Pride logo

Queen Elizabeth II

(1926–2022)

By Mashal HaroonPublished 2 years ago 16 min read
1
By society photographer Dorothy Wilding - February 26, 1952

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain was the longest-dominant ruler in English history. She celebrated 70 years on the high position in June 2022 with her Platinum Celebration.

Who Was Queen Elizabeth II?

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on June 2, 1953, after taking the throne on February 6, 1952. She was the grandmother of Princes William and Harry as well as the mother of Prince Charles, the successor to the throne. She strove to modernize her reign and be responsive to a modernizing population while upholding customs linked with the throne as the longest-serving monarch in British history.

Age 96, Elizabeth passed away on September 8, 2022.

Early Life

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21, 1926, in London to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Prince Albert, Duke of York (after remembered as King George VI).

Many individuals were unaware that Elizabeth would grow up to be the queen of Great Britain when she was born. Elizabeth, also known as Lilibet, was able to enjoy her first ten years of life with all the benefits that come with being a princess without the stress of having to be the rightful heir.

Elizabeth's parents split their time between a residence in London and the family's residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Tutors taught Elizabeth and Margaret, her younger sister, at home. French, mathematics, and history were among the academic subjects covered, in addition to classes in singing, dancing, and arts.

Elizabeth and her sister were evacuated to Windsor Castle prior to the start of World War II, and they mostly kept away from London during that time. She then went on to deliver the first of her well-known radio addresses in 1940, consoling the British youngsters who had been evacuated from their homes and relatives. The 14-year-old princess assured them that everything would be okay in the end because God would take care of them and grant them triumph and tranquility.

After being named colonel-in-chief of the Grenadier Guards by her father, Elizabeth immediately began taking on other public responsibilities. In 1942, she made her first public appearance to inspect the troops.

To aid in the war effort, Elizabeth enlisted in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945. She received skilled driving and technical training side by side with other British women. Even though her volunteer work was short-lived (just a few months), it gave Elizabeth a window into a distinct, non-royal world. On Victory in Europe Day, when she and Margaret were permitted to mingle invisibly among the populace, she had yet another memorable encounter away from the palace.

By acclaimed British society photographer Marcus Adams

Ascendance to the throne

Elizabeth's great-grandfather George V passed away in 1936, and Elizabeth's uncle, Edward VIII, succeeded him as king. But Edward had to decide between the crown and his love for American divorcee Wallis Simpson since he was in love with her. Edward ultimately decided on Simpson and abdicated his throne.

Her life was altered by the incident, which presumptively made her the heir to the British throne. In order to highlight continuation with his father, her father adopted the name George when he was anointed King George VI in 1937. After King George's demise in 1952, her mother, Queen Elizabeth, assumed the title of Queen Mother, and her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, assumed the title of Queen.

Coronation

At the age of 25, Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey.

When her father, King George VI, passed away on February 6, 1952, Elizabeth took on the duties of the reigning monarch. The coronation ceremony was televised for the very first time ever, allowing viewers all around the world to see the pomp and circumstance of the occasion.

Husband Prince Philip

On November 20, 1947, at London's Westminster Abbey, Elizabeth wed her distant cousin Philip Mountbatten (a surname he acquired through his maternal side).

When Elizabeth was just 13 years old, she first encountered Philip, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece. He immediately captured her attention. Over the years, they stayed in touch, and finally they started dating.

They made an odd couple. Philip was exuberant and opinionated whereas Elizabeth was timid and reserved. Although Mountbatten had connections to both the Danish and Greek royal families, her father, King George VI, was wary of the union because he didn't have much money and was regarded as having a tough personality by others.

Elizabeth gathered clothes coupons to buy fabric for her bridal gown as Great Britain was still healing from the effects of World War II at the time of their nuptials.

As a result of pressure from her mother and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the family adopted the surname Windsor, which upset her husband. She changed her mind in 1960, ordering that her descendants take the surname Mountbatten-Windsor if they lacked royal titles or needed last names for legal reasons, such as weddings. Philip caused a lot of public relations difficulties over the years with his outspoken, off-the-cuff remarks and claims of extramarital affairs.

At age 99, Philip passed away on April 9, 2021.

Children

Elizabeth and Philip didn't spend any time in having a child: daughter Anne was born in 1950, and son Charles was born in 1948, the year following their marriage. Sons Andrew and Edward were Elizabeth's next two children, born in 1960 and 1964, respectively.

Charles was formally designated as her successor in 1969 when she bestowed upon him the title of Prince of Wales. Television viewers in the hundreds of millions turned in to watch the ceremony.

When 32-year-old Charles married Diana Spencer (better known as Princess Diana) at age 19, there were subsequent suspicions that he had been coerced into the union by his family. Millions of people watched the wedding on television, and there were huge crowds in the streets of London during the ceremony. At that time, the monarchy had particularly positive public perception.

Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren

Prince William, who became Duke of Cambridge upon his own marriage in 2011, and Prince Harry, Elizabeth's second-in-line to the throne, were born to Charles and Diana in 1982 and 1984, respectively. Elizabeth is now William and Harry's adoring grandmother. When Prince William and Kate Middleton were preparing for their 2011 nuptials, she reportedly provided important support and advice.

George Alexander Louis, a future king formally known as "His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge," was born on July 22, 2013, to William, Elizabeth's grandson, and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.

The queen's fifth great-grandchild, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, was born on May 2, 2015, to William and Kate. Prince Louis Arthur Charles, their third child, was born on April 23, 2018.

With the birth of their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6, 2019, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, added a new great-grandchild to the monarchy.

The queen's other grandchildren include Peter Phillips, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York, Zara Tindall, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn, in addition to Prince William and Prince Harry. She also had 10 great-grandchildren.

Family Tree

The Duke and Duchess of York were the title of Elizabeth II's father and mother, respectively. Her mother was Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, and her father was Prince Albert, Duke of York, the second child of Queen Mary and King George V.

The majority of European kings and queens were acquainted with Elizabeth. Her British forebears include King George III and Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 until 1901. (Ruled 1760 to 1820).

Photo by Eddie Mulholland

Reign

Huge changes in the lives of her people, in the strength of her nation, in how Britain is perceived abroad, and in how the monarchy is regarded and depicted are all hallmarks of Elizabeth's lengthy and largely tranquil reign. As a constitutional queen, Elizabeth refrained from commenting on politics and kept her political opinions a secret. She does, however, speak with her prime ministers frequently.

After the war, post-war Britain still possessed a sizable empire, dominions, and dependents. The British Empire, however, changed into the Commonwealth of Nations during the 1950s and 1960s as many of these colonies gained their independence. Elizabeth II traveled abroad as a representative of Britain and as head of the Empire, including a historic journey to Germany in 1965. She made the first state visit there by a British monarch in more than 50 years.

Elizabeth kept up her extensive travel schedule throughout the 1970s and 1980s. She went to Ottawa, Canada, for the Commonwealth Conference in 1973, and she went to America for the 200th anniversary of America's independence from Britain in 1976. She opened the Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, more than a week later. She visited Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman in 1979, which attracted attention from around the world and earned her considerable admiration.

Elizabeth was concerned about Prince Andrew, her second son, who was a British Royal Navy helicopter pilot during the Falklands War in 1982. Due to the Falkland Islands, Britain and Argentina engaged in a protracted battle that lasted for several weeks. While more than 250 British soldiers lost their lives in the fight, Prince Andrew made it home safely, much to the relief of his mother.

When Elizabeth was the first British queen to visit the Republic of Ireland since 1911, she demonstrated in 2011 that the crown still retained symbolic and diplomatic clout (when all of Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom).

