For many years, Queen Elizabeth II served as a source of pride for her country, a symbol of continuity and stability, and a figure revered by people all around the world.
She was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who, during her record-breaking reign, showed unflinching devotion to her country and the Commonwealth.
She became Queen at the age of 25, went on to hold the position for the longest period of time, and is now regarded as the foremost head of state in the world.
Her family and the United Kingdom were led by her serene, composed attitude during a time of enormous societal change.
Her Majesty demonstrated an adaptability that many will credit with preserving the continuation of the monarchy, showing a commitment to maintaining the institution’s relevance.
Bron
On April 21, 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born. She was called Lilibet by her closest loved ones.
She was home-schooled and had a contented childhood with her younger sister Margaret growing up in a close-knit family.
Elizabeth’s training for a life of public duties had already begun, but their lives underwent a significant shift in 1936 when their uncle Edward VIII abdicated and their father, the Duke of York, became King George VI.
The princesses were among the thousands of children who were evacuated from London during the Second World War. Elizabeth would make her debut radio transmission at Windsor Castle.
She enlisted in the Auxiliary Transport Corps at age 18 and completed her national service while becoming a licensed driver.
In 1947, she traveled to South Africa for the first time with her parents.
During that tour, she turned 21 and spent the occasion in Cape Town giving one of her most well-known speeches, in which she reaffirmed her lifetime dedication to duty and service.
Marrying Prince Philip
Princess Elizabeth corresponded through correspondence with Prince Philip of Denmark and Greece throughout the war.
Not everyone in the royal court was impressed by how close they were growing, and some of them had other ideas about the kind of guy the princess ought to wed.
However, their engagement was declared in 1947. Following the hardship and austerity of the war, their wedding later that year was the first major state event since the end of the Second World War, and Winston Churchill called it “a blaze of colour.”
Prince Charles and Princess Anne were born shortly after the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as they later became known, swiftly adapted to married life.
To become Queen
King George VI passed away in 1952 when they were on a royal tour to Kenya.
Prince Philip had to inform Elizabeth, who was 25 at the time, that her father had passed away.
She never once showed emotion on the excruciatingly long flight home, according to historian Robert Lacey.
She would use the bathroom roughly every hour and might have sobbed there in private, but upon her return, she was absolutely composed, just as she was when she showed up at the London airport.
The first television broadcast was at her coronation on June 2, 1953.
The young monarch still had to prove she was deserving of the position and capable of handling all the duties that came with it despite the widespread excitement.
Family
The Queen’s family circle fell well short of the ideals of Christian marriage that she herself maintained. Some of her more senior subjects questioned whether the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, who attended church every Sunday wherever she happened to be, could not have fostered in her restless children a firmer dedication to their marriage vows.
Others who had more life experience agreed that even the most fortunate family in the kingdom could not be justifiably excluded from a national failure rate of at least one in three marriages.
The royal pay a visit to the people
Queen Elizabeth II meeting her people was a crucial component of the Queen’s role, in her eyes. She and Prince Philip invented the royal walkabout, which would later become a staple of their travels across the nation.
Her brightly coloured clothing always reflected her idea that “she had to be seen to be believed,” and hundreds of visits per year allowed her to masterfully hone her ability to reassure worried members of the public.
During her reign, garden parties at the palace evolved into more public gatherings with a more socially diversified guest list, and despite her constitutional obligations, she found time to support and promote the more than 600 charities she developed connections with.
Even though she received criticism for not traveling sooner, she made visits to meet victims of disasters including the Aberfan catastrophe, the Dunblane shooting, and the Manchester Arena explosion. In 1991, she delivered a rare speech to the nation just before the Gulf War.
Queen Elizabeth II also inspired the nation with her moving promise that “we will meet again” in another historic broadcast during the first coronavirus shutdown in 2020.
Quiet diplomacy by the Queen
The Queen Elizabeth II frequently made royal trips abroad in addition to traveling widely around the UK. More than any other world leader of the 20th century, she traveled more extensively and interacted with a greater number of religious and political leaders. In addition, she welcomed a large number of state visitors, some of whom were more contentious than others, to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
The Queen Elizabeth II, who was well-respected for her years of public service and experience, became known for her unique brand of quiet diplomacy, which was frequently crucial for preserving Britain’s most important international alliances.
Her groundbreaking trip to the Republic of Ireland in May 2011 was momentous. It was the first time a British monarch had traveled to Ireland in a century and was viewed as a highly symbolic act that formalized the thawing of tensions between Ireland and the UK following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. She was also the first British queen Elizabeth II to go to China and Saudi Arabia, enter a mosque, and have a private audience with the Pope at the Vatican.
