pheasants are served at the royal table for three to four months, then thawed and fed to hunting dogs. Such a dog’s life is enough to howl...

The Queen is not a supporter of exotic food, preferring game, fish, vegetables, fruits from her own estates; drinks a cocktail (gin + vermouth) before dinner 6.

Elizabeth II also pays hundreds of thousands of pounds in taxes on her private property - voluntarily, since the legislation does not provide for this 7.

Queen of Great Britain and heirs to the throne

The eldest son of the royal couple, Prince Charles, is not a stupid person, but with his behavior he often resembles an offended teenager who was promised, but was never given, the desired toy - the royal crown. Since he celebrated his 70th birthday a month ago, he is unlikely to want to change his behavior.

Recently, on April 20, 2018, the leaders of the countries that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations approved the candidacy of Prince Charles for the role of head of the Commonwealth 8 . However, he refuses to accept the main rule: the royal mission is service for the good of one's own country, maintaining a polite smile under all circumstances. His desire is to to him allowed to impose their own point of view on fellow citizens. Question: will such an heir be allowed to rule, and if so, for how many days? After all, it will take a diligent prince a little time to destroy the sacred meaning of the monarchy...

Next in line is the grandson-heir, Prince William. Is he ready to maintain his posture under the weight of the crown? The attitude of his subjects towards him is quite favorable; he seems to be associated with his mother, Princess Diana, rather than his unpopular father. Most likely, the roles have already been assigned, but we will have to wait a couple of years for the final resolution of the situation. Perhaps it will be quite unexpected.

Elizabeth II recently complained about the weight of the crown (1.3 kg), which was becoming unsafe for her health 9 . It is impossible to raise/lower your head in it, since the mentioned movement is fraught with a dislocation of the neck (at best).

Let’s put forward a fruitful idea: the top officials of even one hundred percent republican countries, in order to raise their personal/state authority, should wear crowns made of precious metals, inlaid with diamonds/rubies/sapphires, weighing from one and a half kilograms at official receptions (preferably all working hours), and every year a “headdress” should be heavier by 200-500 grams. Restrictions on holding an elective position can be easily abolished as unnecessary. True, this threatens to increase the costs of burying “leaders of nations.” But what can’t you do for the continued prosperity of the country...