Which dynasty is Queen Elizabeth 2. Royal dynasty. Her Majesty the Queen

“In general, no one taught me to be a queen: my father died too early and it happened so unexpectedly - I had to immediately get involved in the business and at the same time try not to hit my face in the mud. I had to grow up to the position that I took. It was fate, it should be accepted and not murmured. I believe that continuity is very important. My job is for life. "
Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain

I wonder what it's like to celebrate your birthday for over 50 years twice a year? This question can be answered by Queen Elizabeth II, who was born on April 21, 1926 in London, and for many years her birthday has been celebrated throughout the United Kingdom not only on April 21, but also on the 3rd Saturday of June.

Her Royal Majesty's title in the United Kingdom reads like this: "Elizabeth II, by the grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its other dominions and territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George the Sixth. The coronation took place on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth was only 25 years old when she became queen, and has been for several decades.

The birthday is lavishly celebrated every year at Windsor Castle. It begins with a walk around the city (if this action, of course, can be called that). A 21-round salute is certainly given, which sounds at noon.

Throughout her reign, the Queen has been criticized more than once not only by British Republicans, but also by various British media, as well as by the general public. Nevertheless, Elizabeth II was able to maintain the prestige of the British monarchy, and her popularity in Great Britain is at its height.

Royal

Elizabeth II (English Elizabeth II), full name - Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (English Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; April 21, 1926, London) - Queen of Great Britain from 1952 to the present.

Elizabeth II comes from the Windsor dynasty. She ascended the throne on February 6, 1952 at the age of 25 after the death of her father, King George VI.

Is the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations and, in addition to Great Britain, Queen of 15 independent states: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, 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. He is also the head of the Church of England and the supreme commander in chief. armed forces Great Britain.

Coats of arms at different times and in different countries

Coat of arms of Princess Elizabeth (1944-1947)

Coat of arms of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (1947-1952)

Royal coat of arms in Great Britain (except for Scotland)

Royal coat of arms in Scotland

Royal coat of arms in Canada

The full title of Elizabeth II in Great Britain sounds like "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by God's grace of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other kingdoms and territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith."

During the reign of Elizabeth II, in all countries that recognize the British monarch as their head of state, laws were adopted according to which in each of these countries the British monarch acts as the head of this particular state, regardless of their titles in Great Britain itself or in third countries. Accordingly, in all these countries the title of the queen sounds in the same way, with the replacement of the name of the state. In some countries, the words “defender of the faith” have been removed from the title. For example, in Australia the title reads as follows: "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen of Australia and her other kingdoms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth."

On the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, Elizabeth II also bears the title of Duke of Normandy, on the Isle of Man - the title of "Lord of Maine".

History

Elizabeth II is the oldest British (English) monarch in history. She currently ranks second in history for the length of stay on the British throne (after Queen Victoria) and also second in the world for the length of time as head of state among the current heads of state (after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand). She is also the oldest female incumbent in the world and the oldest incumbent in Europe.

He is the oldest active monarch in the world since January 24, 2015, after the death of the King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud.

During the reign of Elizabeth II, a very wide period of British history falls: the process of decolonization was completed, which was marked by the final collapse of the British Empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations. This period also included many other events, such as the long ethnopolitical conflict in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1970

Public perception

At the moment, most Britons positively assess the activities of Elizabeth II as a monarch (approximately 69% believe that the country would be worse without the monarchy; 60% believe that the monarchy helps to raise the country's image abroad and only 22% were against the monarchy).

Despite the positive attitude of most of her subjects, the queen was criticized several times throughout her reign, in particular:

In 1963, when a political crisis broke out in Britain, Elizabeth was criticized for having personally appointed Alexander Douglas-Hume as Prime Minister of Great Britain.
In 1997, for the lack of an instant reaction to the death of Princess Diana, the Queen was attacked not only by the anger of the British public, but even by many major British media (for example, The Guardian).
In 2004, after Elizabeth II beat a pheasant to death while hunting with a cane, a wave of indignation from environmental organizations about the monarch's actions swept across the country.

Elizabeth II is the last representative of the so-called "old school" of monarchs: she strictly adheres to age-old traditions and ceremonies and never deviates from the rules of established etiquette. Her Majesty never gives interviews or statements in the press. She is in full view, but at the same time is the most closed celebrity on the planet.

Childhood

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in Mayfair, London, at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at 17 Bruton Street. Memorial plaque... She received her name in honor of her mother (Elizabeth), grandmother (Maria) and great-grandmother (Alexandra).

Eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI, 1895-1952) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002). Her grandparents: on her father's side - King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess of Teck (1867-1953); maternal - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1938).