Elizabeth modernized the monarchy throughout her reign by removing some of its formalities and opening up some of its assets and locations to the public. In 2012, Britain scrapped the Civil List, a roughly 250-year-old public funding scheme of the monarchy, as it and other countries suffered financially. The government still provides some assistance to the royal family, although the queen has reduced spending.

Although she was occasionally asked to make way for Charles, Elizabeth steadfastly carried out her royal duties as she approached her 90th birthday. She continued to participate in more than 400 engagements annually and continued to promote numerous philanthropic causes and initiatives.

On November 12, Charles performed the customary Remembrance Sunday duty of laying a wreath at the Cenotaph war memorial, with the queen watching from a nearby balcony. This was seen as a crucial step toward the monarchy's handover to the next generation.

Elizabeth entered politics for the first time in August 2019 when she granted Prime Minister Boris Johnson's request to prorogue (halt) Parliament until October 14—less than three weeks before Britain was set to leave the EU.

Relationship With Prime Ministers

During Elizabeth's reign, 15 prime ministers were appointed, and the queen and the PM held a weekly private meeting. Elizabeth also had encounters with a quarter of all American presidents, most recently hosting Donald Trump in June 2019 on a state visit.

With the legendary Winston Churchill, she had a father-figure relationship, and with Labor leaders Harold Wilson and James Callaghan, she was able to relax a little and be more casual. She had a very formal and aloof relationship with Margaret Thatcher, who frequently lectured the monarch on a range of topics.

Tony Blair appreciated Elizabeth's public speech following the passing of Diana, but he thought some aspects of the monarchy were a little out of date.

Later, the queen and Conservative leader David Cameron, Elizabeth's fifth cousin once removed, got along well. 2014 saw him issue an apology for exposing during a chat that she opposed Scotland's vote for independence from Great Britain.

Theresa May was criticized for keeping her intentions to leave the European Union under wraps, and there was speculation that Elizabeth was upset that she had not been informed of potential withdrawal tactics.

Threats to Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family

Elizabeth put in a lot of effort to preserve the monarchy's reputation and plan for its future. But during her lifetime, she witnessed an assault on the monarchy. The once-revered institution has survived many hardships, including threats to kill members of the royal family.

Elizabeth experienced a profound sorrow when Lord Mountbatten, her husband's uncle, perished in a terrorist explosion in 1979. On August 27, near the west coast of Ireland, Mountbatten's boat exploded while he and many family members were on board. He died along with three other people, one of them was one of his grandsons. The incident was claimed by the IRA (Irish Republican Army), who fought British control in Northern Ireland.

Elizabeth had a perilous encounter in June 1981. When a guy in the crowd aimed a gun at her, she was participating in the Trooping the Color, a special military procession to mark her formal birthday. Fortunately, the rifle was filled with blanks when he fired. The queen wasn't wounded, other than a nice scare.

The following year, an intruder broke into Buckingham Palace and accosted Elizabeth in her bedroom, giving her an even closer call. The royal marriage was the subject of rumors when the media learned that Prince Philip was not present during this episode.

Photographed at the ATS passing out ceremony, June 13, 1946.

Tabloid Scandals

Charles, Elizabeth's son, wed Diana, and their union garnered media attention for years before the pair announced their separation in 1992 and then went through with a legal divorce in 1996. Elizabeth was the subject of considerable media attention when Diana died on August 31, 1997, in a vehicle accident in Paris. The "People's Princess," as her ex-daughter-in-law had been dubbed, was immensely much liked.

The queen, Charles, and Prince William and Prince Harry, the children of Charles and Diana, were present at their family's Balmoral home in Scotland. While the nation lamented Diana's demise for days, Elizabeth stayed mute, and she received harsh criticism for it.

Rumors that the queen did not want to grant Diana a royal funeral spread, which only served to strengthen popular opinion against the ruler. Elizabeth arrived in London over a week after Diana passed away and spoke about the late princess.

