modern queen England, Elizabeth 2, whose biography is a description of the life of a person who has witnessed a variety of eras, has been on the throne since 1952. Her reign is the longest in British history.

Family and childhood

On April 21, 1926, the future Queen of England, Elizabeth 2, was born. It is difficult to imagine a biography of a member of the ruling dynasty without her pedigree. The girl was the daughter of a duke and his wife, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. The child's father was the son of King George V.

When the monarch died in 1936, the throne passed by inheritance to his eldest son, Edward VIII (Elizabeth's uncle). However, he ruled for only a few months. According to the laws of the state, he had to marry a person equal to him in belonging to an aristocratic family. However, the king preferred to tie the knot with a divorced woman from a non-royal circle - Bessie Simpson. It was the fact that she had already been married twice that angered the government, which suggested that Edward abdicate. He really renounced power, and the throne unexpectedly passed to him. younger brother who took the crown name

This castling made ten-year-old Elizabeth the heir to the world's largest British Empire. If George had had a boy, then the title would have passed to him, but this did not happen. The future Queen Elizabeth 2 in childhood was in the public eye as a representative of a new generation of the ruling Windsor dynasty.

heir to the throne

The early biography of Queen Elizabeth II of England matched her status as Princess of York. She lived with her parents in Kensington. One of her main hobbies since childhood was horseback riding. The queen was faithful to this hobby throughout her youth. At the same time, the girl was taught a full range of sciences. Widespread knowledge was a mandatory attribute for members of the Windsor dynasty, as they personified all the best that the monarchy could give to the state. Particular emphasis in the education of Elizabeth was placed on humanitarian sciences: religious studies, jurisprudence and art history. The child showed a remarkable interest in the French language, which was encouraged by teachers.

The biography of Elizabeth 2 took a sharp turn when she became the heiress of her father, the king. Together with her parents, she moved to Buckingham Palace. Three years later, the Second World War, and a carefree life ended with the first volleys of German guns on the continent.

Great Britain supported Poland and, together with its main ally France, declared war on the Third Reich. Despite the fact that the main political decisions were made by the government and parliament, it became an important symbol of the unity of the nation in the face of the growing Nazi threat. Elizabeth 2 in her childhood faced completely unchildish dangers and impressions that all her peers had to endure.

During World War II

Despite the fact that Hitler did not dare to send ground troops to the British Isles, his aircraft carried out regular bombardments of English cities. Particularly stubborn and frequent raids were in the first years of the war, when the Wehrmacht victoriously occupied almost all of Europe. Elizabeth's father regularly visited the troops. Already in 1940, the heiress first spoke to her compatriots with a public speech addressed to the children of the country.

In such an atmosphere, the future Queen of England, Elizabeth 2, grew up. The biography of the child became an indicative cast of the era. In 1943, she visited the troops for the first time, visiting a grenadier regiment. A few months before the surrender of Germany, Elizabeth joined the army and became a driver of an auxiliary ambulance in the women's self-defense squad. The princess received the rank of lieutenant, and since she is the current monarch today, her military rank remains in force. This means that Elizabeth is the last non-military veteran of World War II in the entire world.

Wedding with Philip

With the onset of peace, the future Queen of England, Elizabeth 2, returned to her standard duties. The biography of the princess in 1947 was marked by her wedding to Philip Mountbatten.

In the first half of the 20th century, all the ruling European dynasties were closely intertwined. Philip was the grandson of the Greek King George I, as well as a member of the Danish royal family and a descendant of the British Queen Victoria. The newlyweds met in childhood in the 30s. After his marriage, Philip received the honorary title of Duke of Edinburgh. Despite the fact that he was born back in 1921, he is still in good health and regularly fulfills his dynastic duties. Interestingly, the queen's husband did not accept the title of prince consort, which was customary for his position, and remained the Duke of Edinburgh.

Philip and Elizabeth had four offspring: Charles, Anna, Andrew, and Edward. All of them today have children and grandchildren, who, in turn, make up a vast royal family UK. Charles, as the eldest son, became his mother's heir in 1952, when she took the royal throne, and remains so to this day.

Coronation

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne under unusual circumstances. In 1952, she and her husband traveled to Kenya, then a British colony, for a holiday. It was in this exotic country that the heir to the throne received the sad news of the death of her father, George V, who ruled the country for sixteen years.

It took several months to organize the coronation, which would become a symbol of the beginning of the reign of the new monarch. The solemn ceremony was held in its traditional place - Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth 2 became the new queen. When the young 25-year-old ruler ascended the throne, the eyes of the whole world were turned in her direction in the literal sense of the word, because it was then that cameras broadcasting the event were used for the first time at such an event.

First years of government

The British Queen Elizabeth II traveled a lot in her youth. She did not leave this habit from the first days of her reign. With her accession to the throne, the ruler visited the countries that were part of the Commonwealth of British Colonies. In the 50s and 60s, the process of granting independence to these states, located in all parts of the world, began. Most of them were in Africa. In addition, for the first time in history, a British monarch visited Australia and New Zealand. This person turned out to be Queen Elizabeth 2. The fascinating biography of the ruler was superimposed on her unique status, which attracted the attention of the whole world to her person.