At the same time, the father insisted that the first name of his daughter was like that of the duchess. At first, they wanted to give the girl the name Victoria, but then they changed their minds. George V remarked: “Bertie discussed the name of the girl with me. He named three names: Elizabeth, Alexandra and Maria. The names are all good, I told him so, and about Victoria, I absolutely agree with him. It was superfluous. " Princess Elizabeth's christening took place on May 25 at the Buckingham Palace chapel, which was later destroyed during the war.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1930

In 1930, Elizabeth's only sister, Princess Margaret, was born.

The future queen got good home education, mainly of humanitarian orientation. She loved horses and equestrian sports since childhood. And also from childhood, unlike her more eccentric sister Margaret, she had a truly royal character. In the biography of Elizabeth II Sarah Bradford, it is mentioned that the future queen from childhood was a very serious child, who already then had a certain understanding of the responsibilities that fell on her as the heir to the throne and a sense of duty. Since childhood, Elizabeth loved order, so she, for example, going to bed, always put slippers next to the bed, never allowing herself to scatter things in the room, as is inherent in many children. And already as a queen, she always made sure that no extra light burned in the palace, personally turning off the lights in empty rooms.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1926

Photo of 1929, Elizabeth is 3 years old

Princess Elizabeth in 1933

King George VI and (1895-1952) and Elizabeth Angela, Duchess of York (1900-2002), with her daughter, future queen - Princess Elizabeth, 1929

Queen with her daughters, October 1942

Princess at war

World War II began when Elizabeth was 13 years old. On October 13, 1940, she spoke on the radio for the first time - with an appeal to children affected by the scourge of war. In 1943, her first independent appearance in public took place - a visit to the regiment of guards grenadiers. In 1944 she became one of the five "state advisers" (persons entitled to perform the functions of the king in the event of his absence or incapacity). In February 1945, Elizabeth joined the "Auxiliary Territorial Service" - women's self-defense squads - and trained as a driver-mechanic of an ambulance, receiving the military rank of lieutenant. Her military service lasted five months, which gives reason to consider her the last not yet retired participant in the Second World War (the penultimate was Pope Benedict XVI, who served as an anti-aircraft gunner in the German armed forces).

Princess Elizabeth (left, in military uniform) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace (from left to right) her mother Queen Elizabeth, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, King George VI and Princess Margaret, 8 May 1945

Wedding

On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth married her distant relative, who, like her, is the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria - Prince Philip Mountbatten, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece, 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. After becoming her husband, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

In November 2007, the Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, celebrated their "Diamond Wedding", the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage. For the sake of such an occasion, the queen allowed herself a little liberty - for one day they retired with her husband for romantic memories in Malta, where Prince Philip once served, and the young Princess Elizabeth visited him.

Four children were born in their family: the heir to the throne - the eldest son Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales (born in 1948); Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise (born 1950) Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward, Duke of York (born 1960), Edward Anthony Richard Louis, Earl of Wessex (born 1964).

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

With newborn Prince Charles, December 1948

Coronation and beginning of reign

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

The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. This was the first televised coronation of a British monarch and is believed to have contributed significantly to the rise in popularity of television broadcasts.

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

Elizabeth II after her coronation in 1953

The queen with her six maids of honor
From left to right:
Lady Moira Hamilton (now Lady Moyra Campbell), Lady Anne Cox (now The Honorable Lady Glenconner), Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill (now Lady Rosemary Muir), Lady Mary Bailey-Hamilton (now Lady Mary Russell), Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond- Willoughby (now Baroness de Willoughby de Eresby), Lady Jane Van-Tempest-Stewart (now The Honorable Lady Rayne)

Young Queen Elizabeth II

The queen began her political activity, which included the opening of Parliament and the reception of prime ministers. In the fifties of the twentieth century, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip made many visits to the territory of the United Kingdom and the countries of the Commonwealth.

In the sixties, the Queen of England made her historic visit to West Berlin in full swing Cold war and also invited the Japanese Emperor Hirohito on an official visit to Britain. Despite the troubled social and political situation, she celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1977. The celebrations were a success, with thousands of people celebrating the jubilee of Elizabeth II across the country.

The mature years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II

Five years later, Great Britain took part in the hostilities against the Falkland Islands, during which Prince Andrew served in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot. In the eighties of the twentieth century, the first grandchildren of the Queen were born - Peter and Zara Phillips, the son and daughter of Anna, the royal princess and Captain Mark Phillips.

In 1992, a catastrophe occurred, as a result of which a fire destroyed part of Windsor Castle. In the same year, the marriages of Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne were dissolved. The Queen called 1992 "a terrible year." In 1996, the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was dissolved. Tragedy followed in 1997 when Diana died in a car accident.

2002 was a sad year for the queen of England Elizabeth II, since her sister Princess Margaret died.

The reign of Queen Elizabeth II

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of England, many changes were made in Great Britain. The Queen successfully fulfills her political duties as head of state, head of the Commonwealth of Nations, ceremonial duties, and duties of visits within the UK and abroad.

