September 9, 2015 Queen Elizabeth II became the longest serving monarch on the British throne. On that day, she broke Queen Victoria's record of 23,226 days. Elizabeth II came to the throne on February 6, 1952, more than 63 years have passed since then. She remains an extremely popular figure, both in her country and around the world. And this is not a complete list of the queen's records.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said on the occasion of the reign record: "Over the past 63 years, Her Majesty has been a rock of stability in a world of constant change." Most Britons really perceive Elizabeth II as a symbol of stability, conservatism and the preservation of national traditions.
The 89-year-old queen also set the age record among British monarchs: she is now the oldest ruler of Great Britain. And after the death of the 91-year-old king Saudi Arabia Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, Elizabeth II is also the oldest monarch in the world.
On the day of the celebration of the longest tenure on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II took part in the opening in Edinburgh of the longest railway line in the UK built over the past 100 years, the Borders Railway.
In 2012, the Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee - the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. During the festivities, another record was set - the Sunday flotilla on the Thames entered the Guinness Book of Records as the largest river procession in the world. It was attended by 20,000 people and 670 ships built from 1740 to 2012.
Elizabeth II is also nominally the oldest participant in the Second World War, who has not yet retired. Of course, no one sent her to the front, but the following facts allow us to assert this: in 1945 she entered military service, where she took courses as a driver of an ambulance for 5 months. By the way, she became the only queen who completed military service.
The Queen also became the person most often depicted on the coins of different states: a portrait or bust of Elizabeth II was minted on the coins of 35 countries of the world. She is the monarch of 16 independent states and 128 million inhabitants - although her status is more nominal, and she does not have real political power.
Elizabeth II is also called one of the richest monarchs in the world - her fortune is 94.8 billion dollars, including works of art, real estate, including castles, and jewelry.
In 2007, the Queen celebrated her diamond wedding anniversary (60 years) and set another record - the longest marriage among the reigning monarchs of Britain. In addition, Queen Elizabeth II broke the world record for the number of theatrical and film incarnations - she was portrayed on the screen and on stage more than any of the living monarchs.
And the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne - - was celebrated by the whole country!
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23 thousand days of Elizabeth II
at the head of the British monarchy
Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne 65 years after the death of King George VI. The British monarch holds the absolute record for the longest stay on the British throne. At the moment, it has occupied it for 23742 days.
During the reign of Elizabeth there were great changes both in Great Britain and in the world.
Britain ceased to be an empire and granted independence to the countries it once ruled. The royal family now pays taxes on income and wealth, and Buckingham Palace is open to the public.
Elizabeth II is the monarch of 16 states of the world.
Her outward ability to listen and understand others provided the queen with a special place in British society.
As one of the English philosophers noted, "the monarchy is a house that stands above politics."
Princess Lilibet
At her christening at Buckingham Palace, she was named Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (after her mother, great-grandmother, and grandmother).
Elizabeth II is the eldest daughter of King George VI, a representative of the Windsor dynasty, dating back to 1901.
Elizabeth was not born for the throne. Lilibet, as she was called at home, was only third in line to the throne. In 1936 her grandfather (George V) died. His successor was Elizabeth's uncle, King Edward VIII. He ruled for only 325 days. He renounced the British throne to marry a twice-divorced American woman, Wallis Simpson. In Great Britain, according to the laws, the king could not marry a divorced woman and still perform the duties of a monarch.
Great Britain began to rule the father of Lilibet - George VI.
11-year-old Elizabeth moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace.
Princess Elizabeth was educated at home. She studied art and music and became an excellent rider.
After Lilibet's father came to the throne, she began to take lessons in constitutional history and law from the rector of Eton College.
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Junior Commander Windsor
Three years after the coronation of George VI, the Second World War. The king refused to leave London and remained at Buckingham Palace even during the bombing. George VI and his wife visited the bombed-out quarters of the city.
Princess Elizabeth lived at Windsor Castle. It was from there that on October 13, 1940, she first spoke on the radio - with an appeal to children who lost their homes due to the war.
