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Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the royal family. On VE Day, the Queen and her sister Princess Margaret slipped in the crowd during celebrations

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For more than 60 years, the constant symbol of Great Britain and also the reigning queen of this country has been Elizabeth II, who has survived many world rulers, shocks, scandals, and still remains not only a favorite of the British, but also a person followed by the whole world.

The Queen's Childhood

Elizabeth Alexandra Maria was born in 1926 on April 21 in one of the houses in London. This event was not loud, because at the birth of the girl, no one even thought that she would become the heir to the throne. Elizabeth II was the granddaughter of the then reigning king, who was supposed to pass the throne to her uncle or father, but not to her. Therefore, there was no excitement around the birth of Lilibet, as the family liked to affectionately call her, just another member of the royal family was born.
Elizabeth II was a quiet child. Her favorite pastimes were horse racing and dog breeding. She received an excellent education, as befits a member of the Windsor dynasty. She studied many subjects, but placed particular emphasis on law, religious studies and art history. Elizabeth was also very interested in the French language.
Edward, Elizabeth's uncle, abdicated the throne in favor of marrying a twice-divorced woman, and since, as king, he was also the head of the Church of England, such a marriage was forbidden to him. Next in line to the throne was Elizabeth's father, Albert Frederick (later King George VI), and suddenly at the age of 11 the girl became the direct heir to the throne, since she had no brothers. From Kensington, Elizabeth's family moved to Buckingham Palace, and 3 years later the Second World War began. Great Britain was one of the first countries to declare war on the Third Reich, and life in Europe changed dramatically.
Although the main political decisions in the United Kingdom were made by Parliament, the royal family was still a symbol of the unity of the nation; the hard work of maintaining the strength of the country’s spirit and faith in victory fell on its shoulders. King George VI regularly visited the troops, and Elizabeth took an active part in this, visiting the grenadier regiment in 1943. A couple of months before the end of the war, Elizabeth II joined the army and today is the only ruler in the world to have completed the Second world war, moreover, she is the only participant in World War II in the world who did not retire from the military. In the army, she served as a driver-mechanic of an auxiliary ambulance, being a member of the women's self-defense unit. To this day, Queen Elizabeth II holds the rank of lieutenant.

Queen's Marriage

In most cases, royals marry those suitors who are beneficial to the country, and not for love. But in the case of Elizabeth II, everything was not so, and she, as in a fairy tale, found her love in her youth and defended her marriage with her beloved. Today we can see that this choice was correct, since the future queen fell in love once and for all her life.
Elizabeth met Philip, her future husband, at the naval school. Although he was a Greek prince, he could offer nothing but a title and his love to the future queen. And yet, Elizabeth fell madly in love, wrote letters to him throughout the war, and finally defended the right to her love by becoming engaged to the prince. At the age of 21, Elizabeth II got married on November 20, 1947. After the wedding, Philip received the title Duke of Edinburgh and abandoned the title of Prince Consort, which was customary for his position. Born in 1921, the Duke of Edinburgh is still in good health and accompanies the Queen at events. In 1952, the young couple went on vacation to Kenya, and at the same time Elizabeth’s father died. At that moment she became the Queen of Great Britain.
Four children were born into the family of Elizabeth II and Philip. The firstborn Charles (1948) is heir to the throne as the Queen's eldest son. He has a sister, Anna (1950), and brothers, Andrew (1960) and Edward (1964). Today the Queen has 8 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, so the royal family is quite extensive.

The first years of the queen's reign

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was watched literally by the whole world, since it was the first such event at which cameras were used. The 25-year-old ruler ascended the throne according to tradition in Westminster Abbey. After the ceremony, the Queen, accustomed to traveling, did not abandon her habit and primarily visited member countries of the British Commonwealth. Just in the 50-60s of the last century, these states were granted independence, there were especially many of them in Africa. At the same time, for the first time in history, a British monarch visited New Zealand and Australia, because Elizabeth II is still nominally the queen of these countries. If speak about current state Commonwealth of Nations, then Elizabeth II is still its permanent head. All organizational issues in the Commonwealth countries are resolved without her participation; she has become only a symbolic figure.
In addition to foreign affairs, the queen did not forget about the internal issues of the country. She regularly held meetings with representatives of parliament and discussed pressing matters of the state. In 1957, the first crisis during the Queen's reign erupted - Anthony Eden, who was then Prime Minister, resigned, and since the party did not yet have proven mechanisms for electing a leader, this issue had to be resolved by the Queen. At that time, Elizabeth II often consulted with the legendary Winston Churchill, and at his suggestion, the queen proposed a new candidate for prime minister, Harold Macmillan, who was accepted for the post.