Elizabeth II introduced many reforms to the monarchy. In 1992, she proposed introducing taxes on profits and capital gains. She opened official royal residences to the people, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, in order to fund upkeep royal family.

She supported the abolition of male primogeniture and single inheritance, which means that now the eldest child can inherit the throne, regardless of gender.

In 2012, the Queen of England celebrated her sixtieth anniversary of her reign with celebrations across the country, once again demonstrating the love of the British.

Queen Elizabeth II's clothing style

The style of the English queen can be conditionally divided into two periods: the style of the young queen - the style of conservative and elegant, and the style of the elderly queen, I would call it the style of the "cheerful grandmother" or even the "rainbow style", because the incredible number of changing colors in her suits and hats ... However, the English queen always loved colors.

Throughout her life, the main elements of Queen Elizabeth II's wardrobe were: dresses or suits of medium length, necessarily covering the knee, coats and raincoats in a-line cut, plus floor-length dresses for special events, as well as hats, always in tune with the suit, gloves, closed shoes , a brooch on a jacket and a string of pearls. The Queen of England has also always preferred short haircuts. Favorite colors are pink, lilac and indigo.

Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the Odeon Cinema, October 31, 1955. (Photo: Monty Fresco / Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth II becomes after the death of her father in February 1952, and her coronation took place on June 2, 1952. At that time, namely in the 1940s and 1950s, dresses for the princess, and then the queen, were sewn by Norman Hartnell. And Elizabeth more than once appeared in public in dresses with fluffy skirts made of duchess satin or silk. Design of her wedding dress color Ivory and decorated with silver threads also belongs to Norman Hartnell, however, as well as the design of the coronation dress.

From the mid-1950s and throughout the 60s, Hardy Amis sews for the Queen. It is he who brings a sense of simplicity to the queen's outfits, but this simplicity is only external, because behind it is a very complex cut. He sewed his first dresses for the Queen back in 1948, when Elizabeth asked him to create a wardrobe for a trip to Canada.

Since the 1970s, Ian Thomas, a former assistant to Norman Hartnell, and now the owner of his own salon, sews for the Queen. Its distinctive feature was the flying chiffon dresses that appeared in the queen's wardrobe. After his death and until the end of the 1980s, Maureen Rose from the Ian Thomas design house sewed for Queen Elizabeth.

From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, the Queen's wardrobe was replenished with outfits from John Anderson, because after his death his partner Karl Ludwig Reze became the Queen's court designer.

Since 2000, the youngest, in age, of Her Majesty's court designers, Stuart Parvin, a graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art, sews for Elizabeth II. In 2002, Angela Kelly becomes his assistant.

The Queen of England is 86 years old. But she still steadily fulfills all the duties assigned to her and appears in public, invariably following her style.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh with their children, Prince Andrew (center), Princess Anne (left) and Charles, Prince of Wales near Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Queen Victoria's husband acquired Balmoral Castle in 1846. Queen Victoria often visited Scotland with her family, especially after the death of her husband in 1861, and to this day Balmoral is a favorite vacation spot for the royal family. (Photo by Keystone / Getty Images) September 9, 1960.

Hobby

Among the interests of the queen are dog breeding (among them corgi, spaniels and labradors), photography, horse riding, as well as travel. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige as the queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively through her possessions, and also visits other countries of the world (for example, in 1994 she visited Russia). She has more than 325 foreign visits (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries). Since 2009, she began to engage in gardening. Besides English, he is also fluent in French

Interesting Facts

Elizabeth II does not give interviews. Nevertheless, the press periodically flashes interesting facts about this extraordinary woman, which allow us to look at the most famous reigning person of our time from an unexpected side, we have chosen the brightest, in our opinion, moments.

The celebration of the royal birthday in 1981 was overshadowed by an unpleasant event: near the horse on which Elizabeth was sitting, receiving the parade, shots rang out, making everyone around her shudder. The queen, to the delight of the audience, did not even raise an eyebrow and managed to stay in the saddle.

Her self-control came in handy a year later, when, while waiting for the police, for several minutes she had to talk to a madman who managed to get into the chambers.

In 1945, Elizabeth Alexandra Maria Windsor, the future Queen of England, served as a junior officer as a mechanic in the reserve battalion of the British army. Obviously, the example of the "fighting" grandmother inspired and young princes William and Harry, who also did not shy away from military service.

Family values ​​for Elizabeth II is not an empty phrase. For the sake of her son's happiness, she overstepped strict rules and blessed the second marriage of Prince of Wales Charles with socialite Camilla Parker Bowles, despite the hype about this.

On April 17, 2013, the Queen for the second time in the history of her reign attended the funeral of a British politician: she said goodbye to Margaret Thatcher.

