She has attended all State openings of Parliament except two (when expecting her sons Andrew and Edward) and celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1977, her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. She has seen the UK join and subsequently leave the European Union. Queen Elizabeth II has witnessed the Second World War, Cold War, Korean War and many other conflicts. At this time there was almost universal support and enthusiasm for the monarchy in Commonwealth countries, and she has subsequently visited them, and many other nations, during her reign. This was the first televised coronation in Britain, prompting a considerable boom in sales of the then rather rare (in the UK) and expensive television sets.įollowing the ceremony, the Queen and Prince Philip began a tour of the British Commonwealth. With much to prepare and plan for in a country still struggling from post-war austerity, the new Queen’s Coronation was not held until 2nd June 1953. The couple quickly returned to England, with Elizabeth now Queen. In Kenya, Philip passed on the sad news to his wife. His journey was contrary to medical advice, but perhaps he sensed he would not survive to see her return. Only a few days earlier, he had gone to London Airport to see Elizabeth and Philip set off for Kenya. Elizabeth becomes Queenīorn in 1895 during the reign of Victoria, King George VI passed away on 6th February 1952. King George’s health started to deteriorate around this time, and Elizabeth took his place at several royal events – useful experience for this monarch-in-waiting. Their second child and only daughter, Anne, was born on the 15th August 1950. They married at Westminster Abbey on 20th November 1947 and their first child, Prince Charles, was born almost a year later, on 14th November 1948. His official title then was Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, but before they married he became Lord Mountbatten – his mother’s family surname. She had already met Philip, her future husband, before the war. She joined the ATS (Auxiliary Transport Service) in February 1945, training as a driver and mechanic. During World War 2, Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret spent most of the conflict living at Windsor Castle. Her father became King George VI in 1936, following the abdication of Edward VIII. Wartime experiencesīorn on the 21st April 1926, she was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York. The next-longest serving monarch was Queen Victoria, who reigned from 20th June 1837 to 22nd January 1901 – a period of 63 years and 216 days. Having ruled for over 68 years (at the time of writing), there have been literally millions of coins bearing her image. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |