How old is the English queen. royal dynasty

Elizabeth II(Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, English Elizabeth II, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor) - Queen and Head of State of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and 15 Commonwealth countries - Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Grenada , Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis. In all of these countries, except the United Kingdom, she is represented by governors-general appointed by her.

In addition, Elizabeth II also rules the British Overseas Territories, but not as their queen, but as the queen of the United Kingdom.

Chairman of the Commonwealth of Nations, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Lord of the Isle of Man, Supreme Steward of the Church of England, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Normandy.

Formally, Elizabeth II is the most powerful monarch in the world.

Place of Birth. Education. Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21, 1926 in the London district of Mayfair at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at Brewton Street, house number 17 in the family of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, the Duchess of York (Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Mother) . Her christening in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace was performed by Cosmo Langa, Archbishop of York on May 29 of that year. The princess' godparents were: George V, Queen Mary, Princess Mary, Earl of Strathmore, Duke of Connaught and Lady Elphinstone. She received her names in honor of her mother, Queen Alesandra - her paternal great-grandmother and Queen Mary - grandmother. In the family, she was called by the affectionate name "Lilibet" (Lilibet).

As the king's granddaughter in the male line, she received the title of British princess and was called - Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York. At the time of her birth, she was third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, the Prince of Wales and her father, the Duke of York, and her younger brother, the Prince of Wales. At that time, no one considered her a future queen.

She grew up surrounded by the love and care of her family. The future queen was educated at home, mainly with a humanitarian focus. Her governess was Marion Crawford, known as "Crawfie". She studied history under S. G. K. Merten of Eton and studied modern languages, especially French. Religious instruction was provided by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Heir to the Throne. On December 11, 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated and Elizabeth's father became king, he took the name George VI. Thus, Princess Elizabeth became the heiress presumptive, and if George VI had a son, he would have inherited the throne.

World War II began when Princess Elizabeth was thirteen years old. She and her younger sister Margaret were evacuated to Windsor. Plans were also being made to evacuate the princesses to Canada, but their mother, Queen Elizabeth, is known to have stated: "Children can't go anywhere without me, I will never leave the king, and the king will never leave his country.! » . At the time, the Princess was organizing pantomimes with the children of the Royal Household staff at Windsor, and in 1940 she made her first radio address during the BBC Children's Hour, in which she addressed evacuated children. At the age of thirteen, she met Philip Mountbatten, a cadet at the Dortmund Naval School, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece, and fell in love with him. They corresponded constantly during his service in the Royal Navy.

In 1945, Elizabeth was able to persuade her father to allow her to make her direct contribution to the victory. She joined the "Auxiliary Territorial Service" - Women's Self-Defense Squads, where she was known as No. 230873 Lieutenant Elizabeth Windsor, and trained as a driver. She was trained as an ambulance driver and received the military rank of lieutenant. Her military service lasted five months. This was the first time in the history of the royal family that a woman served in a military unit.

Elizabeth made her first foreign visit in 1947, when she visited South Africa with her father. In honor of her coming of age, which came when she was 21 years old, she made a radio address to the commonwealth and empire with the words: "I proclaim before you that all my life,be it longorshort, shouldbutbe dedicatedbutserving you and our great imperial seveneto which we all belong".

Ascension to the throne. King George VI, Elizabeth's father, died February 6, 1952. Elizabeth, who at that time was on vacation with her husband in Kenya, was proclaimed Queen of Great Britain.

The coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. This was the first televised coronation of a British monarch, and is credited with having contributed significantly to the rise of television broadcasting.

After that, in 1953-1954. the queen made a six-month tour of the Commonwealth, British colonies and other countries of the world. Elizabeth II became the first monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand.

Residence. The Queen's official residence is Buckingham Palace, but she reportedly prefers Windsor Castle. In addition, her residences are the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh, Balmoral and Sandringham Palace.

Popularity. Today, the Queen is one of the most popular faces in the UK. According to recent polls, it is supported by about 80% of citizens. Although Princess Diana's case temporarily shook the Queen's popularity and the authority of the monarchy, in the long run, as can be seen from public opinion studies, it did not affect her.

Length of reign. From 5:30 pm on September 9, 2015, Elizabeth II became the second longest-reigning monarch in British history. Longer than her, the crown belonged only to Queen Victoria, who ruled the country for 63 years, 226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes from 1837 to 1901.

Visits. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige of the Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively in her possessions, and also happens in other countries of the world.

In February 1961, she visited Turkey at the invitation of President Kemal Gürsel, and later India and Pakistan for the first time. Elizabeth II visited most European countries and many non-European ones. In 2011, she became the first British monarch to visit independent Ireland.

She has more than 325 foreign visits to her credit (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries).

role in government. Formally, the Queen has legislative, executive and judicial power in the states she leads, but in fact her role is rather ceremonial due to the fact that she always acts on the advice of the Cabinet of Ministers, and most often appoints the chairman of the party who wins the election as prime minister. .

British premiers meet with the Queen on a weekly basis, which is taken very seriously. One of the prime ministers even said that he prepares more seriously for meetings with the queen than for parliamentary meetings, because the queen is aware of most issues. In addition, the Queen has regular meetings with other Commonwealth ministers and prime ministers when they are in the UK. Also, during her stay in Scotland, she meets with the First Minister of Scotland. UK ministries and diplomatic missions send her regular reports.

Although it is customary that the queen does not interfere in politics, but because during her long reign she had the opportunity to work with many prime ministers and leaders of other countries, her advice is always taken seriously. In her memoirs, Margaret Thatcher wrote about her weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth : “Everyone who thinks that they [meetings] are a mere formality or social convention is deeply mistaken. In fact, they are held in a relaxed business atmosphere, and Her Majesty always demonstrates her ability to cover a wide range of issues and her wide experience.

Awards. Elizabeth II in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries, as well as in other states, is the head of a number of knightly orders, and also has military ranks, numerous honorary titles, academic degrees. In addition, she is the holder of various domestic British awards, as well as a number of various awards from foreign countries.

Interests. From a young age, Elizabeth was interested in horses and was engaged in horseback riding. She has been faithful to this hobby for many decades. The Queen's interests include dog breeding (including Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, and travel. I have been gardening since 2009.

Family. At the age of thirteen, she met Philip Mountbatten, a cadet at the Dortmund Naval School, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece, and fell in love with him. They corresponded constantly during his service in the Royal Navy. On the eve of the wedding with the princess, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh. On 20 November 1947, she married the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip (born Prince of Greece and Denmark), who is her fourth cousin (they are both great-great-grandsons of King Christian IX of Denmark) and he is also a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria.

On November 14, 1948, she gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles. Earlier, by a special open charter, the king granted the right to the children of the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh to be called princes. On August 15, 1950, their second child, Princess Anne, was born.

On February 19, 1960, the Queen's third child, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was born, and on March 10, 1964, Prince Edward, Earl of Essex.

One of the crowned centenarians of Britain, 87-year-oldElizabeth II, Queen of Englandattracts the views of the world press and the enthusiastic sympathy of millions of inhabitants of the entire planet. Today, the person of this long-lived British royal family causes about as many responses in the press as the world's best show business stars.

In terms of popularity, Elizabeth 2 surpasses such eminent countrymen as David Beckham and Paul McCartney! Recent events associated first with the 85th anniversary of Her Majesty, and then with the 60th anniversary of her reign, were met by the British with amazing warmth and sympathy.

What caused, firstly, such a long healthy reign, and secondly, the preservation of the civic activity of this most popular figure on the shores of Foggy Albion?

Queen of the Commonwealth of Nations, record holder

Elizabeth 2, like all other members of the ruling monarchical stratum, belongs to the glorious Windsor dynasty. She was born on April 21, 1926 in London. She received the highest royal title in 1952, and to this day, according to the press, she is not going to part with it. The Queen ascended the throne of the British state on February 6, when she was 25 years old, after the death of her father, King George VI.

Here it must be emphasized that her kingdom extends not only to Great Britain itself, as such, but also to another 15 states that are independent of England. This English part of the world includes residents of Canada and Jamaica, New Zealand and Australia, Barbados and Grenada, Tuvalu and Belize, who literally idolize their crowned person, as well as countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Papua New Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Solomon and Bahamas.

By status, the queen acts as the supreme commander of the armed forces of England. In addition, she holds the title of head of the Anglican Church.

However, if we talk about the duration of the reign of the heroine of our story, then here she is still inferior to the palm. Despite her record age among all representatives of the British monarchy in the history of England, Her Majesty concedes the record for the duration of the reign of Queen Victoria.

But that's in the past. And at the present time, Elizabeth 2 is in second place among the monarchs of the world. The first is held by King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.

And yet her era is too great and obvious not to tell about it separately. First of all, this is the completion of decolonization (the above are all states that are nevertheless members of the Commonwealth of Nations) and the final collapse of the Empire of the state, which, despite this, bears the proud name of Great Britain.

This should also include the still actively discussed in the press (and in the cinema) conflict with the Irish living in the northern part of the island. And even during the reign of the queen gave her go-ahead for wars with the Falkland Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan.

For which she received repeated charges of criticism both from the same media and from the public, as well as, of course, the Republican Party, which maintains a fairly strong position on the shores of Foggy Albion.

King George VI, his wife Elizabeth and their daughters:
Elizabeth (right) and Margaret

Family tree and girlhood

The family tree of the royal dynasty is quite spreading. Elizabeth 2 is the eldest daughter of the Duke of York (when she was born, he was still Prince Albert), and her mother was Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

The Queen can be proud of her more distant ancestors - grandfathers George V and Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore, as well as grandmothers - Queen Mary, Princess of Teck and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon.

The mistress of England herself has two more names - Alexandra and Mary (Mary). Thus, it is easy to see that she received the first name from her mother, the third from her grandmother, and the second she owes her great-grandmother. Interestingly, the future monarch, and then only the prince and dad of his daughter, insisted on a different first name, and indeed in the family they wanted her to be Victoria. But then they changed their mind.

The Queen of Great Britain was born in London's house number 17 on Brewton Street, which at that time was the residence of the Strathmores. This area of ​​the capital of England is called Mayfair, unfortunately, the house has not been preserved to this day, but there is a corresponding memorial plaque here.

The christening of the future queen took place on May 25, it was Buckingham Chapel, then destroyed by the Nazis. Her only sister was Margaret, born in 1930.

Elizabeth 2, according to the received rather good education, was rather a humanist, versed in the history of the constitution, jurisprudence, religious studies and art history. The future British queen learned French on her own. As a girl, her interests also included horses in general and riding in particular. Since then, it has become her hobby for many decades to come.

Mayfair District - Queen Elizabeth II was born in this area in 1926

On the way to the crown

It is interesting that initially the future ruler of England was not considered at all as the heir to the throne. As soon as she was born, she was immediately given the title Duchess of York, and she automatically fell into the third line in terms of the probability of ascending the royal throne. Looming ahead of her were her uncle Edward, the Prince of Wales, and her father.

But who soon became Edward VIII, his uncle refused the coveted possession of the British throne, and the father of the heroine of our story turned out to be the king. Thus, after him, the queen was to ascend the throne, and then only Princess Elizabeth, but only if the pope did not leave behind an heir besides her. From the 40s, the public life of the future royal person began.

She dedicated her first radio address to the population of England to the children who suffered from the outbreak of the Second World War. Officially, in 1943, she appeared in public, paying a visit to the Guards grenadiers. A year later, she was included in the list of five persons who could perform royal functions if something happened to her father. And in the year of the Great Victory, a working specialty appeared in her working biography - a driver of a Red Cross car. And the military rank of lieutenant.

During the Second World War, the future Queen of England
worked as a simple driver in an ambulance

21 years old, Elizabeth 2 linked her future fate with 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten. This is the great-great-grandson of the same Queen Victoria, he came from the royal families of Greece and Denmark, and in those years he was an officer in the British Navy. Having married the princess, Victoria's great-great-grandson became the owner of the ducal title, and was now called Philip of Edinburgh.

Newsreel of the royal wedding:

A year later, the future mistress of England gave birth to Charles, and two years later, Anna. Then her father George VI, who received the long-awaited highest title, died, the queen was then with her husband in Kenya, where she was proclaimed the first person of the British state. The ceremony, however, took place the following year, in Westminster, that is, according to all the canons.

Family of Elizabeth II. 1972
From left to right Anna, Charles, Edward, Andrew, Elizabeth, Philip

Since that time, the formation of a very powerful positive image began, which Elizabeth 2 has retained to this day. The fact is that the ceremony was broadcast on TV, which, in turn, thanks to such a powerful PR move, itself gained worldwide popularity.

Her Majesty the Queen

For a whole six months after that, the queen spent an almost world tour of the states that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. She was the first of the British royals to visit such remote corners of the Empire as Australia and New Zealand. In 1957, she made an official visit to the other side of the Atlantic, to the USA and Canada, and she is still the last queen.