Despite her solid image, the queen is no stranger to female coquetry and small weaknesses. Slick paparazzi more than once caught the moment when she at social events, without being embarrassed by the crowd and her high position, publicly corrected her makeup. Etiquette is etiquette, and a real queen should look gorgeous!

The Queen's passion is horses and corgi dogs. In her youth, Elizabeth rode well, but now she pays more attention to charming red dogs, which thanks to her have become one of the symbols of the British monarchy.

Elizabeth II is the oldest English monarch in history and is the second longest in the UK throne. She is also the oldest female acting head of state.

The rose variety Rosa "Queen Elizabeth" was named in honor of Elizabeth II.

Films about Elizabeth II

In 2004, the film Churchill: The Hollywood Years - "Churchill Goes to War!" Was released, where Neve Campbell played the role of Elizabeth.

In 2006, the biographical film "The Queen" was released. The role of the queen was played by actress Helen Mirren. The film is a BAFTA laureate in the category " Best movie". Actress Helen Mirren, who starred in the film, won Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for Best Actress. In addition, the film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

In 2009, Channel 4 produced the 5-episode feature mini-series The Queen ( The queen", Directed by Edmund Coulthard, Patrick Riems). The Queen at different periods of her life was played by 5 actresses: Emilia Fox, Samantha Bond, Susan Jameson, Barbara Flynn, Diana Quick.

On July 27, 2012, the television broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in London began with a video featuring James Bond (Daniel Craig) and the Queen (cameo). At the end of the video, they both jump with parachutes from a helicopter over the arena of the Olympic Stadium. On April 5, 2013, for this role, the Queen was awarded the BAFTA Award for Best Performance as a James Bond Girl.

In architecture

The Queen Elizabeth Alley in the Esplanade Park in Singapore is named after the Queen.
The famous Big Ben, the symbol of London, has been officially called “Elizabeth's Tower” since September 2012.
The Duford Bridge, built in 1991, is also named after the Queen.
On August 1, 2013, the Elizabeth II Olympic Park was opened in London.

Lifetime monuments

She was born on April 21, 1926 in the London district of Mayfair in a family of British monarchs from the Windsor dynasty. Father - Prince Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI, 1895-1952). Mother - Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (future Queen Consort Elizabeth, 1900-2002).

Grandparents of the future queen: on the father's side - King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess of Teck (1867-1953); maternal - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1938). She also has a younger sister, Princess Margaret Rose (1930-2002).

The princess's christening took place on May 25, 1926 in the chapel of Buckingham Palace. The future queen received the names in honor of her mother - Elizabeth, grandmother - Mary and great-grandmother - Alexandra.

Elizabeth was born when her grandfather, King George V, reigned, and her uncle Edward was considered the heir to the throne. At birth, she became the third in the list of heirs to the throne, after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII), and father, Prince Albert, and received the title of Duchess of York. The girl's father did not really count on the crown - it was assumed that his older brother would eventually marry and acquire heirs.

The princess received a good education at home. Studied the history of the constitution, jurisprudence, religious studies, art history and taught independently French... WITH young years she was horse-riding and interested in horses.

When the future queen was 10 years old, a leapfrog began on the throne: grandfather George V died, uncle Edward reigned for only 10 months and exchanged the crown for the opportunity to marry his beloved American woman Wallis Simpson. After his abdication, the crown went to Prince Albert, Elizabeth's father, who took the name George VI.

Initially, it was assumed that Albert's younger brother, Henry, would inherit the throne, but he chose to lead the free life of the Duke of Gloucester and in advance renounced his rights in favor of Elizabeth. The princess became heir to the throne and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace. At the same time, she remained in the role of "the alleged heir", since if George VI had a son, he would have inherited the throne.

World War II began when Princess Elizabeth was 13 years old. On October 13, 1940, she spoke on the radio with an address to children affected by the scourge of war. In 1943, her first independent appearance in public took place - a visit to the regiment of guards grenadiers. In 1944, she became one of the five "state advisers" entitled to act as the king in the event of his absence or incapacity. In February 1945, the future queen joined the women's self-defense squads and was trained as a driver-mechanic of an ambulance, receiving the military rank of lieutenant.

During a visit by King George VI to the Naval College in Dartmouth, Elizabeth met with her future husband Philip. They had known each other since 1934, but it was after this meeting that correspondence began between them, and in 1946 Philip asked the king for permission to marry the heiress to the throne.

Before marriage, Philip took the surname Mountbatten (the Anglicized version of his mother's surname - Battenberg) and moved from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism. In addition, he renounced the titles "Prince of Greece" and "Prince of Denmark" and accepted British citizenship.

On November 20, 1947, the wedding of 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten and 21-year-old Elizabeth took place. After the official coronation of Elizabeth in 1953, Philip, a British naval officer, member of the Greek and Danish royal families and great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria, received the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merionet and Baron of Greenwich from King George VI.