And three years later, her first independent appearance in public took place - a visit to the regiment of guards grenadiers. Elizabeth's closer acquaintance with royal duties began in 1944, when she became one of the five "state advisers", having received the right to replace her father when he went on a trip to the fronts.
In 1945, for several months, Elizabeth served military and labor service in the Auxiliary Women's Territorial Service as a driver and mechanic of a military truck, after passing a driving test Vehicle she was assigned honorary title junior commander.
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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Elizabeth met her husband at the age of 13, when Prince Philip Mountbatten was still a cadet at the Dartmouth Naval Academy.
The son of the Greek Prince Andrew Philip is a distant relative of Elizabeth. He is the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria.
When Elizabeth turned 21, the couple officially announced their engagement. The next day, they were officially presented to the public at a public reception at Buckingham Palace.
For the princess's ring, the jeweler used diamonds from a diadem that belonged to Prince Philip's mother.
On the eve of his daughter's wedding, the king granted the future son-in-law a title. Prince Philip became the Duke of Edinburgh. George VI made Elizabeth a Dame of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the highest British order for knighthood, established by King Edward III in 1348.
As the UK was still reeling from the effects of the war, the bride was given 100 clothing vouchers that everyone was using at the time.
Colored satin elizabeth dress Ivory created the official tailor of the British royal court Norman Hartnell. Starting to work on the outfit, he was inspired by the canvases of Renaissance artists.
After the wedding, the couple lived for some time in Buckingham Palace, and then moved to Clarence House, which was specially restored for them.
In 2007, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their "diamond wedding" - 60 years of marriage.
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"God save the queen!"
On April 21, 1947, in honor of her coming of age, which came when she was 21 years old, Elizabeth made a heartfelt speech.
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth took the coronation oath, swearing to honor the laws of Great Britain and uphold the Law of God.
During the ceremony, Elizabeth's husband knelt down and said: "I, Philip, become your vassal in body and soul; I swear to serve you faithfully until the end of my days, protecting you from any enemies. May God help me."
A gala dinner for the guests of honor was held at Westminster Hall. The best chefs in the UK have prepared a special dish called "Coronation chicken" - chicken with curry, mayonnaise and apricot jam. The recipe for the dish was printed in advance in local newspapers, so any Briton could cook the "royal" dish in his kitchen.
It rained on the day of the coronation in London. Returning to Buckingham Palace, despite the bad weather, the Queen was greeted on the streets of the city by about 3 million people - they all wanted to see the new monarch. The royal procession passed by the audience for 45 minutes and stretched for 4 km.
Photo: © AP Photo. Video: © Youtube/TheRoyalChannel
Live
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was shown live on television for the first time.
Prime Minister Churchill was against allowing members of the media access to the abbey. The Queen insisted on the presence of journalists.
"People must see me to believe me" - so Elizabeth argued her decision.
More than 8,200 guests then witnessed the historic event, and by some estimates, more than 20 million people in the UK watched what was happening on TV.
Movie cameras filmed the ceremony in color, and the edited chronicle was shown in cinemas for many months.
2 thousand journalists, 500 photographers from 92 countries broadcast news from the solemn event. The BBC channel commented on the broadcast in 44 different languages.
Recordings of the ceremony were delivered by aircraft of the country's Air Force across the Atlantic. On the same day, 87 million people in the United States and Canada were also able to see the coronation.
The Queen and Her 13 Prime Ministers
It is impossible to say with certainty which political views adheres to Elizabeth, since she never sets them out publicly.
One of the queen's duties is weekly meetings with the prime minister, most often they take place at Buckingham Palace.
Most of the heads of government had or have close and trusting relations with the British monarch, since, according to her position, Elizabeth must know, and by nature, be able to keep state secrets.
In more than 60 years of the Queen's reign, 12 British prime ministers have been replaced, and the current head of government, Theresa May, is the 13th.
The Royal National Theater in London even staged Peter Morgan's play The Audience. The play is a dialogue between Queen Elizabeth II and all the prime ministers of Great Britain.
The play, where the role of the queen was played by English actress Helen Mirren, was first shown in London in 2012.
In June 2015, it became known that the Netflix video service plans to release The Crown based on The Audience.