The Queen did not forget about internal affairs at home. She met regularly with representatives of Parliament and discussed the agenda. In 1957, the first political crisis broke out in the ruling party in the era of its being on the throne. Then it was the conservatives. Prime Minister Anthony Eden has resigned. Since the party did not have well-established mechanisms for electing its leader, the queen had to take responsibility into her own hands.

In her first steps in power, Elizabeth often consulted with the legendary Winston Churchill. After consultations with a venerable politician, it was decided to propose the candidacy of Harold Macmillan, which was accepted. He became the 65th British Prime Minister from 1957 to 1964.

Relations with the Commonwealth of Nations

Even in her youth, it became clear that the further fate of Queen Elizabeth 2 would be connected only with serving her native country. She became the ruler at a time when in other countries the power of monarchs was already either swept away by revolutions, or became only a decorative appendage.

In the UK, things were different. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were several empires that were somewhat similar to its state structure. For example, Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary. In all these countries, the monarchical institutions of power were dismantled after bloody wars. Britain avoided this.

However, already after the Second World War it was clear that the imperial consciousness would have to be abandoned. Even under the father of Elizabeth George VI, India gained independence - the pearl of the British crown. Now the young ruler had to consistently abandon the rest of the vestiges of the past imperial era.

The most important tool for realizing this goal was British diplomacy did everything to establish friendly relations with their former colonies, while giving them a platform to talk on an equal footing. There were especially many problems in the African region, where revolutions and civil wars began after the departure of the British authorities.

Traditionally, Elizabeth devoted much of her time to her country's relations with Canada. Until 1982, the British government had a certain weight in making decisions within this country. After the reforms, such a system was left in the past, which was another step towards abandoning the previous British policy of meddling in the affairs of former colonies. Nevertheless, Elizabeth remains the nominal queen of Canada today. In 1976, she, as a monarch, opened the Olympic Games, held in Montreal. Many years later, she will take part in the same ceremony in London. The opening of the Olympics took place in 2012.

As for the current state of the Commonwealth of Nations, Elizabeth remains the head of this system even today, although all organizational issues can be resolved without her participation, while the queen is a symbolic figure.

The tragedy of the royal family

Over the years personal life The royal family, headed by Elizabeth, was overgrown with more and more unpleasant and shocking news. In 1979, Irish Republican Army terrorists killed Prince Philip's uncle Louis Mountbatten. He was not only a close relative of the queen, but also an important statesman under George VI, in particular, he was the last Viceroy of India.

Mountbatten was on his yacht when a radio-controlled bomb planted by terrorists exploded on it. Several of his relatives and an Irish boy who worked on the ship died with him. On the same day, the massacre of the radicals was supplemented by their organized attack on British soldiers, which killed 18 people.

A couple of years after this terrible tragedy, the heir to the throne, the son of Elizabeth Charles, married Diana Spencer. The Princess of Wales enjoyed great popularity among the people due to her charitable and social activities.

The couple had two children, William and Harry. The eldest son is the next contender for the royal title after his father. However, the family life of Charles and Diana still failed. They had a difficult relationship. In the early 90s, the prince began dating another woman. This state of affairs was unacceptable for Elizabeth, who believed that the couple's tangled personal life cast a shadow over the entire royal family. On her initiative, in 1996, Charles and Diana divorced. This created a huge social scandal.

Before the passions subsided, in 1997 the UK was shocked by the shocking news of Diana's death in a car accident in Paris. A few years after this event, Prince Charles married his longtime girlfriend for the second time. The wedding took place in 2005, when his children from his first marriage had already grown up and lived an independent life.

80s

Despite the scandals and tragedies that shook Buckingham Palace from time to time, Elizabeth successfully coped with her royal duties for several decades. The British monarch, by tradition, was also the head of the Anglican Church, which was formed during the Reformation in the 16th century.

In the old days, a long conflict smoldered between Catholics and Protestants. In a new era, the time has come for a historic reconciliatory meeting of the heads of the two churches - the Pope and the British Queen. John Paul arrived in London in 1982. He was met by the Queen of England herself. Photos of these people spread all over the world.

Then it broke out between Great Britain and Argentina. The Queen did not make any formal decisions related to tactics and strategy. However, this conflict could not pass her by. Younger son Elizabeth - Andrew - served in british army during this conflict and was a member of the helicopter crew.

The war began because of the uncertainty of the ownership of the Falkland Islands, located off the coast of Argentina. After nearly three months of naval battles, Britain was victorious and retained the archipelago.

Elizabeth and Margaret Thatcher

While Elizabeth did not make decisions related to the war, this burden fell on the shoulders of another influential British woman - Margaret Thatcher. She was the leader and prime minister of the country from 1981-1990. For her tough character and determination, the politician received the nickname "Iron Lady". Thus, in the 80s, a female tandem was formed, which was at the head of the British state.