In the family of Elizabeth and Philip, four children were born: Prince Charles (11/14/1948), Princess Anne (08/15/1950), Prince Andrew (01/19/1960) and Prince Edward (03/10/1964).

On February 6, 1952, King George VI died of lung cancer. Elizabeth, who was on vacation at that time, was proclaimed Queen of Great Britain and the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations, which includes 15 independent states: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, 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.

According to British tradition Queen Elizabeth II became Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces.

On June 2, 1953, the coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey. This was the first televised coronation of a British monarch.

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

Between 1957 and 1961, Elizabeth II visited the United States and Canada as Queen of Canada, spoke at a session of the UN General Assembly, for the first time in history attended the opening of a session of the Canadian Parliament, and also traveled to India, the Vatican, Pakistan, Iran, Ghana and Cyprus ...

On April 29, 1970, during a trip to Australia, an attempt was made on Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. On the route of the train, in which the monarchs were, there was a large wooden log. The Queen and her husband narrowly escaped a train accident.

In 1976, Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, inaugurated the XXI Olympic Games in Montreal.

In 1981, another attempt was made to assassinate Elizabeth II. During the military parade, the queen rode on horseback in front of a crowd of people. Suddenly, several shots thundered from the crowd in her direction. The attacker was quickly detained by the police and spectators. It turned out to be a seventeen-year-old unemployed man with a starting pistol loaded with blank cartridges.

On July 29, 1981, the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer took place (1961). The marriage was accompanied by scandals, mutual betrayal and brought many problems to the royal family. Charles and Diana had two sons: William, Duke of Cambridge (06/21/1982) and Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales (09/15/1984).

In 1992, the Queen's children - Prince Andrew and Princess Anne - divorced their spouses, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire, funding for the royal court was severely reduced, and Prince Charles and Princess Diana began to live separately.

In 1996, at the insistence of Elizabeth II, an official divorce was signed between Charles and Diana. On August 31, 1997, Lady Diana was tragically killed in a car accident in Paris. Prince Charles renewed his relationship with his longtime lover Camilla Parker-Bowles (1947), whose wedding took place on April 9, 2005.

In 2002, Elizabeth II celebrated her golden jubilee - the 50th anniversary of her tenure on the British throne.

On February 9, 2002, the death of Elizabeth II's younger sister, Princess Margaret, took place, and on March 30, 2002, her mother, Queen Elizabeth, died.

In 2010, Elizabeth II addressed the UN General Assembly for the second time.

On April 9, 2011, the Queen's grandson, Prince William of Wales, married Kate Middleton (nee Catherine Elizabeth Middleton), the daughter of an air traffic controller and flight attendant, who later founded their own mail order company. They met in 2001 while studying at St Andrews University. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth II granted the newlyweds the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

On December 3, 2012, an official representative of the Royal Court of Great Britain announced that William's wife was pregnant, and on July 22, 2013, Kate gave birth to her first child, who was named George (George) Alexander Louis. He received the name George (George) in honor of King George VI, Alexander - in honor of the second name of Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Maria), Louis (Louis) - in honor of Louis Mountbatten - military leader, uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2012, the XXX Olympic Games were held in London, which was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II. In the same year, a new law was approved, changing the order of succession, according to which male heirs lose priority over women.

During 2012, Great Britain and the states of the British Commonwealth of Nations held a solemn celebration of the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Elizabeth II - the diamond anniversary of the Queen's reign.

In her honorable years, Elizabeth II continues to fulfill all the duties inherent in her high position. However, age makes itself felt and the queen decided to shift some of the work onto the shoulders of her eldest son, Prince Charles.

In 2013, Elizabeth II for the first time in 40 years refused to go to the summit of the heads of the British Commonwealth countries, taking place in Sri Lanka. Instead, Prince Charles went to the summit, which indicates the beginning of the transfer of royal powers to him.

The transfer of the throne will take place in stages, according to the principle of “gradual succession”. It lies in the fact that Elizabeth II will continue to work and give audiences, but gradually the queen will begin to abandon some of the traditional duties of the monarch, which Prince Charles will begin to perform. British court society considers this move "wise" and "natural". The first stage was the merger of the press services of Elizabeth II and Prince Charles.

