Upon passing on Thursday at 96, Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. During her lifetime, she was the queen regnant of 32 independent nations and the monarch of 15. The longest reign of any British queen, her 70 years and 214 days in power also set a record for any female head of state. She was the firstborn child of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and was born in London on April 21, 1926. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was her full name, a combination of the names of her mother, Queen Elizabeth, her great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, and her grandmother, Queen Mary. On November 20, 1947, she wed Prince Philip, the future Duke of Edinburgh.
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Early Life Of Queen Elizabeth II
After her uncle Edward VIII (later duke of Windsor) abdicated in favor of her father, King George VI, on December 11, 1936, little Elizabeth’s chances of becoming King or Queen improved dramatically. Queen Elizabeth was the eldest child of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, from whom he had two more daughters, Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth. King George VI was the second child and the eldest son.
The princess’s mother entrusted Marion Crawford, a governess, with the care of her girls and oversaw their education; the princess also had instruction in history from C.H.K. Marten, later provost of Eton College, and studied music and languages with visiting lecturers. Princess Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, were isolated from their parents for most of World War II, spending that time between Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the Royal Lodge in Windsor, and Windsor Castle to avoid the bombing of London.
Royalty in the contemporary era
Queen Elizabeth II showed an increased understanding of the monarchy’s contemporary function by, for instance, approving the television broadcast of the royal family’s private lives in 1970 and sanctioning the legal divorce of her sister’s marriage in 1978. However, the royal family suffered several difficulties throughout the 1990s. Elizabeth II called 1992 the “annus horribilis” of the royal family since it was when Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, and Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, divorced. In addition, Windsor Castle was destroyed by fire, and Anne got a divorce.
In addition, Elizabeth decided to pay taxes on her private income in 1992 while being personally exempt, as criticism over the royals’ lifestyle grew as the UK suffered through a recession. Charles’s divorce from the wildly famous Diana in 1996 added to the public’s perception of the monarchy as cold and heartless. After Diana died in 1997, Elizabeth came under fire for refusing to lower the flag to half-staff at Buckingham Palace in honor of the late princess. The Queen continued her efforts to modernize the monarchy by attempting to portray it as less stuffy and conventional. The results of these efforts were inconsistent.
Facts About Queen Elizabeth
As reported by Buckingham Palace on Thursday, September 8, 2022, the Queen, in her 96th year, passed away at Balmoral Castle. We are shocked and saddened by the news of Her Majesty’s passing, and we send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family.
While we take a moment to reflect, I’d like to share some remarkable details about the Queen’s life.
- During World War II, the Queen used ration coupons to purchase her wedding gown. British Heritage claims that the Queen used ration coupons to pay for her wedding dress and that she later had to return gifts from women all over the country.
- Peggy was the name of the first horse owned by the Queen. The Queen’s first horse was a Shetland pony named Peggy, which she received as a gift from her grandpa, King George V.
- Princess Elizabeth’s interest in constitutional history and law started when her father became King in 1936. During her at-home education, Her Majesty also took French, German, and music classes.
- Express claims that the Queen’s instructor and governess, Marion Crawford, taught her French when she was a little kid. The Queen was fluent in French whenever she traveled there.
- The official Royal Family website claims that Her Majesty has traveled more than any British queen. Elizabeth has undertaken more than 150 official trips within the Commonwealth during her reign.
The real reason the Queen died
Buckingham Palace revealed that the Queen passed away “peacefully” in her sleep at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” stated the statement from Buckingham Palace. The palace said they would spend another night at Balmoral and fly back to London tomorrow.
The Queen had been under “supervision” from physicians because they were “concerned” about her health. After additional review this morning, the Queen’s physicians are “concerned about Her Majesty’s health” and have suggested she stay under medical monitoring, according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace. Meeting the incoming prime minister of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth Truss, was one of her last official duties. An expert has now identified a photograph taken during that appointment as a possible lead to the Queen’s cause of death.
Multiple health issues with Queen Elizabeth
With physicians’ orders to rest, the Queen had to postpone the Privy Council meeting the day before this terrible announcement. As her health deteriorated over the previous three months, she had to cancel many plans.
She had already skipped the ceremonial church service during her Platinum Jubilee festivities in early June due to complaints of pain. Due to her health, she could not go to London for her Tuesday meeting with the departing UK Prime Minister and his successor, Liz Truss. And yet, she attended the meeting with a smile on her face and an air of health.
Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen canceled February virtual appearances due to “mild” coronavirus symptoms. A royal spokeswoman said that the Queen had opted against participating in her scheduled virtual engagements because of the continued mild cold-like symptoms she was experiencing.
Last Words
Aside from a monarch’s customary and ceremonial obligations, Elizabeth favored a more modest approach to court life, including a more serious and informed interest in government operations. In her spare time, she developed a passion for horses, attending races often and even making trips to the stud farms in Kentucky, United States. She was one of the world’s wealthiest women due to her extensive financial and real estate assets.