Being a queen is not easy at all!

Throughout her long life and long reign, Queen Elizabeth II has experienced many adversities and even scandals. And yet, in every situation, with a truly British sense of dignity, she found the right words or actions.
In 1979, Prince Philip's uncle, Louis Mountbatten, was killed when a radio-controlled bomb was planted on his yacht by terrorists from the Irish Republican Army. On the same day, the radicals decided to deal with the British soldiers by organizing an attack on them. As a result, 18 people died.
Two years later, Elizabeth II's son Charles married Diana Spencer. Today we know that this marriage was not for love and ended tragically. Lady Di, or Princess of Wales, was a favorite not only of Great Britain, but of the whole world; she led a busy charitable and social life. Even despite two children, the spouses could not be found common language and, according to both, cheated on each other. For the queen, such behavior was unacceptable; she insisted on the divorce of Charles and Diana, which took place in 1996. In 1997, Lady Di was involved in a car accident, which became fatal for her. After this, many condemned Queen Elizabeth II for her cold behavior during and after the days of mourning. Charles subsequently married his longtime love, Duchess of Cornwall Camilla Parker-Bowles.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the Falklands War also took place, ending with the victory of Great Britain and the preservation of the archipelago as part of the United Kingdom.
The Queen was also able to reconcile Catholics and Protestants in her country, because by tradition she is also the head of the Anglican Church. The whole world watched the reconciliatory meeting between the Pope and the British Queen, the heads of the two churches.
2017 was the 65th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and this is a whole era.

Monarchy today

The world does not stand still, and changes are constantly happening in the UK. If back in the century before last the power of the monarch was absolute, today all legislative issues are decided by the prime minister and members of parliament, but, again, only with the consent of the queen. “England”, “monarchy”, in the understanding of many, are synonymous words, and with good reason: the queen continues to play a major role in the life of the state - she has the right to declare war or conclude a truce, and it is to her that the “oath of allegiance” is taken.

To this day, the Queen permanently resides in Buckingham Palace and only in the summer goes on vacation to her country residence - the famous Edinburgh Castle. Despite her rather serious age, Elizabeth the Second, as before, has many hobbies: she breeds and trains dogs, is interested in horse breeding, and continues the traditional family hobby of carrier pigeons. Elizabeth II has the largest collection of jewelry, including a unique pink diamond inherited.

It is interesting to know that the Queen of England does not have a passport, which, however, does not prevent her from moving freely around the world. According to British law, all passports in the country are issued in the name of Her Majesty, but Elizabeth herself does not need this document. By the way, this rule does not apply to the rest of the royal family - they all have a regular passport. In addition, the leading lady of Great Britain is the only one in the state who can drive a car without a license.

“An Unfinished Romance” is a sentimental story of two people who love each other very much, but cannot be together. Both have families and, accordingly, obligations to loved ones. For many years in a row, the heroes have been meeting at the hotel. They have only a few days a year to be with someone without whom life is impossible. It would seem that the story staged by director Natalya Bulyga is pure drama. But no! The production turned out to be fun and light, because love is not necessarily and not always a tragedy. Screen star Maria Poroshina, who, in addition to many other film roles, played the sorceress Svetlana in Timur Bekmambetov’s films “Night Watch” and “Day Watch,” herself invited Yaroslav Boyko to take part in the play “An Unfinished Romance.” For her, the choice of stage partner was obvious. Their creative tandem originated back in 2003, when the series “Always Say Always” was released. The actors turned out to be so organic in the role of a loving couple that the viewer was left with no doubt: of course they were having an affair!

Studio “Kvartal 95” goes on a world tour with concerts of “Evening Kvartal” The project “Evening Kvartal” is a humorous show with a unique format of intellectual humor. And the humor in “Evening Quarter” is always fresh and relevant, sharp and accurate. The special recognizable style of “Kvartal 95” is a combination of good humor and a positive outlook on life, relevance and sharp political satire, as well as an orientation towards universal and family values. “Evening Quarter” has been the most popular show on Ukrainian television for many years, traditionally attracting millions of viewers.