Rank

▪ Royal title of Elizabeth II in Great Britain: "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other kingdoms and territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith."
▪ Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces (since 1952)
▪ Chief of the Australian Civil Air Force (since 1953)
▪ Honorary Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (since 1953)
▪ Chief of the New Zealand Territorial Air Force (since 1953)
▪ Captain-General of the youth organization of the British Department of Defense, United Cadet Forces (since 1953)
▪ Chief of the Royal Armored Regiment (since 1953)
▪ Honorary Colonel of the Own Queens of Warwickshire and Wochestershire Yeomen (since 1956)
▪ Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces (since 1968)
▪ Commander-in-Chief of the New Zealand Defense Force (since 1990)

Awards

(in total, Elizabeth II has more than 50 awards, the most significant are listed)

▪ King George V Silver Jubilee Medal (1935)
▪ Coronation Medal of King George VI (1937)
▪ Defense Medal (1945)
▪ War Medal 1939-1945 (1945)
▪ Badge of the Armed Forces (1951)
▪ Knight First Class of the Order of King George V (1952)
▪ Knight First Class of the Order of King George VI (1952)
▪ Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter (1952)
▪ Knight Commander of the Imperial Order of the Indian Crown (1952)
▪ Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (1952)
▪ Sovereign of the Order of Canada (1967)
▪ Sovereign of the Order of Military Merit of Canada (1972)
▪ Sovereign of the Order of Australia (1975)
▪ Sovereign of the Order of Barbados (1980)
▪ Sovereign of the Order of New Zealand (1987)
▪ Honorary Bachelor of Music, University of London (1946)
▪ Honorary Doctor of Civil Law, Oxford University (1948)
▪ Honorary Doctor of Music 1949 University of Wales (Wales, 1949)
▪ Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland, 1951)
▪ Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of London (1951)

A family

Husband - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (06/10/1921)
Father - George VI, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia and South Africa (1895 - 1952)
Mother - Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom as Queen Elizabeth (1900 - 2002)
Sister - Princess Margaret Rose (08/21/1930 - 02/09/2002)
Son - Prince Charles of Wales (11/14/1948), first heir to the throne
Daughter - Princess Anna (08/15/1950), eleventh heiress to the throne
Son - Prince Andrew, Duke of York (02.19.1960), fifth heir to the throne
Son - Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (03/10/1964), eighth heir to the throne
Daughter-in-law - Princess Diana of Wales (01.07.1961 - 31.08.1997)
Daughter-in-law - Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (07.17.1947)
Grandson - William, Duke of Cambridge (06/21/1982), second heir to the throne
Grandson - Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales (09/15/1984), fourth heir to the throne
Great-grandson - George Alexander Louis (07.22.2013), son of Prince William and Kate Middleton
Great-granddaughter - Charlotte Elizabeth Diana (05/02/2015), daughter of Prince William and Kate Middleton
Great-grandson - Louis Arthur Charles (04/23/2018), son of Prince William and Kate Middleton

Hobby

Dog breeding (among them corgi, spaniels and labradors), photography, horse riding, travel

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of the Windsor dynasty was born on April 21, 1926 in London in the family of 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 heiress to the British throne, but no one imagined that she would become queen. When King George V passed away in 1936, the princess's uncle assumed the throne as Edward VIII. However, his reign was short-lived, and he never produced an heir to the throne. In 1937, Edward chose the crown to marry a divorced American woman, Wallis Simpson. After his abdication, Prince Albert ascended 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 lose this status only 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. Her father-king did not allow her to become a nurse in bombed London, but in 1945 she enlisted in the female auxiliary 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 replaced George VI when he went on a trip to the fronts. In 1947, the princess made her first official visit outside the British Isles: she visited South Africa. Speaking there, the heiress 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 of Greece and Danish Philip. As a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, Philip Mountbatten, he fought in the war, and shortly before his marriage gave up his foreign titles and became Duke Philip of Edinburgh. Philip and Elizabeth's wedding took place on November 20, 1947. They had known each other for a long time, and it was widely believed that it was a love marriage. In 1948, Philip and Elizabeth gave birth to their first child, Prince Charles, and in 1950, Princess Anne was born.

In 1952, King George passed away, and Elizabeth ascended the throne, and on June 2, 1953, her 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 worn by other descendants of King George V, who approved it in 1917 as personal and dynastic instead of the previous one - Saxe-Coburg-Gotha). Since then, all of the Queen's children bear the personal surname Mountbatten-Windsor (Mountbatten-Windsor). Members of the British royal family rarely use their personal surname, only in some cases, for example, when they get married.

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

The beginning of Elizabeth's reign was marked by the rise of optimism in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries: subjects pinned their hopes for the future with a 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 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 public eye, which gave rise to numerous favorable publications in the press.

In the 1980s, press coverage of the royal family remained intense, but increasingly scandalous. When Prince Charles of Wales married a young aristocrat, Lady Diana Spencer, in 1981, the public felt their union was almost perfect. In 1982, Charles's heir, Prince William, was born, and in 1984, his second son, Prince Harry. In the meantime, illusions about the marriage of the heir to the throne were dispelled, and the growing discord between the spouses was reported in the media. The personal lives of the younger generation of Windsor have become a constant source of concern for the Queen. Along with Charles and Diana, the private life of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whose 1986 marriage to Sarah Ferguson also failed, became a popular topic of publication.