According to the laws and traditions, the head of government held a working meeting every week, which was attended by Elizabeth 2. The Queen of Great Britain and her dynasty maintained close relations with Thatcher. From time to time, rumors spread throughout the country that fundamental disagreements arose between the prime minister and the monarch in internal and foreign policy. These conversations were actively exaggerated by the press. Despite this, Thatcher herself and the official representatives of Elizabeth each time refuted such judgments.

At the same time, in the 1980s, British society was going through difficult times. First of all, this was due to the tense social situation. Due to the policy of austerity, privatization and monetarism, of which Thatcher was an adherent, the country wandered on the verge of an economic crisis. Such measures were necessary for state reforms. The queen, due to her status, as a rule, turned out to be on the sidelines of the wave of public criticism.

Diamond Jubilee

In 2012, the diamond jubilee of the reign (60 years) came, which was celebrated by the Queen of England. Photos of the celebrations of the country hit the front pages of newspapers around the world. Elizabeth became the second after Queen Victoria, who managed to live up to this significant date.

The apogee of the holiday was the parade of several hundred ships descending the Thames in London. According to statistics, this is the largest water procession in history. On June 4, a solemn musical concert was held at the walls of Buckingham Palace. The Queen was personally congratulated by such legendary British performers as Paul McCartney, Elton John and others.

A year before, the biography of Elizabeth 2 and the entire royal family was marked by another joyful event. The eldest grandson of the ruler and heir William married. His wife was Catherine Middleton. In 2013, Elizabeth became a great-grandmother for the third time. William had a son and heir to the throne, George.

Modern Status of the Queen

The eventful biography of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England is an example of the life of a monarch who, over the years, increasingly abandoned his former privileges and became a state figure with representative functions. Today, the ruler continues to follow the traditions of her stay on the throne. Once a year, she organizes a speech before Parliament.

The Queen also regularly meets ambassadors and diplomatic delegations. In previous years, she often traveled to various parts of the world, but with age, the intensity of travel decreased. However, more recently, in 2011, Elizabeth traveled to Ireland. It was a historic visit. Great Britain and its western neighbor have been in conflict for many centuries. In the 20th century, the struggle of the Irish for independence (including in Northern Ireland) took the form of terrorist attacks witnessed by Elizabeth II herself. England, however, overcame this crisis and established relations with Dublin.

Over the decades of being on the throne, the ruler acquired her own style in dealing with parliament. As a rule, she tries to stay away from political fights between parties and supporters of different programs.

But it was the cold-blooded and impregnable Queen who had to make important decisions when crises occurred in Parliament. For example, this happened in 1957 and 1963. In both cases, the prime minister resigned, and the ruling party could not decide on a successor. Then the Queen herself chose the President of Parliament. Each time it allowed to defuse the situation in Downing Street.

Today in the UK, every resident of the country knows about everything that is connected with the Queen of England Elizabeth 2. Biography, full name and other facts from her life are well known to everyone. She managed, despite the volatility of the modern era, to maintain the authority of the monarchy.

Elizabeth fell in love with Philip at first sight: they met when she was 13 years old, and he was 18. A well-built blond, a Royal Naval College cadet, right away. Correspondence began between her and Philip.

2. Elizabeth's parents were against her marriage to Philip

Philip comes from a royal family: at birth, he bore the title of Prince of Greece and Denmark. However, Philip's family was expelled from Greece. Leaving his native country, his relatives settled in Paris, and Philip was sent to London, where he studied, received the rank of midshipman, and during World War II went to serve in Navy. Although the young man wrote long and tender letters to the future Queen of England from the front, Elizabeth's relatives were not at all delighted with the choice of their daughter. They believed that Philip was not a couple for the princess - his family was ruined. The only inheritance that Philip received from his father was a signet ring.

3. Philip had to give up his title and religion

The wedding of Philip and Elizabeth, however, still took place. True, for her sake the young man had to sacrifice a lot. So, he ceased to be called a Greek prince, became a British subject and switched from Orthodoxy to Anglicanism. He was ready to forever remain in history as the queen's husband.

4. The wedding of Elizabeth and Philip was modest

Elizabeth and Philip got married at the end of 1947 - then the war had just ended ... The wedding was played by royal standards, rather modest, although very beautiful. The dress for the main day in her life was sewn by court fashion designer Norman Hartnell, who was inspired by Sandro Botticelli's painting "Spring". “I discovered a painting by Botticelli in the museum, which depicted a girl in silk of the color flowing along her body. Ivory strewn with flowers, asparagus and rosebuds. I recreated all this flora with the help of crystal beads and pearls,” he recalled. Elizabeth's head was adorned with her mother's precious tiara, and two pages carried a five-meter veil. The outfit was complemented by satin heeled sandals, the silver buckles of which were decorated with pearls.