One of her greatest loves was horses. It didn’t matter if she was riding her fall pony, spending time at her stables keeping an eye on the most recent horses she had bred, or those who were preparing for races.
For her great knowledge in the field of horse racing, Her Majesty was highly regarded. The Queen’s greatest victory was in 2013, when Estimate, her star filly, won the Ascot Gold Cup, one of the most important races in the world. Her joy at winning was captured on camera and broadcast worldwide. Her amazing sense of humour was frequently praised by those closest to her.
Significant life events for Queen Elizabeth II
—April 21, 1926: Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the first child of future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, sometimes known as the Queen Mother, was born in Mayfair, London.
—Dec. 10, 1936: After her uncle King Edward VIII abdicates and her father assumes the throne, Elizabeth becomes the heir presumptive to the kingdom.
—On October 13, 1940, Elizabeth delivers her first address in public at the age of 14 on the BBC Children’s Hour to reassure kids who had lost their parents during the Blitz.
—1945: Elizabeth gets promoted to the rank of Subaltern while fighting for Britain in World War II with the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
—Elizabeth weds Prince Philip Mountbatten of Greece and Denmark on November 20, 1947, in Westminster Abbey.
—On November 14, 1948, Prince Charles, the future king of England and Wales, is born.
—On August 15, 1950, Anne, the Princess Royal, Elizabeth’s only daughter, is born.
Elizabeth becomes queen on February 6, 1952, following the passing of her father, George VI.
—June 2, 1953: Crowned at Westminster Abbey after a lavish coronation ceremony. She embarks on a tour across the Commonwealth, stopping in Bermuda, Fiji, Tonga, Australia, and Gibraltar, among other locations.
—On February 19, 1960, Elizabeth gives birth to Prince Andrew, her third child.
—Prince Edward, Elizabeth’s fourth child, is born on March 10, 1964.
—Elizabeth makes a historic trip to West Germany in May 1965, marking the first visit to the country by a British monarch in 52 years.
—Elizabeth celebrates her Silver Jubilee in 1977, marking her 25 years as monarch.
—Elizabeth experiences what she refers to as “annus horribilis,” or a “terrible year,” in 1992. Three of her four children’s marriages terminate this year. A fire hits Windsor Castle that same year as well. The queen voluntarily offers to pay income taxes in response to public uproar over the cost of repairs during a recession.
—On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana perishes in a Paris vehicle accident. Elizabeth makes a historic television broadcast in honour of Diana under pressure from the public to show her sorrow.
—2002: Elizabeth celebrates her Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years as monarch. The year also saw the passing of Margaret and Elizabeth’s sister, Mom.
—Elizabeth surpasses Victoria to become the longest-reigning British monarch on December 20, 2007.
—Elizabeth pays a historic visit to Ireland in May 2011—the first British queen to do so since Ireland gained its independence.
—2012: Elizabeth celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years as monarch.
—On September 9, 2015, Elizabeth surpassed Queen Victoria to take the title of British queen with the most years in office.
—June 11, 2016: Three days of nationwide celebrations mark Elizabeth II’s official 90th birthday in Britain.
—Feb. 6, 2017: Elizabeth celebrates her Sapphire Jubilee, marking 65 years as the head of state, being the first British monarch to do so.
— March 2020: At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Elizabeth and Philip relocate from London’s Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle.
—April 9, 2021: Prince Philip, Elizabeth’s 73-year-old husband, passes away at the age of 99.
—Oct. 20, 2021: Elizabeth spends the night getting medical testing done in a hospital in London. Following months of significant engagements are cancelled due to her doctor’s recommendations to only perform light duties.
—On February 6, 2022, Elizabeth celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years as the monarch of the United Kingdom.
—June 2022: During a four-day holiday weekend honouring her Platinum Jubilee, Elizabeth makes a few brief public appearances.
—Sept. 6, 2022: Elizabeth meets Liz Truss and Boris Johnson at her Scottish vacation house to supervise the transfer of authority from the outgoing prime minister to his successor. Due to the queen’s mobility issues, the ceremonies—which were formerly conducted at London’s Buckingham Palace—were transferred to Balmoral for the first time during her reign.
—Sept. 8, 2022: Elizabeth passes away at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Charles III, her eldest son, becomes as king.
Until her death, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, a truly magnificent monarch, served her nation and the Commonwealth.
