Early life
Elizabeth was born on 21 April 1926, the first child of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), and his wife, Elizabeth, Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother). Her father was the second son of King George V and Queen Mary, and her mother was the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocratHeir presumptive
During her grandfather's reign, Elizabeth was third in theSecond World War
In September 1939, Britain entered the Second World War.Marriage
Elizabeth met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, in 1934 and again in 1937. They were second cousins once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark and third cousins through Queen Victoria. After meeting for the third time at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in July 1939, Elizabeth—though only 13 years old—said she fell in love with Philip, who was 18, and they began to exchange letters. She was 21 when their engagement was officially announced on 9 July 1947. The engagement attracted some controversy. Philip had no financial standing, was foreign-born (though a British subject who had served in theReign
Accession and coronation
Continuing evolution of the Commonwealth
Acceleration of decolonisation
The 1960s and 1970s saw an acceleration in the decolonisation of Africa and the Caribbean. More than 20 countries gained independence from Britain as part of a planned transition to self-government. In 1965, however, the Rhodesian prime minister,Silver Jubilee
Press scrutiny and Thatcher premiership
Turbulent 1990s and ''annus horribilis''
In the wake of coalition victory in theGolden Jubilee
Diamond Jubilee and longevity
COVID-19 pandemic
On 19 March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United Kingdom, Elizabeth moved to Windsor Castle and sequestered there as a precaution. Public engagements were cancelled and Windsor Castle followed a strict sanitary protocol nicknamed "HMS Bubble".Platinum Jubilee
Death
On 8 September 2022, Buckingham Palace released a statement which read: "Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral." Elizabeth's immediate family rushed to Balmoral to be by her side. She died "peacefully" at 15:10 BST at the age of 96, with two of her children, Charles and Anne, by her side. Her death was announced to the public at 18:30, setting in motionLegacy
Beliefs, activities and interests
Elizabeth rarely gave interviews and little was known of her political opinions, which she did not express explicitly in public. It is against convention to ask or reveal the monarch's views. When ''Times'' journalist Paul Routledge asked her about the miners' strike of 1984–85 during a royal tour of the newspaper's offices, she replied that it was "all about one man" (a reference to Arthur Scargill), with which Routledge disagreed. Routledge was widely criticised in the media for asking the question, and claimed that he was unaware of the protocols. After the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron was overheard saying that Elizabeth was pleased with the outcome. She had arguably issued a public coded statement about the referendum by telling one woman outside Balmoral Kirk that she hoped people would think "very carefully" about the outcome. It emerged later that Cameron had specifically requested that she register her concern. Elizabeth had a deep sense of religious and civic duty, and took her Coronation Oath seriously. Aside from her Monarchy of the United Kingdom#Religious role, official religious role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Supreme Governor of the State religion, established Church of England, she worshipped with that church and also the national Church of Scotland. She demonstrated support for Interfaith dialogue, inter-faith relations and met with leaders of other churches and religions, including five popes: Pius XII, John XXIII, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, Francis. A personal note about her faith often featured in her annual Christmas Message broadcast to the Commonwealth. In 2000, she said: Elizabeth was patron of more than 600 organisations and charities. The Charities Aid Foundation estimated that Elizabeth helped raise over £1.4 billion for her patronages during her reign. Her main leisure interests included equestrianism and dogs, especially her Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Her lifelong love of corgis began in 1933 with Dookie (dog), Dookie, the first corgi owned by her family. Scenes of a relaxed, informal home life were occasionally witnessed; she and her family, from time to time, prepared a meal together and washed the dishes afterwards.Media depiction and public opinion
In the 1950s, as a young woman at the start of her reign, Elizabeth was depicted as a glamorous "fairytale Queen". After the trauma of the Second World War, it was a time of hope, a period of progress and achievement heralding a "new Elizabethan age". Lord Altrincham's accusation in 1957 that her speeches sounded like those of a "priggish schoolgirl" was an extremely rare criticism. In the late 1960s, attempts to portray a more modern image of the monarchy were made in the television documentary ''Royal Family (film), Royal Family'' and by televising Prince Charles's Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales, investiture as Prince of Wales. Elizabeth also instituted other new practices; her first royal walkabout, meeting ordinary members of the public, took place during a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1970. Her wardrobe developed a recognisable, signature style driven more by function than fashion. In public, she took to wearing mostly solid-colour overcoats and decorative hats, allowing her to be seen easily in a crowd. At Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee in 1977, the crowds and celebrations were genuinely enthusiastic; but, in the 1980s, public criticism of the royal family increased, as the personal and working lives of Elizabeth's children came under media scrutiny. Her popularity sank to a low point in the 1990s. Under pressure from public opinion, she began to pay income tax for the first time, and Buckingham Palace was opened to the public. Although support for republicanism in Britain seemed higher than at any time in living memory, republican ideology was still a minority viewpoint and Elizabeth herself had high approval ratings. Criticism was focused on the institution of the monarchy itself, and the conduct of Elizabeth's wider family, rather than her own behaviour and actions. Discontent with the monarchy reached its peak on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, although Elizabeth's personal popularity—as well as general support for the monarchy—rebounded after her live television broadcast to the world five days after Diana's death.Titles, styles, honours, and arms
Titles and styles
* 21 April 1926 – 11 December 1936: Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York * 11 December 1936 – 20 November 1947: Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth * 20 November 1947 – 6 February 1952: Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh * 6 February 1952 – 8 September 2022: Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth held many titles and honorary military positions throughout the Commonwealth, was sovereign of many orders in her own countries, and received honours and awards from around the world. In each of her realms, she had a distinct title that follows a similar formula: ''Queen of Saint Lucia and of Her other Realms and Territories'' in Monarchy of Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia, ''Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories'' in Australia, etc. In the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, which are Crown Dependencies rather than separate realms, she was known as Duke of Normandy and Lord of Mann, respectively. Additional styles include Defender of the Faith and Duke of Lancaster.Arms
From 21 April 1944 until her accession, Elizabeth's arms consisted of a Lozenge (heraldry), lozenge bearing the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom differenced with a Label (heraldry), label of three points argent, the centre point bearing a Tudor rose and the first and third a cross of St George. Upon her accession, she inherited the various arms her father held as sovereign. Elizabeth also possessed Heraldic banner, royal standards and personal flags for use Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, in the United Kingdom, Royal standards of Canada, Canada, Queen's Personal Australian Flag, Australia, Queen's Personal New Zealand Flag, New Zealand, Queen's Personal Jamaican Flag, Jamaica, and elsewhere.Issue
Ancestry
See also
* Finances of the British royal family * Household of Elizabeth II * List of things named after Elizabeth II * List of jubilees of Elizabeth II * List of special addresses made by Elizabeth II * Royal eponyms in Canada * Royal descendants of Queen Victoria and of King Christian IX * List of covers of Time magazine (1920s), List of covers of Time magazine (1940s), (1940s), List of covers of Time magazine (1950s), (1950s), List of covers of Time magazine (2010s), (2010s)Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
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