5. Philip became the first to take the oath of allegiance to Elizabeth as queen.

Elizabeth and Philip after the wedding were inseparable. The girl took care of the house and was happy as a wife. Soon the couple had children - Charles and Anna. But in February 1952, the measured life of the family ended. The King of England and Elizabeth's father, George VI, died of a blood clot in his heart ... Philip was the first who, on bended knee, took an oath of allegiance to Elizabeth II as queen.

6. At first, Elizabeth forbade Philip from giving his children his last name.

After the coronation of Elizabeth, Philip had not only to leave the service in the navy, but to devote himself entirely to royal duties. He accompanied the queen on all trips, helped her in public affairs ... The man dreamed that his wife and children would bear his last name, but then the Windsors would officially cease to be rulers - and Mountbatten would become. The mere thought of this aroused indignation among all of Elizabeth's relatives. The Queen consulted with Prime Minister Winston Churchill and refused her husband's request to assign his surname to Charles and Anne. Philip was very worried and joked bitterly, calling himself the only person in the country who could not give his family name to his own children.

7. Philip and Elizabeth were on the verge of a divorce

In the mid-50s, Elizabeth was all absorbed in state affairs, and Philip suffered because he had to leave the service in the navy. The relationship of the spouses became cool and, perhaps, things even went to divorce - but the duke unexpectedly found himself in charity work. And then Elizabeth became pregnant again - and suddenly allowed her husband to give the newborn boy Andrew her last name. The fourth child of the royal couple, Edward, also received his father's surname. Thus, the couple's older children, Charles and Anna, have the surname Windsor, while the younger ones, Andrew and Edward, have Mountbatten-Windsor.

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, judging by the press, she is not going to part with it. The Queen ascended to the highest 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 during her reign, 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. It is interesting that the future monarch, and then only the prince and father 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. On her own, the future British queen studied French. 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 per year Great Victory in her working biography, a working specialty appeared - 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 tied her further 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, died, having received the long-awaited highest title, 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.

Today is the birthday of the most famous woman on the throne is Queen Elizabeth II of England. Despite her venerable age, the Queen continues to delight us with her appearances, is the constant heroine of our Stylish Monarchs column, gives valuable guidance to her heirs - Prince Charles and William, as well as her young daughter-in-law - Kate Middleton. HELLO.RU congratulates Elizabeth II on her birthday and remembers 15 interesting facts about this legendary person.

Elizabeth II

1. Queen Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926. At the time of her birth, she was third in line to the throne, then they could not even think about her future ascension to the throne. Her father, George VI, began to rule after the unexpected renunciation of power by his elder brother, King Edward, thus Elizabeth came closer to power.

Queen Elizabeth II with mother Elizabeth I and father George VI

On the day of her father's death, 25-year-old Elizabeth was approached by her younger sister, Princess Margaret, and said: Does this mean that you will become queen? Poor thing!

2. Elizabeth was personally trained by her father, King George VI. Her teachers also included the Vice-Chancellor of Eton and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

From an early age, Lilibet, as she was called at home, was a passionate and active person. She really enjoyed learning languages. Thanks to foreign governesses, she mastered French in childhood. At the age of 11, while still a princess, Elizabeth became a scout and then a sea ranger.

Elizabeth II in Scout uniform, 19423. Since childhood, the queen has been very fond of animals. She is the breeder of many Thoroughbreds and often comes to see equestrian competitions, as well as the races in which her horses participate.

Elizabeth II has been sitting on a horse almost from birth
Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip at the Hippodrome Also, Elizabeth II loves dogs. Her favorite breed is the Welsh Corgi. She was given her first puppy by her father for her birthday, and since then she has had over 30 Corgis, each of which is a descendant of her first child, Suzy. The dogs live with the queen in the castle, travel in limousines and live in hotels.

Queen Elizabeth II with a dog

4. The queen met her husband, Prince Philip, at the age of 8. The son of a Greek prince was forced to flee his native country to England at the age of 1 in an orange box. Naturally, the daughter's union with the "impoverished prince" was not welcomed by King George VI of Great Britain. According to rumors, Elizabeth herself achieved the location of Philip, whom she had been in love with from an early age, and then made him a marriage proposal.

Elizabeth and Philip at their engagement, 1947

5. The couple announced their engagement in 1947. The wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten took place on November 20, 1947. The celebration was attended by 2000 invited guests. The wedding dress was sewn by designer Norman Hartnell, and the bride's head was decorated with a diamond tiara, which Queen Mary gave her as a child.

Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

After marrying the princess, Philip was not anointed king. When his wife ascended the throne, he was the first to take the oath to her with the words:
I, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will be your vassal in sickness and in health, serving you faithfully, with honor and respect, until death. May God help me.
61 years have passed since then, and Philip is still always and everywhere next to his queen.

6. Elizabeth II is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of England. She herself holds all important meetings with the heads of the Commonwealth, and also visits military installations during her visits to other countries. She prepares her son, Prince Charles, and grandchildren, William and Harry, for political affairs, however, they are not yet trusted to make decisions.