Since then, Elizabeth 2 very prudently devotes a lot of time to all sorts of official ceremonies. This testifies to the active work of the first person of the state in terms of establishing interaction with all the heads of the largest world powers, and such communication experience helped her repeatedly make the right decisions at key times in British history.

She courageously endured a series of assassination attempts on the royal family by Irish terrorists and other worldly ups and downs. And remains, in spite of everything, the active and smiling First Lady of Britain.

Name:
Full name: Elizabeth Alexandra Maria
Born: April 21, 1926, 17 Bruton Street
Parents: George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
House: Windsor
Enthroned: February 6, 1952 at the age of 25
Crowned: June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey.
Husband: Philip Mountbatten.
Children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward

Princess Elizabeth Alexandria Mary was born in London on 21 April 1926; she was privately educated and took up office duties at 16. She served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II, and by an amendment to the Regency Act, she became a State Councilor on her 18th birthday.

After the death of George VI in 1952, she ascended the throne, while she was crowned only 18 months later on June 2, 1953.

The reign of Queen Elizabeth II since 1952 has brought about a period of rapid and sometimes turbulent change. Britain's position in the world, its economy and the very form and structure of society have been transformed, and many traditional institutions have suffered in the process. Through all this, the path of the Crown was marked by the Queen herself, in a long display of unwavering devotion to the cause and calm pragmatism, which met a national need and won her the respect and love of her peoples.

As hereditary Head of State for Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Head of the Commonwealth, she has symbolic and formal functions and duties, but no direct powers. She is the embodiment of national identity and continuity.

With the support of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to whom she has been married since November 20, 1947, the Queen is the head of a large family.

In 2012, she opened the London Olympics and celebrated her diamond jubilee of 60 years on the throne. The debate about the future of the monarchy continues, but the Royal Family has shown a willingness to embrace evolutionary changes, including the Queen's decision to pay taxes, changes to the Civil List, and the opening of Buckingham palace to the public to help fund the restoration of Windsor Castle.

On September 10, 2015, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-lived British monarch, surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.

Quotes:

"I declare before you that my entire life, whether long or short, will be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong." – Queen Elizabeth II

"It's all about learning: you can do a lot if you're properly trained." Queen Elizabeth II

"Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentrics, impetuous and wayward young people, and family rifts." – Queen Elizabeth II:

"I can't bring you into battle. I do not give you laws and I am not guided by justice, but I can do something else - I can give my heart and my devotion to these old islands and all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations. - Queen Elizabeth II.

In contact with

"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 meet 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 directed by director Natalya Bulyga is pure drama. But no! The production turned out to be fun and easy, 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 Unfinished Romance. For her, the choice of a stage partner was obvious. Their creative tandem was born back in 2003, when the TV series Always Say Always was released. The actors turned out to be so organic in the role of a loving couple that the viewer then had no doubts: of course they have an affair!

Studio "Quarter 95" goes on a world tour with concerts of "Evening Quarter" The project "Evening Quarter" is a humorous show with a unique format of intellectual humor. And the humor in the "Evening Quarter" is always fresh and relevant, sharp and precise. 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 gathering millions of viewers at the screens.

The English Irregular Verbs Trainer will help you memorize their spelling and meaning. Fill in empty cells. If you spelled correctly, the word will change color from red to green. Refresh the page or click the "Start over" button and you will see the new order of empty cells. Train again!

Modal verbs in English are a class of auxiliary verbs. Modal verbs are used to express ability, necessity, certainty, possibility or possibility. We use modal verbs if we are talking about abilities or opportunities, asking or giving permission, asking, offering, etc. Modal verbs are not used on their own, 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 been parliamentary monarchy. Since February 6, 1952, on the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is Queen Elizabeth II.

It is believed that the system of constitutional monarchy smooths out the contradictions of multi-party politics and ensures stability and continuity in a period of political and social changes.

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, visits foreign countries on official visits to maintain diplomatic and economic relations of his country with others. Many official powers of the monarch or "royal prerogatives" are exercised by the monarch in name only, after consultation with the prime minister and cabinet, who are responsible to the House of Commons of Parliament. Most of the prerogatives are exercised in practice by British Cabinet ministers. The monarch formally appoints the prime minister (the ceremony of "kissing hands"), in practice - this is the head of the party that won the elections to Parliament. In the event that none of the parties received 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, by appointing Laborist Harold Wilson to the post of 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 made 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 the Parliament. But in practice, according to the Parliament Act of 1911, the Parliament is elected for a term of 5 years and after this term is automatically dissolved.