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

In 1996, amid 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 that Charles was not worthy of the British throne, some suggested making Prince William heir, bypassing his father. The queen was accused of isolating the princess from her children during Diana's life. The British discontent also caused Elizabeth's behavior 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 the researchers, the death of Diana and the upheavals associated with her 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 with a considerable fortune that was not taxed on inheritance. This once again brought the state of the royal family into the limelight of the press and society. Previously, this was discussed in the early 1990s, and in the notorious "terrible year" Elizabeth approved new legislation that made the Windsor property taxable.

The queen's peace was invariably broken by scandals around 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 80th birthday. Mass celebrations on this occasion, held in Great Britain 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 another official, which is solemnly celebrated on June 17th.

Elizabeth II is the head of the British Commonwealth, 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, Saint Keats and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu. In 1999, Australia put Queen's status 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. Favorite animals of the queen are dogs of the "corgi" breed.

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 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations - 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 the Governors General she appoints.

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

President of the Commonwealth of Nations, Supreme commander Armed Forces, Lord of the Isle of Man, Supreme Governor 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 Bruton Street, house number 17 in the family of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife - the Duchess of York (Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, future Queen Mother) ... Her baptism in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace was conducted by Cosmo Langa, Archbishop of York on May 29 of the same year. The godparents of the princess were: George V, Queen Mary, Princess Mary, Earl of Strathmorsky, Duke of Konnoutsky and Lady Elphinstone. She received her names in honor of her mother, Queen Alesandra - her paternal great-grandmother and Queen Mary - her grandmother. In the family she was called by the affectionate name "Lilibet" (Lilibet).

As the male granddaughter of the king, 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 ranked third in the order of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward - Prince of Wales and father - Duke of York, younger brother - 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 bias. Her governess was Marion Crawford, known as "The Crawfie". She studied history under S.G.K.Merten of Eton and studied modern languages especially French. The Archbishop of Canterbury provided religious instruction.

Heiress 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 succeeded to the throne.

The second World War began when Princess Elizabeth was thirteen years old. She and her younger sister Margaret were evacuated to Windsor. There were also plans to evacuate the princesses to Canada, but, as you know, their mother, Queen Elizabeth, said: “Children cannot 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 staff of the Royal House in Windsor, and in 1940 she made her first radio address during BBC Children's Hour, in which she addressed the evacuated children. At thirteen, she met Philip Mountbatten, a cadet at the Dortmund Naval Academy, 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 his direct contribution to the victory. She joined the Territorial Auxiliary Service, a women's self-defense squad, where she was known as No. 230873 Lieutenant Elizabeth Windsor, and trained to be a driver. She 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 overseas visit in 1947 when she and her father visited South Africa. In honor of her majority, which came when she turned 21, she made a radio address to the commonwealth and empire with the words: “I proclaim before you that my whole life,be it longorshortmustabe dedicatedaserving you and our great imperial seveneto which we all belong ".

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

The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. This was the first televised coronation of a British monarch and is believed to have contributed significantly to the rise in popularity of television broadcasts.

After that, in 1953-1954. the queen made a six-month tour of the Commonwealth states, the 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 likes Windsor Castle better. In addition, her residences are Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Balmoral and Sandringham Palace.

Popularity. Today, the Queen is one of the most popular faces in Great Britain. According to the latest polls, it is supported by about 80% of the subjects. Although the Princess Diana affair temporarily shaken the Queen's popularity and the authority of the monarchy, it did not affect her in the long term, as evidenced by public opinion research.

The length of the reign. From 17:30 on September 9, 2015, Elizabeth II became the second-longest 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 as Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively through her possessions, and also visits other countries of the world.

In February 1961, she visited Turkey at the invitation of President Kemal Gürsel, and later, for the first time, India and Pakistan. 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 (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries).

Role in government. Formally, the queen has legislative, executive and judicial powers in the states she heads, but in fact her role is more 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 elections as the prime minister. ...

British premieres 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 sessions, because the queen is aware of most issues. In addition, the Queen has regular meetings with other Commonwealth ministers and prime ministers while 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 accepted that the queen does not interfere in politics, but because during her long reign she has had the opportunity to work with many prime ministers and leaders of other countries, her advice is always carefully considered. In her memoirs, Margaret Thatcher wrote about her weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth. : “Anyone 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 has always demonstrated her ability to cover a wide range of issues and her extensive experience. "

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

Interests. From a young age, Elizabeth was interested in horses and was engaged in horse riding. She has been faithful to this hobby for many decades. Among the interests of the queen are dog breeding (among them corgi, spaniels and labradors), photography, horse riding, as well as travel. Since 2009, she began to engage in gardening.

A family. At thirteen, she met Philip Mountbatten, a cadet at the Dortmund Naval Academy, son of the Greek Prince Andrew, and fell in love with him. They corresponded constantly during his service in the Royal Navy. On the eve of his 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 the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria.