Elizabeth was initially against Camilla Parker Bowles's connection with her son Charles. Years before he met his family, Charles and Camilla had been dating. However, the romance ended due to family pressure until picking up again before Charles and Diana's marriage. She had a reputation for being a stickler for ritual and custom, but with time, she began to change. Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended a religious blessing and a reception in Charles and Camilla's honor at Windsor Castle instead of the civil ceremony when they got married in 2005.

Another of Elizabeth's children, Prince Andrew, made headlines in the tabloids in 1992 after pictures of his wife Sarah Ferguson and another man having a relationship surfaced. The marriage quickly ended in divorce.

The queen reportedly has almost $13 million invested in offshore accounts, according to media reports from November 2017. The "Paradise Papers" were leaked to a German newspaper, which then gave them to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, who broke the story.

Even though the Duchy of Lancaster, which manages the queen's finances, acknowledged that some of its investments were made in foreign accounts, it argued that they were all genuine.

In addition to writing a tell-all autobiography in 2017, the former proprietor of the lingerie shop Rigby & Peller, which had served Elizabeth for more than 50 years, also featured some of her encounters with the royal family. Despite the author's claims that "the book doesn't include anything bad," the queen replied by rescinding Rigby & Peller's royal warrant at the beginning of 2018.

Prince Andrew was compelled to resign from his official duties in 2019 after years of controversy over his dubious business ventures and association with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. This decision was made in response to a media firestorm.

The Sussex family was once again in the public eye a few weeks later, in January 2020, as a result of the shocking choice made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to stand down from their positions as senior royals.

Personal Losses

Elizabeth suffered two significant losses after the beginning of the twenty-first century. In 2002, the same year she celebrated her Golden Jubilee, or her 50th year on the throne, she bid her mother and sister, Margaret, farewell.

Margaret, who was distinguished from other royals by having a more daring personality and who was forbidden from marrying an early love, passed away in February following a stroke. The Queen Mother, Elizabeth's mother, passed away at Royal Lodge on March 30th at the age of 101 just a few weeks later.

Diamond Jubilee

Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, which commemorated 60 years as queen, was in 2012. A special BBC concert with artists like Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Stevie Wonder, and Kylie Minogue was held on June 4th as part of the jubilee celebrations. At this momentous occasion, Elizabeth was accompanied by family, including her husband Philip, son Charles, and grandsons Harry and William.

She overtook her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who ruled for 63 years, on September 9, 2015, to become the monarch with the longest reign in British history.

Sapphire Jubilee

The first British monarch to ever commemorate her Sapphire Jubilee, the queen marked 65 years on the throne on February 6, 2017. Additionally, her father's passing anniversary falls on that day. At Sandringham, her country residence north of London, where she also attended a church service, the queen opted to spend the day in solitude.

At Green Park and the Tower of London in London, there were royal gun salutes to celebrate the occasion. Eight additional commemorative coins were also released by the Royal Mint in celebration of the queen's Sapphire Jubilee.

Platinum Jubilee

The country commemorated Elizabeth's platinum jubilee year in 2022. She was the first British queen to accomplish that feat, marking 70 years in power.

On September 8, 2022, Elizabeth passed away quietly in her Balmoral home. Age-wise, she was 96.

Hobbies

The queen lived most of her life surrounded by dogs. She was famous for her love of corgis in particular, having owned more than 30 offspring of the first corgi she received as a teenager up until the passing of the last one, Willow, in 2018.

Elizabeth had a passion for horses as well, breeding thoroughbreds and spending a lot of time at races.

Elizabeth was not one for the spotlight and preferred peaceful activities. She loved watching wrestling on television, solving crossword puzzles, and reading mysteries.

CommunityHistoryEmpowerment
1

About the Creator

Mashal Haroon

At 17 years old, I found a way of digging into my soul and drawing my demons in the most beautiful way possible. Poems became my escape and enlightening others of the same treasure, became my goal.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.