An oath of allegiance is sworn to the monarch, British passports are issued on behalf of the monarch, the country's anthem is called "God Save the Queen". The image of the monarch is present on banknotes, coins and postage stamps. The current monarch is the head of the Royal Armed Forces and has the formal prerogative to declare war and make peace, conclude international treaties and ratify agreements.

Despite their venerable 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 Anglican church. He has the power to appoint archbishops and bishops (on the proposal of the prime minister).

Since 1760, the maintenance of the royal family has been financed according to the Civil List. This means that the income from the royal inheritance - the Crown Estate goes to the UK budget, and 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 monarch's "personal wallet" and is spent on those needs that, by tradition, are not recorded in the Civil List. The earldom of Cornwall formally belongs to the heir to the throne of the United Kingdom.

As Head of the Nation, Queen Elizabeth II performs an equally important cultural and social function in the UK. It provides national identity, symbolizes the unity and pride of the nation, giving the British a sense of stability and confidence in the future.

The Queen regularly visits different parts of the United Kingdom, her presence is mandatory at the ceremonies on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance of those killed in wars, 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 Montreal Summer Olympics in Canada as the head of state of Canada. The royal office sends out thousands of messages of congratulations to subjects 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' eldest son Prince William and his son George. The order of succession was determined by the Union Act of 1800, where the rule of succession was fixed according to primogeniture with male priority. The Succession to the Throne Act 1701 established the rule that only a monarch of the Anglican faith could succeed to the British throne. According to this law, not only Catholics, but also Anglicans who are married to Catholics, cannot take 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 is lifted for future monarchs. Currently in line 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 sorted by seniority or priority. So, the queen's husband - the Duke of Edinburgh is not among the heirs to the throne, but is the second oldest in the family after the queen. This order of precedence is followed at formal occasions. For example, during the laying of wreaths on Memorial Day, the Queen lays the first wreath, the Duke of Edinburgh the second, Prince Charles the third, and so on.

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 her 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, and a memorial plaque has been installed on the new house at this address. At baptism, the daughter of Prince Albert, the Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was named Elizabeth (after her mother), Alexandra (after her great-grandmother), Mary (after her grandmother). Elizabeth II belongs to the Windsor dynasty. Elizabeth's father, Prince Albert, was second in line to the throne. After the abdication of the throne of his elder brother - Edward VIII, he became King George VI, and Elizabeth turned into "heir presumptive" ("supposed heir"). This means that if the king later had a son, he would have inherited the throne.

In 1947, Elizabeth's wedding took place with 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 citizen of Great Britain, changed Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, abandoned the titles "Prince of Denmark" and "Prince of Greece". In return, George VI granted him the title of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich.

When George VI died on February 6, 1952, Elizabeth and her husband were traveling in Kenya. Princess Elizabeth has already returned to the UK as Queen Elizabeth II. Coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II, which took place on 2 June 1953, was first televised from Westminster Abbey. The first to take the 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- was born on November 14, 1948. Charles (Karl) Philip Arthur George (Georg) Mountbatten's full name is 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 (Karl) III for the first name, or George (George) VII for the fourth.

At birth, Charles received the title "His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh" - "His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh." Upon ascension to 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 crown of the Prince of Wales on her son's head. And Charles' 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 with the British, Camila was given the title not of the Princess of Wales, but of the Duchess of Cornwall.

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

Princess Anna(Anna Elizabeth Alice Louise) was born on August 15, 1950. He is currently 11th in line 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 Olympics in equestrian sports. After her divorce from Mark Phillips, Princess Anne married Vice Admiral Timothy Lawrence.

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

Prince Edward(Edward Anthony Richards Louis), Earl of Wessex born March 10, 1964. In the line of succession, he is in 8th place after his older brothers and their descendants. He received the title of earl on the day of his marriage to Sophie Rhys-Jones. It was announced that after the death of his father 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: Louise (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 of Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergu. Kate Middleton, respectively, became the Duchess of Cambridge. On July 22, 2013, the couple had a son, George (Georg) Alexander Louis. who was third in line 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 works, she divides her time between London and Windsor.