English trainer irregular verbs will help you remember their spelling and meaning. Fill in the empty cells. If you spelled it correctly, the word will change color from red to green. Refresh the page or click the "Start Again" button and you will see new order empty cells. Train again!

Modal verbs in English language- this is class auxiliary verbs. Modal verbs are used to express ability, necessity, certainty, possibility or likelihood. We use modal verbs if we talk about abilities or possibilities, ask or give permission, ask, offer, etc. Modal verbs are not used independently, but only with the infinitive of the main verb as a compound predicate.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has remained for centuries parliamentary monarchy. Since February 6, 1952, the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been Queen Elizabeth II.

The system of constitutional monarchy is believed to smooth out the contradictions of multi-party politics and provide stability and continuity during periods of political and social change.

The current monarch performs two important functions - is head of state and head of nation .

As Head of State, Queen of Great Britain performs the following duties: participates in the annual opening ceremony of Parliament, meets weekly with prime ministers, receives foreign ambassadors and delegations, makes official visits to foreign countries to maintain the diplomatic and economic relations of his country with others. Many of the monarch's official powers, or "royal prerogatives", are exercised by the monarch in name only, after consultation with the Prime Minister and Cabinet, who are responsible to Parliament's House of Commons. Most prerogatives are exercised in practice by UK Cabinet Ministers. The monarch formally appoints the prime minister (the “kissing hands” ceremony), but in practice he is the head of the party that wins the parliamentary elections. In the event that no party has a majority, the monarch has the right to appoint a prime minister. The current Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, took advantage of this opportunity only once - in 1974, when she appointed Labor member Harold Wilson as Prime Minister. On the advice of the Prime Minister, the monarch has the right to dismiss ministers or the entire Cabinet (a prerogative that British monarchs never exercise). All parliamentary laws are passed in the name of the monarch and come into force after his formal approval.

Formally, the monarch has the right to convene, dissolve and prolong Parliament. But in practice, according to the Parliament Act 1911, Parliament is elected for a period of 5 years and is automatically dissolved after this period.

The oath of allegiance is taken to the monarch, British passports are issued on behalf of the monarch, and the national anthem is called “God Save the Queen.” The image of the monarch appears on banknotes, coins and postage stamps. The incumbent monarch is the head of the Royal Armed Forces and has the formal prerogative to declare war and make peace, enter into international treaties and ratify agreements.

Despite their advanced age, the royal couple continues to perform official duties. In April 2014, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Vatican and met with Pope Francis.

The monarch is considered Source of justice– has the right to appoint judges.

The monarch is Source of honor(conducts investiture ceremonies) - appoints peers, awards orders, knighthoods and other honors (usually on the advice of the prime minister).

Monarch – head of the Church of England. He has the right to appoint archbishops and bishops (on the proposal of the Prime Minister).

Since 1760, funding for the maintenance of the royal family has been carried out according to the Civil List. This means that income from the royal inheritance - the Crown Estate - goes to the UK budget, and is then allocated to the needs of the royal family.

The monarch only formally owns his estate, since it cannot be sold, but can only be transferred to the heir to the throne. Formally, the current monarch owns the county of Lancastershire, the income from which goes to replenish the “personal wallet” of the monarch and is spent on those needs that, by tradition, are not recorded in the Civil List. The County of Cornwall formally belongs to the heir to the throne of the United Kingdom.

As Head of the Nation, Queen Elizabeth II performs no less important cultural and social function. It provides national identity, symbolizing the unity and pride of the nation, giving the British people a sense of stability and confidence in the future.

The Queen regularly visits different parts of the United Kingdom, her presence is mandatory at ceremonies on the occasion of Remembrance Day for those killed in wars, and at significant sporting events. Everyone remembers the appearance of the Queen in the video with James Bond at the opening of the Olympic Games in London in 2012. In 1976, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Summer Olympic Games in Montreal in Canada as Canada's head of state. The Royal Office sends out thousands of messages of congratulations to citizens celebrating their centenary and sixtieth wedding anniversaries. Every year, Queen Elizabeth II addresses her subjects with a Christmas speech.

Members of the British Royal Family form the line of succession to the throne. First in line is the Queen's eldest son, Charles. The second and third are Charles's eldest son Prince William and his son George. The order of inheritance was determined by the Act of Union of 1800, which established the rule of inheritance according to primogeniture with male priority. The Act of Succession to the Throne of 1701 established the rule that only a monarch professing the Anglican faith could inherit the British throne. According to this law, not only Catholics, but also Anglicans married to Catholics cannot ascend to the British throne.

At the Commonwealth Summit in Australia in October 2011, changes were made to the succession to the throne to avoid discrimination based on gender and religion. In December 2012, this law was approved by the parliaments of the countries that are members of the commonwealth. Now the order of succession is determined by simple seniority and the ban on marriages with Catholics for future monarchs is lifted. Currently in line for succession to the throne are 55 members of the royal family– descendants of Elizabeth II, her sister Princess Margaret and grandfather George V.

Also members royal family distributed by seniority or priority. Thus, the queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, is not among the heirs to the throne, but is the second eldest in the family after the queen. This order of precedence is followed at formal events. For example, during the laying of wreaths on Remembrance Day, the Queen lays the first wreath, the Duke of Edinburgh the second, Prince Charles the third, etc.

Title of Queen Elizabeth II differs for each country that is part of the Commonwealth.

For the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland it sounds like this:

"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."

"Elizabeth the Second, by the grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its other countries and territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."

Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926 in London at 17 Brewton Street. This house no longer exists, but a memorial plaque has been installed on the new house at this address. At baptism, the daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon received the name Elizabeth (in honor of her mother) Alexandra (in honor of her great-grandmother) Mary (in honor of her grandmother). Elizabeth II belongs to the Windsor dynasty. Elizabeth's father, Prince Albert, was second in line to the throne. After his elder brother Edward VIII abdicated the throne, he became King George VI, and Elizabeth became the “heir presumptive” (“heir presumptive”). This means that if the king later had a son, he would inherit the throne.

In 1947, Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten (born June 10, 1921), an officer of the British navy who belonged to the Greek and Danish royal families, the great-great-grandson of the British Queen Victoria and the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. To marry Elizabeth, Philip became a naturalized British citizen, changed Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, renounced the titles “Prince of Denmark” and “Prince of Greece”. In return, George VI granted him the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron of Greenwich.

When George VI died on February 6, 1952, Elizabeth and her husband were traveling in Kenya. Princess Elizabeth has already returned to Great Britain as Queen Elizabeth II. Coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II, which took place on June 2, 1953, was first broadcast on television from Westminster Abbey. The first person to take an oath of allegiance to the new queen was her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen has four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward.

Charles, Prince of Wales– born November 14, 1948. Full name Charles (Carl) Philip Arthur George (George) Mountbatten - Windsor. Heir to the throne of Great Britain, field marshal, admiral of the fleet and marshal of the Royal Air Force. Upon accession to the throne, he can choose a royal name - Charles (Charles) III by his first name, or George (George) VII by his fourth.

At birth, Charles received the title “His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh” - “His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh.” Upon ascending the throne of Elizabeth II in 1952, Prince Charles automatically received the title "Duke of Cornwall" and became known as "His Royal Highness the Duke of Cornwall." In 1969, Elizabeth II held an investiture ceremony, placing the Prince of Wales crown on her son's head. And Charles's official title changed to "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales."

On July 29, 1981, the wedding of the heir to the throne took place with Diana Spencer. Charles and Diana had two sons: Prince William (born June 21, 1982) and Prince Henry (Harry) (born September 15, 1984). On April 9, 2005, Prince Charles married for the second time, to Camilla Parker Bowles. For the first time in the history of the royal family, the ceremony was performed in a civil manner. Due to the fact that the late wife of Prince Charles, Lady Diana, is still very popular among the British, Camila was given the title not Princess of Wales, but Duchess of Cornwall.

By tradition, Charles is involved in charity work and heads more than 350 charitable societies. His interests include nature conservation and agriculture.

Princess Anne(Anna Elizaveta Alisa Louise) was born on August 15, 1950. Currently in 11th place in the line of succession to the throne. Since 1987 she has held the title of Princess Royal. From her first marriage to Mark Phillips, she had two children: Peter Phillips (1977) and Zara Phillips (1981). Princess Anne, Mark Phillips and Zara Phillips have all represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games in equestrian sport. After her divorce from Mark Phillips, Princess Anne married Vice Admiral Timothy Lawrence.

Prince Andrew(Andrew Albert Christian Edward), Duke of York was born on 19 February 1960. Prince Andrew received the title of Duke of York in 1986 - on his wedding day with Sarah Ferguson. The marriage produced two daughters: Princess Beatrice of York (born 1988) and Eugenie of York (born 1990). The Duke of York is 5th in the line of succession to the British throne.