Queen Elizabeth II with her first child, Prince Charles

7. Despite the steel character and talent for government, the queen does not forget about femininity. The bright colors of dresses and suits, which she prefers from a very young age, betray her creative and mischievous nature.

A recognizable style, the main elements of which are a monochrome suit of saturated color, a matching hat, black shoes and a handbag, was formed at the very beginning of her reign. Now, despite her advanced age, the queen is not at all afraid of bright colors and still does not change her habits. As Karl Lagerfeld said, in order to become a recognizable person, you need to dress in such a way that it is easy to copy a cartoon from you. Queen Elizabeth II inspired the work of both famous creators and animators.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1986

8. Order surrounds the Queen in everything, so it is not surprising that in the dressing room of Elizabeth II, all things have a serial number. It also indicates the place and time at which the outfit was worn. Given the Queen's busy work schedule, this is the only way she can avoid "fashion repetition".

9. The working day of the queen is scheduled by the minute. At 7:30 a.m., a tray is brought to her bed containing a silver teapot, a jug of water and milk. At 10:00, she begins her duties and finishes work around 23:00. In the morning, the first thing she does is look through the daily British newspapers and the racing magazine The Racing Post.

Elizabeth II, 2013

After that, out of hundreds of letters from subjects who came in a day, she selects a few that she reads, and then dictates to her assistant the answers to each of them. In the first half of the day, the queen appoints several meetings - with ambassadors, bishops, judges. Each takes no more than 15 minutes. In the evening, Elizabeth II meets with the Prime Minister and gets acquainted with official papers. At the end of the day, she attends exhibitions, concerts and other events.

10. Queen Elizabeth II has a very large family: four children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. At a time when she is not busy with business, she likes to be at home with loved ones.

Elizabeth II with Prince Philip, three sons and a daughter

She spends several weeks in August and September alone. These days, the doors of Buckingham Palace open for everyone, and the Queen leaves to rest in the Scottish castle of Balmoral. There she likes to read novels, do crossword puzzles and take a bath. By the way, a funny habit is connected with Elizabeth's last pastime - the queen never takes a bath without her rubber duck.

Another of the Queen's favorite pastimes on weekends is "fussing" with the dogs. Rumor has it that Elizabeth loves to comb their hair on their own and even look for fleas from them.

11. The Queen is the only resident of the UK who does not have a passport and rights. However, this does not prevent her from actively traveling and driving a car. By the way, she first sat behind the wheel at the age of 19. With 67 years of driving experience behind her back, the Queen was spotted driving by the paparazzi in 2012. In an unaccompanied car, Elizabeth II was returning from a Scottish residence, where she hunted hazel grouse.

Queen Elizabeth II driving12 .During travels, the weight of the Queen's luggage can reach several tons. The record figure was recorded during the trip of Elizabeth II to a meeting of the heads of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1953 - the queen was carrying 12 tons of clothes with her. Considering the number of her dogs that travel with her everywhere, there are also several tons of grooming items for them.

Elizabeth II

13. Elizabeth II has a number of secret signs. For example, if during official events she puts her handbag on the table, then it becomes clear to her attendants that the Queen wants to leave the meeting after 5 minutes. When she begins to twist the ring on her finger or shift the bag from one hand to the other, this means that she is bored with communication with the interlocutor.

Queen Elizabeth II
14. The most difficult times in the life of the queen are 1992 and 2002. In the early 90s, the reputation of the monarchy was under attack due to the divorce of the Queen's heir, Prince Charles, with Princess Diana. And in 2002, the queen lost two beloved people at once - her sister Margaret and mother Elizabeth I.

Queen Elizabeth II with Princess Diana

15. Despite the fact that the Queen turns 88 today, this event will be celebrated on a national scale only in the summer. According to a tradition that has evolved over the years, the reigning monarch of Great Britain celebrates his birthday twice: directly on the day of the celebration with relatives and friends, and on one of the weekends in June. It is in the summer that magnificent festivities take place, people take to the streets to celebrate another year of the life and reign of the most popular royal person in the world.

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth II) Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - since February 6, 1952
Coronation: June 2, 1953
Predecessor: George VI
Heir apparent: Charles, Prince of Wales
Head of the Commonwealth of Nations
Religion: Anglicanism
Birth: 21 April 1926
London, Great Britain
Genus: Windsor dynasty
Birth name: Elizabeth Alexandra Maria
Father: George VI
Mother: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Spouse: Philip Mountbatten

biography of queen elizabeth 2

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

She is the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations and, in addition to Great Britain, the queen of 15 independent states: Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica. He is also Head of the Anglican Church and Supreme Commander armed forces UK.

Elizabeth II- the oldest British (English) monarch in history. She is currently the second longest-serving head of state in history (after Queen Victoria) and also the second longest-serving head of state in the world (after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand). She is also the oldest female head of state in the world.
For the reign Elizabeth a very wide period of British history falls out: 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 ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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 the UK is at its best.