On November 14, 1948, she gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles. Earlier, with a special open letter, 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 was born - Princess Anne.

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

She is a woman of the 20th and 21st centuries, ruler of the British Commonwealth of Nations and 15 independent states, reigning queen from 1952 to the present day. Who is this? Of course, Elizabeth Alexandra Maria, who also bears the title as the longest reigning monarch in the history of Great Britain. What interesting facts are known about this unique and strong woman.

1. Queen's birthday

Elizabeth II celebrates her birthday twice: on April 21 (born 1926) with her family, and at the beginning of June - officially.

2. When Elizabeth ascended the throne

In 1937, Elizabeth became a direct heir, after her father George VI of the Windsor dynasty was crowned. And on February 6, 1952, at the age of 25, she ascended the throne.

3. Education of the queen

During the war years, Elizabeth joined the women's self-defense squads, where she was trained as a driver mechanic. As strange as it may sound, the queen in her young years drove an ambulance and a truck. She later received a certificate as a water rescuer.

4. Who is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II's consort, Philip Mountbatten, is a Greek prince in exile and a senior lieutenant in the British Navy. Apart from this, he is also Elizabeth's fourth cousin. The couple first met when they were 8 and 13 years old. Thus, the age difference is 5 years. The wedding took place in 1947 when Elizabeth was 21 years old. We add that the parents of the future queen opposed marriage to Philip, since he did not have a fortune. It sounds funny, but at that time Elizabeth was allocated as much as 200 additional coupons for sewing a wedding dress.

5. How many children does Elizabeth have

The Queen has four children: Prince Charles, Andrew, Edward and Princess Anne.Besides, the Queen is a grandmother with many children, great-grandmother and godmother: she has 30 godchildren and godchildren. Here's the lucky one.

6. What are the powers of Queen Elizabeth

Despite her high status, the queen reigns, but does not rule the country: she officially does not in any way influence foreign and domestic policy, but nevertheless all decisions in the state are made on her behalf.

7. How much money does Queen Elizabeth II have

It is not customary to talk about the queen's property, but there are rumors that she is one of the richest people on earth. At the same time, the queen never carries money with her. Basically, why are they needed if you are the Queen. In addition, the queen does not have a passport, and so everyone will recognize her.

The Queen is also not required to disclose the status of her personal accounts. In addition, despite the fact that the royal collection of art is estimated at 10 billion pounds, this is not the personal fortune of the queen, like the palaces and castles in which the queen and her relatives live. All of this property is owned by the state or owned by the "Crown Estate" (an independent commercial enterprise that manages royal real estate).

8. What awards does the Queen of Great Britain have?

9. What does the Queen of Great Britain ride on?

The royal fleet is the envy of: Bentley, Rolls-Royce Daimler, Jaguar and Land Rover. In addition, Elizabeth is a first-class driver and easily controls the steering wheel of a car.

10. The queen's pets

The Queen is very fond of dogs. She gives particular preference to the corgi breed. Today there are about 30 corgi at the royal court. Elizabeth II also loves horses: despite her age, she constantly goes horseback riding.

11. Where does Queen Elizabeth II like to rest?

But Her Majesty likes to spend her holidays in the Scottish estate of Balmoral. When the queen is having breakfast, a piper walks around the castle and plays folk melodies.

12. Main residence of British monarchs

Buckingham Palace is the main residence of all British monarchs, in which to this day, Elizabeth II makes official meetings.

13. What the Queen of Great Britain likes to wear

Elizabeth II gives preference only to British designers, in her wardrobe there are bright outfits, and in black the queen can appear only during mourning. The monarch loves to wear handbags again by the British brand Launer London with short handles. But what is contained in the royal purse is a secret behind seven locks. The purse also serves for the queen and in order to give a signal to the servants: if Her Majesty is about to leave the meal, she puts the purse on the table.

And the main highlight of the royal image is the hat, how many of them are in the wardrobe of Elizabeth II, it is difficult to count. Rumor has it that more than 5 thousand.

In terms of footwear, these are Anello & Davide shoes with small heels with a rounded toe. The Queen is very careful about shoes and therefore tries to change shoes less often, and more often to put on heels. But new shoes for the royal personage are worn out by the so-called Cinderella, who has the same foot size as Elizabeth II.

And a few more interesting facts about Elizabeth II:

• no one except her husband has the right to touch the queen in public. History knows only 4 offenders who allowed themselves to do this: Michelle Obama, Canadian cyclist Louis Garneau and two Australian prime ministers, Paul Keating and John Howard;
• the queen never raises her voice, even if she is furious, and never gives interviews.

How long Elizabeth II will still rule is an open question, since the queen is not going to give up her throne in favor of her heirs, and considers her reign to be a matter of life, and for many Britons she is a “bastion of stability” of the state.