Prince Edward(Edward Anthony Richards Louis), Earl of Wessex was born on March 10, 1964. In the line of succession to the throne he is in 8th place after his older brothers and their descendants. He received the title of Earl on the day of his wedding to Sophie Rhys-Jones. It was announced that after his father's death he would receive the title of Duke of Edinburgh, and his children would not receive the titles of princes and princesses, but would be treated as children of an earl. The Earl of Wessex has two children: Louisa (born 2003) - “Lady Louise Windsor” and James (born 2007) - “James, Viscount Severn”.

Second in line to the British throne is Prince William Arthur Philip Louis (born 1982) is the son of the Prince of Wales and Diana Spencer. On the day of William's wedding to Kate Middleton, he was granted the title Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergue. Kate Middleton accordingly became the Duchess of Cambridge. On July 22, 2013, the couple had a son, George (Georg) Alexander Louis. Who became third in line of succession to the throne.

Prince Henry of Wales(Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor) - the youngest son of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer was born on September 15, 1984. He is currently 4th in line to the British throne.

When Queen Elizabeth II working, she divides her time between London and Windsor.

Royal palaces are not owned by the queen or royal family. Officially, they are held in “trust for future generations.”

The main royal residence of the British monarch is Buckingham Palace in Westminster. Most state banquets, investitures, receptions of heads of state and foreign ambassadors and other official events are held there. In Buckingham Palace, which most people in the world associate with British royal family, 775 rooms. Including: 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. The total area of the palace is 77 thousand square meters. When the queen is in the palace, the royal standard develops above it; if she is not in the palace, the state standard.

The second most important royal residence is the largest residential castle in the world - Windsor Castle, used by the royal family for weekends.

The main residence in Scotland is Holyroodhouse Castle in Edinburgh. The Queen always spends one week a year there - the so-called “Holyrood week”.

The royal family also owns Clarencehouse (Prince Charles's home) and Kensington Palace.

Her Majesty spends her holidays (August and September) at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire or Sandringhamhouse in Norfolk. They are private residences of the royal family and are not financed from the budget.

A series of scandals related to the divorces of Princess Anne, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, as well as the death of Princess Diana, significantly undermined the authority of the royal family in Great Britain. However, according to polls, more than 60% of Britons are in favor of maintaining the institution of monarchy in the country.

Interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth II:

At the Queen's Elizabeth II no passport. Since a British passport is issued on behalf of Her Majesty, the Queen cannot issue a passport to herself. All other members of the royal family, including the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, hold British passports.
Queen Elizabeth II is the only person in the country who is allowed to drive a car without a registration number and a driver's license. By the way, the Queen received her driver’s license back in 1945.
– this is not a fixed date. Whether it will be the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Saturday of June is decided by the government of the country. On this day, since 1748, a royal military parade has been traditionally held - Trooping the Color.
In Australia queen's birthday celebrated as a public holiday on the second Monday of June. In Western Australia, the monarch's birthday is celebrated at a different time - late September or early October. In New Zealand, the Queen's Birthday is also a public holiday and is celebrated on the first Monday in June. In Canada, the Queen's Birthday is celebrated as a public holiday on the Monday preceding May 24th.
The Queen's actual birthday is April 21st. There are no special events on this day and the queen spends it with her family.
Royal salutes are strictly regulated and
February 6 (day of accession to the throne of Elizabeth II)
April 21 (birthday of Elizabeth II)
June 2 (coronation day of Elizabeth II)
10 June (birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh)
Official Queen's Birthday
Opening of Parliament by the Queen (usually November or December).
The number of shots of the royal salute is also regulated. The main royal salute is 21 shots. In Hyde Park, another 20 shots are added to the main fireworks display. In the Tower - this is added to the main number 21 by 20 and another 21 shots.
Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state of 16 states and is the head of the Commonwealth, consisting of 53 countries. In 1952, at a conference of prime ministers of countries belonging to the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II was proclaimed the head of the association of countries not by right of inheritance, but by right of consent of the member states.
U Queen Elizabeth II there are other official and unofficial titles. For example, in the Maori language it is called “kotuku” - “white heron”. In Papua New Guinea, the queen is called "Mrs Kwin" in pidgin. On the Isle of Man the Queen is called the Sovereign of Man, on the Channel Islands she is the Duchess of Normandy; in the Duchy of Lancaster - she is the Duchess of Lancaster.
During his reign Queen Elizabeth II hosted during traditional meetings on Tuesdays 12 prime ministers: Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alexander Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron.
Tony Blair became the first prime minister to be born during the reign of Elizabeth II (in May 1953).
During the reign queens Elizabeth II There were 6 archbishops of Canterbury.
U Queen Elizabeth II 9 thrones. One in the House of Lords, 2 in Westminster Abbey and 6 in Buckingham Palace.
Queen should not publicly express her political views and communicates extremely correctly with all the prime ministers of the country, being above political battles. The same goes for members of the royal family, who are not allowed to speak out on political events, so the political views of the Queen and her family remain unknown.
Queen Elizabeth II patronizes more than 620 charitable organizations.
Queen Elizabeth II is the 40th monarch in Great Britain since William the Conqueror.
During his reign Queen Elizabeth II has made official visits to more than 130 countries and made more than 250 trips. In October 1994, the Queen paid an official visit to Russia.
The Queen made most of her trips on the yacht Britannia, which was built in 1954 and decommissioned in 1997. The total distance that Britain has traveled over the years is more than a million nautical miles.
At the Queen's Elizabeth II there were more than 30 dogs of the favorite breed corgi. She received her first dog of this breed, Susan, as a gift for her eighteenth birthday. All other dogs are descendants of Susan. The Queen is even the creator of a new breed of dogs - Dorgi, which came from mixing her corgis with Princess Margaret's dachshund.
Queen Elizabeth II sent her first email in 1976, and the first official royal website was created in 1997.
Legally, whales, dolphins and sturgeon in UK seas belong to the Crown. Because the country still has in force a 1324 statute, passed during the reign of Edward II, stating that the monarch owns dolphins, whales and sturgeon, living and dead, within the country's territorial waters.

Elizabeth II is one of the most influential women in the world, the head of the Windsor dynasty, and has been the Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for more than 65 years. A flexible politician who knows how to defend her opinion, she is a symbol of her country and is especially popular and loved by the people.

Childhood and family

Elizabeth II is the eldest daughter of Prince Albert, born on April 21, 1926 at Mayfair Manor on Brewton Street during the reign of George V, who was her grandfather. The full name of the royal person is Elizabeth Alexandra Maria, the girl received the name in honor of her mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

In 1936, after two decades of reign, King George, who loved his granddaughter very much, died. The throne passed to Edward VIII. In the name of love for the beautiful Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee, he abdicated the throne. The story of Edward and Miss Simpson is considered one of the greatest love stories of the 20th century, and it was the story that brought Elizabeth's father to the British throne, who was crowned George IV in May 1937.

George IV's brother Henry was considered the next contender for the throne, but he abandoned the role of heir to the throne in favor of Princess Elizabeth, who was barely 11 years old at that time.

As befits a princess, Elizabeth studied the humanities and exact sciences, but paid special attention to law, including international law, and received a decent education without leaving the palace. The princess was proud of her excellent knowledge French, which she studied on her own.

In 1940, Princess Elizabeth made her first radio appearance: a thirteen-year-old girl from Buckingham Palace supported children affected by Nazi bombing. Princess Elizabeth's sincere words instilled hope in the British people, and she won sympathy even among some of the most critical citizens of the crown.

In 1943, the princess officially assumed the position of adviser. Contrary to popular belief, Elizabeth did not pass military service, however, she was a member of the women's self-defense unit and learned to drive an ambulance, thereby setting an example for the women of Britain.

In 1947, on her birthday, Elizabeth again spoke on the radio, assuring the British people that her whole life would be dedicated to Britain. In the same year, her marriage to Philip, Prince of Denmark took place.

The gradually deteriorating health of the father and the unfavorable prognosis of the doctors required the almost constant presence of the future queen during official receptions, meetings and negotiations. By the beginning of 1951, no one had any doubts that the months were counting, and Elizabeth unofficially began to fulfill the duties of the monarch.

Coronation

The news of the death of George IV overtook the princess in Kenya, where she and her husband spent several days at the Tree Tops Hotel, located among the branches of a huge century-old tree. According to some sources, on February 7, 1952, an entry appeared in the hotel guest register that for the first time in the history of civilization, a princess climbed a tree, but came down from it as a queen.

The coronation of the young queen took place on June 2, 1953 in the ancient cathedral of Westminster Abbey. The ceremony was broadcast on British national television, which contributed to the growing popularity of the new monarch. Millions of British people literally froze in front of their televisions, trying not to miss the slightest detail of the most spectacular and beautiful event in the history of Britain.

Despite the fact that in the post-war years the economy had just begun a long period of recovery, a huge amount was allocated from the treasury for the festive decoration of the streets. The dress of snow-white satin for the coronation ceremony was made by the court tailor Norman Hartnell; it was embroidered with the national emblems of Britain and the Commonwealth countries - English roses, Canadian maple leaves and Irish clovers, as well as other flowers that have a symbolic meaning for Britain.

In a golden open ceremonial carriage drawn by eight gray horses, the queen and her husband proceeded to Westminster Abbey, where the solemn coronation service took place.

Governing body

In strict accordance with the existing tradition of parliamentary monarchy, the queen performs functions that are exclusively representative in nature and has no right to influence the government of the country. After her coronation, Elizabeth II made a six-month tour of the British colonies, Commonwealth countries and many countries around the world.

In the spring of 1956, the Queen received Nikita Khrushchev, who served as First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee of the USSR, who arrived in Britain with the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Nikolai Bulganin. The top officials of the Soviet state presented memorable gifts to Elizabeth and family members, among which was a brooch with a royal blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds, as well as a painting by Ivan Aivazovsky and a sable cape.

During her reign, the Queen met with politicians, major entrepreneurs, scientists and cultural figures. Among the celebrities honored in different years Elizabeth Taylor, Yuri Gagarin and The Beatles, as well as presidents of various states, visited Buckingham Palace.

In 1994, Elizabeth visited Moscow and St. Petersburg, and in 2003 hosted a reception in honor of President Vladimir Putin.

Fearing that the reputation of the British royal house would suffer from rumors that surrounded the unhappy marriage of Elizabeth's son Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, as well as caring for the happiness of her son, the Queen insisted on a divorce, the procedure for which began in 1996. Some part of British society did not approve of the queen's act, but subsequently the British were forced to admit that she was right.

Elizabeth II has been repeatedly called in the media the queen of people's hearts. The humanity and kindness of this woman, who remains faithful to her oath, which she took back in 1953, is the key to her popularity among the people.

Personal life of Elizabeth II

In his youth, Prince Philip, the grandson of the King of Greece, a tall, slender, blond man, was distinguished by his amazing beauty. At a tea party in Dartmoor in 1937, the young man did not immediately notice the thirteen-year-old girl, who did not take her rapturous eyes off him. After the reception ended, this girl, Princess Elizabeth, locked herself in her room and wrote a letter to the handsome prince.

The friendship that began with correspondence grew into love. King George did not approve of his daughter’s choice: it is known that he did not like the friendship of Philip’s father, the Greek Prince Andrew, with Adolf Hitler. Besides this, the prince was poor, and apart from his title, blue blood and tender love for Elizabeth, he had nothing.

In early 1940, Elizabeth and Philip became engaged in secret, and the king had to give in and allow the marriage, which was destined to become one of the happiest and longest marriages in history. modern history. The relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Duke Philip is considered exemplary, but few people think that for the sake of his queen, Philip renounced the royal title and changed the Orthodox faith in which he was baptized to Catholicism.

In 1948, Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles. The second child was Princess Anna, born 2 years later. The third child of the royal family, Prince Andrew, was born in 1960, and the fourth, Prince Edward, in 1964.

Since her youth, the queen’s main hobbies have been horse riding and dog breeding; she has a special love for the corgi breed, which is considered the royal dog throughout Europe.

Queen Elizabeth II now

In 2018, the Queen turned 92 years old, 65 of which she has been monarch. The media regularly makes headlines about the Queen's failing health; in 2017, she missed the Christmas service for the first time, citing a cold.

As the head of the Windsor dynasty, the Queen remembers the sad events associated with the marriage of Prince Charles to an unloved girl, and, according to her, bears personal responsibility for the well-being of her family members. That is why she did not give permission for the wedding of Prince Harry to Ivar Mountbatten and James Coyle for so long

Despite her age, Elizabeth continues to fulfill her duties and represent the interests of Britain in different countries of the world. Defending the right to her own opinion, in 2017 she openly condemned the inappropriate behavior of Mr. Trump, as well as the belligerent policies of Kim Jong-un, and in 2018 she expressed hope that she would wait until the time when Russia would be ruled not by Mr. Putin, but by another person who have not lost touch with reality.