Royal palaces are not owned by the queen or the royal family. Officially, they are in "trust management 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 ambassadors of foreign states 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 employee 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 one.

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

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

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

Holidays (in August and September) Her Majesty spends in the castles of Balmoral in Aberdeenshire or Sandringhamhouse in Norfolk. They are private residences of the royal family and are not funded 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, have significantly undermined the authority of the royal family in the UK. Nevertheless, according to polls, more than 60% of Britons are in favor of maintaining the institution of the monarchy in the country.

Interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth II:

• At the queen's Elizabeth II no passport. Since a British passport is issued in the name 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 driver's license. By the way, the queen received a driver's license back in 1945.
• 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, according to tradition, a royal military parade has been held - Trooping the Color.
• In Australia queen's birthday It is celebrated as a public holiday on the second Monday in June. In Western Australia, the monarch's birthday is celebrated at a different time - in 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. On this day, there are no solemn events and the Queen spends it with her family.
• Royal salutes are strictly regulated and happen
• February 6 (day of accession to the throne of Elizabeth II)
• April 21 (Birthday of Elizabeth II)
• June 2 (the day of the coronation of Elizabeth II)
• 10 June (Birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh)
• The official birthday of the Queen
• 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, 20 more shots are added to the main salute. In the Tower, this is 20 added to the main number 21 and 21 more shots.
• Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state in 16 states and is the head of the Commonwealth, consisting of 53 countries. In 1952, at a conference of prime ministers of the countries belonging to the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II was proclaimed the head of the association of countries not by inheritance, but by the right of consent of member states.
• At 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, in the pidgin language, the Queen is called "Mrs. Quin". In the Isle of Man the Queen is called the Empress of Maine, in 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 12 prime ministers during traditional meetings on Tuesdays: 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.
• At 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 applies to members of the royal family, who do not have the right to speak about political events, so the political views of the queen and members of her family remain unknown.
• Queen Elizabeth II patronizes more than 620 charities.
• Queen Elizabeth II is the 40th British monarch 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.
• Most of the Queen's trips were made 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 your favorite breed corgi. She received the 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 dog - dorgi which came from mixing her corgi with Princess Margaret's dachshund.
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• Queen Elizabeth II sent her first email in 1976, and the first official royal website was created in 1997.
• Legally, whales, dolphins and sturgeons in the UK's seas belong to the Crown. Because the country still has a statute of 1324, adopted during the reign of Edward II, stating that the monarch owns dolphins, whales and sturgeons, living and dead, within the territorial waters of the country.

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of the Windsor dynasty was born April 21, 1926 in London to the Duke and Duchess of York. Her father, Prince Albert, was the younger brother of the heir to the throne, Prince Edward. Edward was single and childless, and Elizabeth was the third in line to the British throne, but no one expected that she would become queen. When King George V died in 1936, the princess's uncle succeeded to the throne as Edward VIII. However, his reign was short-lived, and he never produced an heir to the throne. In 1937, Edward preferred the crown to marry a divorced American, Wallis Simpson. After his abdication, Prince Albert succeeded to the throne and became King George VI.

From that moment on, Elizabeth's life changed radically. She became the direct heir to the British throne and could only lose this status in one case - if the king had a son. However, this did not happen. The future queen was brought up at court, but then, preparing for political life, she began to attend classes in constitutional history at Eton College. After the outbreak of World War II, Elizabeth wished to share the burden of defense of the kingdom with her subjects. The King's father did not allow her to become a nurse in bombarded London, but in 1945 she enlisted in the women's auxiliaries of the royal armed forces. There she qualified as a truck driver and ended the war with the rank of junior commander.

Elizabeth's close acquaintance with royal duties began in 1944. She stood in for George VI when he went on a tour of the fronts. In 1947, the Princess made her first official visit outside the British Isles: she visited South Africa. Speaking there, the heir to the throne swore allegiance to the peoples of the Commonwealth.

Elizabeth's chosen one was her distant relative (like her, the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria), Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. As Lieutenant of the Royal Navy, Philip Mountbatten, he served in the war, and shortly before his marriage, he renounced his foreign titles and became Duke Philip of Edinburgh. The wedding of Philip and Elizabeth took place on November 20, 1947. They had known each other for a long time, and according to popular belief, it was a love match. Philip and Elizabeth's first child, Prince Charles, was born in 1948, and Princess Anne was born in 1950.