Childhood and youth of Elizabeth II
Eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI, 1895-1952) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002). Her paternal grandparents were King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess of Teck (1867-1953); mother - Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1961).
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London's Mayfair at the residence of the Earl of Strathmore at Brewton Street, house number 17. Now the area has been rebuilt, and the house no longer exists, but a memorial plaque has been erected on this site. She got her name in honor of her mother (Elizabeth), grandmother (Maria) and great-grandmother (Alexandra).
At the same time, the father insisted that the first name of the daughter be 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 Mary. The names are all good, I told him so, but about Victoria, I absolutely agree with him. It was redundant." The christening of Princess Elizabeth took place on May 25 in the chapel of Buckingham Palace, later destroyed during the war years.
In 1930, Elizabeth's only sister, Princess Margaret, was born.

Elizabeth received a good education at home, mostly in the humanities - she studied the history of the constitution, law, religious studies, art history, and also (actually independently) French. FROM young years Elizabeth was interested in horses and was engaged in horseback riding. She has been faithful to this hobby for many decades.
At birth Elizabeth became the Duchess of York and was third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII) and father. Because Prince Edward was young enough to be expected to marry and have children, Elizabeth was not initially considered a viable candidate for the throne. However, Edward was forced to abdicate just a few months after the death of George V in 1936. Prince Albert (George VI) became king, and 10-year-old Elizabeth 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 "heir presumptive" ("supposed heir") (English) Russian, and if George VI had a son, he would have inherited the throne.

World War II began when Elizabeth was 13 years old. On October 13, 1940, she made her first radio appearance, addressing children affected by the disasters of the war. In 1943, her first independent appearance in public took place - a visit to the regiment of the Guards Grenadiers. In 1944, she became one of the five "state councilors" (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 units - and was trained as an ambulance driver, receiving the military rank of lieutenant.

In 1947, Elizabeth accompanied her parents on a trip to South Africa and, on her 21st birthday, went on the radio with a solemn promise to devote her life to the service of the British Empire.

That same year, 21-year-old Elizabeth married 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten, a British navy officer, member of the Greek and Danish royal families, and great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. They met in 1934, and fell in love, it is believed, after Elizabeth visited the Naval College in Dartmouth, where Philip studied, in 1939. Having become the spouse of the princess, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

A year after the wedding, in 1948, the eldest son, Prince Charles, was born to Elizabeth and Philip. And on August 15, 1950, the daughter is Princess Anna.

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain
Coronation and beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II
King George VI, father Elizabeth, 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.

The second half of the 1950s - the beginning of the 1990s
In 1957, after the resignation of Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden, due to the lack of clear rules for choosing a leader in the Conservative Party, Elizabeth II had to appoint a new head of government from among the Conservatives. After consultations with prominent members of the party and former Prime Minister Churchill, 63-year-old Harold Macmillan was appointed head of government.
In the same year, Elizabeth made her first visits to the United States and Canada as Queen of Canada. In the same year, she spoke for the first time at a session of the UN General Assembly. She was present at the opening session of the Canadian Parliament (for the first time in history with the participation of the British monarch). She continued her travels in 1961 when she made visits to Cyprus, the Vatican, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Iran, and Ghana.
Meeting of Elizabeth II with the heads of the Commonwealth countries in 1960
In 1960, the Queen had a second son, Prince Andrew, and in 1964, a third son, Prince Edward.
In 1963, following the resignation of Prime Minister Macmillan, on his advice, Elizabeth appointed Alexander Douglas-Home as prime minister.
In 1974, a political crisis began to brew after parliamentary elections, in which none of the parties received a majority of votes. Although the Conservative Party turned out to be the largest party in Parliament, Labor leader Harold Wilson was appointed Prime Minister. A year later, a political crisis also occurred in Australia (English) Russian, during which Elizabeth II refused to cancel the decision of the governor general to resign the country's prime minister.

In 1976 Elizabeth II solemnly opened (as Queen of Canada) the XXI Olympic Games in Montreal.

1977 was an important date for the Queen - the 25th anniversary of Elizabeth II's tenure on the British throne was celebrated, in honor of which many ceremonial enterprises were held in the Commonwealth countries.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a number of assassination attempts were made on the royal family. In particular, in 1979, the terrorists of the Provisional Irish Republican Army killed Uncle Prince Philip, an influential statesman and military leader Lord Louis Mountbatten. And in 1981, there was an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Elizabeth II during a military parade in honor of the queen's "official birthday".
In 1981, the wedding of the son of Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Diana Spencer took place, which would later become a big problem for the royal family.

Elizabeth II walking near Windsor Castle with Ronald Reagan (1982)
At this time in 1982, as a result of changes in the Canadian constitution, the British Parliament lost any role in Canadian affairs, but the British Queen still remained the head of the Canadian state. In the same year, the first visit of Pope John Paul II to Great Britain in the last 450 years took place (the Queen, who is the head of the Anglican Church, received him personally).
In 1991, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the US Houses of Congress.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Queen Elizabeth II. London. 2010
Elizabeth II and the Obamas.