As is enshrined in the traditions of a constitutional monarchy, the Queen should not interfere in politics, but the authority of Elizabeth II and her for a long time board allowed her to influence the course of events in a certain way. Queen Elizabeth II is the most influential woman in the world, but, as many researchers note, she has never used her influence for personal gain.

In London in the family of the Duke and Duchess of York.

Queen Elizabeth usually celebrates her real birthday with her family, while the monarch's official birthday in the UK is celebrated in June with a colorful military parade in central London.
According to the tradition established at the beginning of the twentieth century by King Edward VII, the monarch's birthday is celebrated in Great Britain on one of the Saturdays in June, depending on the weather (the king chose this date because in June the weather cannot spoil the national holiday).

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, as the future queen was named at birth, is from the Windsor dynasty. She is the eldest daughter of the Duke of York, George VI (1895-1952), and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002).

Elizabeth received a good education at home, in addition to the usual school subjects she was taught the basics of economics, jurisprudence and constitutional law. The training program also included lessons in horse riding, dancing and music. Her mother introduced her to palace etiquette.
After the abdication of her uncle, King Edward VIII, and her father's accession to the throne in December 1936, 10-year-old Elizabeth became heir to the British throne and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace.

Getting ready for political life, the future queen began taking classes in constitutional history at Eton College.
At the outbreak of war in 1939, they were evacuated to Windsor Palace.
During World War II, Elizabeth insisted that her parents allow her to enlist in the military. She mastered the profession of a driver at a military transport training center, receiving the qualification of a truck driver, learned how to change tires on a truck, disassemble and reassemble the engine.
In 1945, Elizabeth worked in the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she ended the war with the rank of junior commander.

Elizabeth's close acquaintance with royal duties began in 1944, when she became a member of the Council of State and began to become involved in affairs, replacing George VI when he went on a tour of the fronts.
On February 6, 1952, King George VI died of lung disease; Elizabeth, who was on vacation in Kenya at the time with her husband, was declared Queen of Great Britain on the same day.
However, the official coronation ceremony of Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey in London took place only a year later, on June 2, 1953.

Since that time, she has been Queen Elizabeth II, the head of state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and is also the queen of 15 Commonwealth states (Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica), Head of the Church of England, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Lord of the Isle of Man. From 29 May 1953 to 31 May 1961 she was also Queen of South Africa. In 1999, Australia put the queen's status to a referendum, but Australians chose to retain her nominal status as head of state.

On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth married her distant relative, who, like her, is the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria - Prince Philip Mountbatten, son of the Greek Prince Andrew, who was then an officer in the British navy. She met him at the age of 13, when Philip was still a cadet at the Dortmouth Naval Academy. Having become her husband, Philip received the title Duke of Edinburgh.
In November 2007, the Queen and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their Diamond Wedding - sixty years of marriage. For the sake of this occasion, the queen allowed herself a little liberty - for one day she and her husband retired for romantic memories in Malta, where Prince Philip once served, and the young Princess Elizabeth visited him.

On December 29, 2010, Elizabeth II became a great-grandmother for the first time. On this day, her eldest grandson - Princess Anne's eldest son Peter Phillips - and his Canadian wife Autumn Kelly had a daughter. The girl became 12th in the British line of succession to the throne.

In 2006, Buckingham Palace published 80 interesting facts from the life of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, thanks to which it became known that the Queen is interested in photography and loves taking pictures of her family members. In 1997, the Queen launched the first ever website for the British monarchy.
Since her youth, Elizabeth II has been a fan of the noble hunting breed of corgi, several of which constantly accompany her on vacation. The Queen also brought out new breed dogs - Dorgi.
The Queen's other passion is horses and racing. She herself is a good rider and watches the main competitions with interest every year, and also breeds horses in her stables.
The Queen speaks French fluently and during visits and audiences with representatives of Francophone countries she does not need an interpreter.

Elizabeth is the oldest monarch in British history by age, but she still only holds the record for the longest reign set by Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and seven months. To do this, she needs to remain on the throne at least until September 9, 2015.

In 2012, in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the famous Big Ben clock tower at the Houses of Parliament in London was officially unveiled.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

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