In 1952, King George died, and Elizabeth ascended the throne, and on June 2, 1953, the coronation took place. In 1960, the Queen's third child, Prince Andrew, was born, and in 1964, the fourth and youngest of her children, Prince Edward. In 1960, Elizabeth II and the Prince Consort decided to change the personal surname of their heirs, without changing the surname of the Windsor dynasty (which is carried by other descendants of King George V, who approved it in 1917 as a personal and dynastic instead of the former Saxe-Coburg-Gotha). Since then, all the Queen's children bear the personal surname Mountbatten-Windsor (Mountbatten-Windsor). Members of the British royal family rarely use a personal surname, only in certain cases, for example when entering into marriage.

At the insistence of Elizabeth, the offspring of the royal family were brought up not at court, but in public educational institutions. Prince Charles became a pioneer: he studied at the privileged Scottish school of Gordonstown, and then at Cambridge.

The beginning of Elizabeth's reign was marked by a rise in optimism in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries: subjects linked their hopes for the future with the new young monarch. In the 1960s, the situation began to change, the value of the institution of the monarchy was increasingly questioned, but the prestige of the queen and her family still remained high. Elizabeth sought to make the British monarchy as "popular" as possible. The life of the Windsor family was deliberately made open to the eyes of the public, which gave rise to numerous favorable publications in the press.

In the 1980s, press coverage of the life of the royal family remained, as before, intent, but increasingly became scandalous. When Prince Charles of Wales married a young aristocrat, Lady Diana Spencer, in 1981, their union seemed almost perfect to the public. In 1982, Charles's heir, Prince William, was born, and in 1984, his second son, Prince Harry. Meanwhile, illusions about the marriage of the heir to the throne dissipated, and media publications reported a growing discord between the spouses. The private life of the younger generation of Windsors has become a constant source of concern for the Queen. Along with Charles and Diana, the personal life of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whose marriage to Sarah Ferguson, concluded in 1986, also turned out to be unsuccessful, has become a popular topic for publications.

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The situation around the royal family reached its maximum intensity by 1992, which the queen herself called annus horribilis - "a terrible year." In March 1992, Andrew and Sarah announced their separation, in April the marriage of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips broke up, and in December, Charles and Diana officially broke up. In addition, in November, a severe fire broke out at Windsor Castle. The greatest harm to the prestige of the royal family was caused by the separation of the Prince of Wales from his wife. Princess Diana enjoyed tremendous popularity both in the UK and abroad, and public opinion often considered the Queen and other members of the Windsor family as her enemies and persecutors.

In 1996, against the backdrop of incessant scandalous publications in the media, at the insistence of Elizabeth, Charles and Diana officially divorced. After Diana died in a car accident in 1997, her many fans started talking about Charles not being worthy of the British throne, some suggested making Prince William the heir, bypassing his father. The queen was accused of isolating the princess from her children during Diana's lifetime. The dissatisfaction of the British was also caused by the behavior of Elizabeth in the period after the death of Diana - the queen refrained from public expressions of grief for some time. At the same time, according to researchers, the death of Diana and the upheavals associated with it served to bring the members of the royal family closer together.

In 2002, Elizabeth II experienced two losses: in February, her younger sister Princess Margaret died, and in March, the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother left Elizabeth a considerable fortune, which was not subject to inheritance tax. This again drew the attention of the press and society to the state of the royal family. This was previously discussed in the early 1990s, and in the notorious "terrible year" Elizabeth approved new legislation that made the Windsors' property taxable.

The Queen's peace was invariably disturbed by scandals surrounding the younger Windsors - the baton from Charles, who in 2005 finally married his longtime mistress Camilla Parker-Bowles, was accepted by his youngest son Prince Harry, who became a frequent figure in publications in British tabloids.

In 2006, the Queen celebrated her eightieth birthday. Mass celebrations on this occasion, which took place in the UK and the Commonwealth countries, demonstrated that Elizabeth II is still loved by her subjects. The Queen has two birthdays every year - one actual, which she celebrates with her family, and the other official, which is solemnly celebrated on June 17th.

Elizabeth II is the head of the British Commonwealth, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as fifteen other states: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Keats and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu. In 1999, Australia put the status of the queen to a referendum, but the Australians chose to keep her nominal status as head of state.

As the researchers wrote, over the years, the queen began to devote more time to her hobbies. Among them is the breeding of racehorses and dogs. The Queen's favorite pets are Corgis.