Early 1990s - 2000s in the life of Elizabeth II

1992 became " terrible year”, by the definition of Elizabeth II herself. Two of the Queen's four children - Prince Andrew and Princess Anne - divorced their spouses, Prince Charles separated from Princess Diana, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by fire, the duty for the Queen to pay income tax was introduced, and funding for the royal court was noticeably reduced.
In 1994, Elizabeth II visited Russia. This was the first visit of the head of the British royal house to Russian state throughout the history of bilateral relations dating back to 1553.
In 1996, at the urging of the Queen, a formal divorce was signed between Prince Charles and Princess Diana. A year later, in 1997, the tragic death of Princess Diana in a car accident in Paris occurred, which shocked not only the royal family, but also millions of ordinary Britons. For restraint and the absence of any reaction to the death of the former daughter-in-law, critical remarks immediately rained down on the Queen.

In 2002, celebrations were held in honor of the 50th anniversary of Elizabeth II on the British throne (Golden Jubilee. But in the same year, the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, and the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, died.
In 2008, for the first time in history, the Church of England, led by Elizabeth, held a Maundy Thursday service, traditionally attended by the reigning monarch, outside of England or Wales, at St. Patrick's in Armagh in Northern Ireland.

Modernity
In 2010, she spoke for the second time at a meeting of the UN General Assembly. Representing the queen general secretary UN Ban Ki-moon called her "the anchor of our era."

In 2011, the first ever state visit by a British monarch to independent Ireland took place. In the same year, the wedding of Prince William (grandson of Elizabeth II) and Catherine Middleton took place.
In 2012, the XXX Olympic Games were held in London, inaugurated by Elizabeth II, and a new law was approved that changes the order of succession, according to which male heirs lose priority over women.

In the same year, the 60th (“diamond”) anniversary of Elizabeth II on the throne was solemnly celebrated in Great Britain and other countries. The culmination of the festive events was the weekend of June 3-4, 2012:
On June 3, a solemn water parade of more than a thousand ships and boats took place on the Thames. It is believed that this is the most grandiose river procession in history;
On June 4, 2012, a concert took place on the square in front of Buckingham Palace with the participation of such stars of British and world music as Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Cliff Richard, Elton John, Grace Jones, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Tom Jones and others. The evening was hosted by Take That lead singer Gary Barlow.

Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (2013)
In 2013, for the first time in 40 years, Elizabeth II refused to go to the summit of the heads of the countries of the British Commonwealth, held in Sri Lanka. Britain at the summit will be represented by Prince Charles, which indicates the gradual transfer of powers of Elizabeth to her son.

In the same year, the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth II was celebrated in Great Britain, but on a smaller scale.

Role in political and public life
In accordance with the British tradition of a constitutional monarchy, Elizabeth II performs mainly representative functions, with little or no influence on the government of the country. However, during her reign, she successfully maintains the authority of the British monarchy. Her duties include visiting various countries on diplomatic visits, receiving ambassadors, meeting with high-ranking government officials (especially the Prime Minister), reading annual messages to Parliament, presenting awards, knighting, etc. The Queen also looks through the main British newspapers daily and answers with the help of servants for some letters, which are sent to her in huge quantities (200-300 pieces daily).

Throughout her time on the throne, the Queen maintained correct relations with all prime ministers. At the same time, she always remained true to the tradition of the English kings of modern times - to be above political fights.

Elizabeth II is also actively involved in charity work. She is a trustee of over 600 different public and charitable organizations.

Main article: Royal prerogatives
In addition to duties, Elizabeth II also has certain inalienable rights, like a monarch (royal prerogatives), which, however, are quite formal. For example, she can dissolve the parliament, reject the candidacy of the prime minister (which seems unsuitable to her), etc.
Financial expenses
Certain funds are spent on the maintenance of the queen from the so-called civil list, which is controlled by the government.

So, according to data from Buckingham Palace, in the 2008-2009 financial year, each Briton spent $ 1.14 on the maintenance of the monarchy, which amounted to $ 68.5 million in total.
In 2010-2011, due to the government's new economic program, the Queen was forced to cut her spending to $51.7 million.
But, starting in 2012, Elizabeth's income began to grow again (at an approximate rate of 5% per year).

Such figures cause dissatisfaction among the Republican-minded part of the British population, which considers it necessary to cut them.

Family and Children
On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (born June 10, 1921), the son of the Greek Prince Andrew, who received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
Four children were born in their family:
Name Date of birth Marriage Children Grandchildren
Prince Charles,
Prince of Wales 14 November 1948 Lady Diana Spencer 29 July 1981
(divorced: 28 August 1996) Prince William, Duke of Cambridge Prince George of Cambridge
Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales
Camille Shand April 9, 2005
Princess Anna,
"Princess Royal" August 15, 1950 Mark Phillips November 14, 1973
(divorced: April 28, 1992) Peter Phillips Savannah Phillips

Isla Elizabeth Phillips
Zara Phillips
Timothy Lawrence December 12, 1992
Prince Andrew
Duke of York 19 February 1960 Sarah Ferguson 23 July 1986
(divorced: 30 May 1996) Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Eugenie (Eugenie) of York
Prince Edward
Earl of Wessex 10 March 1964 Sophie Rhys-Jones 19 June 1999 Lady Louise Windsor
James, Viscount Severn
Official titles, awards and coat of arms

The full title of Elizabeth II in the UK is "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other kingdoms and territories the 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 passed according to which in each of these countries the British monarch acts as head of this particular state (English) Russian, regardless of his titles in Great Britain proper or in third countries. Accordingly, in all these countries, the title of the queen sounds the same, with the name of the state replaced. In some countries, the words "defender of the faith" are excluded from the title. For example, in Australia, the title sounds like this: "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God the 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".
States whose head was or is Elizabeth II
Member countries of the Commonwealth are marked on the map (Fiji membership is suspended)

Upon accession to the throne, in 1952, Elizabeth became queen of seven states: Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon.

During her reign, some of these countries became republics. At the same time, as a result of the process of decolonization, numerous British colonies gained independence. In some of them, the Queen of Great Britain retained the status of head of state, in others she did not.

Abolition of the monarchy in the original possessions of Elizabeth II:

Pakistan - in 1956 (former Dominion of Pakistan).
South Africa - in 1961 (former South Africa).
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - in 1972 (former Dominion of Ceylon).

Blue indicates states that retain the monarchy

Newly independent states that retained the monarchy:

Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Grenada
Papua New Guinea
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Solomon islands
Tuvalu
Jamaica

Newly independent states that abandoned the monarchy:

Guyana
Gambia
Ghana
Kenya
Mauritius
Malawi
Malta
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
Tanganyika
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Fiji

Awards
Main article: Titles and honors of Elizabeth II

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

Coats of arms in different periods of time 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 Scotland)

Royal coat of arms in Scotland

Royal coat of arms in Canada

public perception

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

Criticism

In spite of positive attitude most of her subjects, the queen was repeatedly criticized throughout her reign, in particular:

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

Hobbies and personal life
Map of visits by Elizabeth II around the world

The Queen's interests include dog breeding (including Corgis, Spaniels and Labradors), photography, horseback riding, and travel. Elizabeth II, maintaining her prestige of the Queen of the Commonwealth, travels very actively in her possessions, and also visits other countries of the world (for example, in 1994 she visited Russia). She has more than 325 foreign visits to her credit (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries).

I have been gardening since 2009.

In addition to English, he is also fluent in French.
Memory
In culture
Films about Elizabeth II

In 2004, the film Churchill: The Hollywood Years was released - "Churchill Goes to War!", Where the role of Elizabeth was played by Neve Campbell.
In 2006, the biopic The Queen was released. The role of the queen was played by actress Helen Mirren. The film is a BAFTA winner in the Best Film category. Actress Helen Mirren, who performed leading role in the film, won the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, as well as the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for Best Actress. In addition, the film was nominated for an Oscar as Best Picture.
In 2009, the 4th channel of British television (Channel 4) filmed a 5-episode fictional mini-series "The Queen" ("The Queen", directed by Edmund Coulthard, Patrick Reams). The Queen at different periods of her life was played by 5 actresses: Emilia Fox, Samantha Bond, Susan Jameson, Barbara Flynn, Diana Quick.
July 27, 2012 television broadcast of the opening ceremony of summer Olympic Games in London, he started a video featuring James Bond (Daniel Craig) and the Queen (cameo). At the end of the video, they both parachute 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 the best performance of the role of a James Bond girl.

In architecture

In honor of the queen, Elizabeth Avenue is named next to the espalana in Singapore.
The famous Big Ben, the symbol of London, has been officially called the “Elizabeth Tower” since September 2012.
A bridge in Duford, completed in 1991, is also named after the Queen.
On August 1, 2013, the Elizabeth II Olympic Park was opened in London.

Lifetime monuments

Lifetime monuments

Statue of Elizabeth II in Ottawa, Parliament Hill, Canada

Statue in Regina, Saskatchewan, erected in 2005

Statue in Windsor Great Park

In botany

In honor of Elizabeth II, the rose variety Rosa "Queen Elizabeth" was named.
On coins and in philately

Coins and postage stamps

On a Canadian stamp, 1953

On an Australian coronation stamp

On a Northern Ireland stamp, 1958

On a 1953 coin

On a South African coin, 1958

Coin with Elizabeth 1961

In geography

The name of Elizabeth II was repeatedly assigned to various territories, among them:
Princess Elizabeth Land in Antarctica
Queen Elizabeth Land in Antarctica
Queen Elizabeth Islands in Canada