The series with a budget of 100 million pounds was very warmly received by the audience and critics. At the 74th Golden Globe Awards, The Crown won Best TV Series Drama. And for the role of the queen, the statuette was received by actress Claire Foy.
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Crown attempts
Not much is known about the personal protection of Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family.
An elite unit is responsible for ensuring the safety of the crowned persons. Buckingham Palace and Scotland Yard do not indulge the public with information about him. According to rumors, the royal bodyguards, who are on duty around the clock, are only about 50 people.
The most responsible task falls on the "bullet catchers".
During trips, especially outside the United Kingdom, specially trained drivers are allocated for royal persons who drive cars and motorcycles of the cortege.
During the years of Elizabeth's reign, the royal guard recorded more than 20 incidents related to violations of the personal security of members of the royal family.
In 1966, during the visit of Elizabeth II to Belfast, a concrete block fell on one of the cars of her cortege.
In April 1970, Elizabeth II made a trip from Sydney to the city of Orange - the agricultural center of New South Wales. At the point where the train, following through the mountainous terrain, had to pick up high speed, the conspirators put a log on the sleepers of the railway track in the expectation that the train would derail and hit the retaining wall at full speed.
The tragedy was avoided only because the train, contrary to expectations, moved very slowly on this section. Exactly one hour before the passage of the British Queen's train, the canvas railway was inspected on a special locomotive, but no suspicious items were found. According to the investigators, the log was deliberately placed on the sleepers in the dark after this inspection.
In 1974, an attempt to kidnap Princess Anne was thwarted near Buckingham Palace in London.
In May 1981, an assassination attempt on Prince Charles was thwarted when a bomb-filled envelope addressed to the Prince of Wales was intercepted at a sorting post office in west London.
The Queen was attacked a month after the letter-bomb incident.
In June, during the traditional parade, a young man shot the horse of Elizabeth II six times. The pistol was loaded with blanks. The attacker is unemployed Briton Marcus Sargent. He was accused of violating a law passed back in 1842, which provided for punishment for firing a weapon in the immediate vicinity of royalty to scare her.
Photo: © AP Photo/Bob Dear. Video: © Youtube/PRESSIMAGEBANK
Four years later, Michael Fagan invaded Her Majesty's chambers almost unhindered, and in 1994 in Sydney, the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, was shot from a starting pistol.
In 2014, Scotland Yard prevented another assassination attempt on the British Queen. Four people have been arrested in London on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack.
According to the media, they were planning an attack on Elizabeth II using edged weapons, knives and daggers.
Scandals around the royal family
In a film commissioned by the BBC for the 40th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, The Royal Family appears as a happy large family with numerous children playing on the green lawns in Balmoral Castle.
However, already a month after the film was shown on the air, it became known about the discord in the family of the second son of the Queen, Prince Andrew. In 1996, he divorced his wife Sarah Ferguson after 10 years of marriage.
The newspapers wrote that the queen put great pressure on Andrew to break with Sarah, whom the court considered vulgar and eccentric.
The media reported on her romance with Texas oil millionaire Steve Wyatt, with whom Sarah spent a vacation in the Mediterranean. Photographs of the couple taken at the time were published in the newspapers, leaving no doubt that these rumors had a solid foundation.
In the same year, Prince Charles divorced Princess Diana. She retained the title, equal rights with Charles to raise children.
The popularity of the "People's Princess" after the divorce reached its maximum, and Charles began to be treated as a man who had betrayed Britain's most charming woman.
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These family feuds did not harm the monarchy, but deeply hurt the queen. Elizabeth II disapproved of her children's divorces, remembering how her uncle was forced to abdicate in order to marry a divorced woman.
In 1997, the queen came under the guns of almost all the world's media. On August 31, Diana died in a car accident.
People filled the fences of Buckingham and Kensington Palaces with flowers, soft toys, balloons, letters of condolence.
The British believed that after the death of Princess Elizabeth, who was at that moment in Balmoral Castle (residence in Scotland), kept silent for too long.
"Where is the queen?" asked The Sun newspaper. "Your people are in suffering. Turn to them," called the queen from the front page of The Mirror.
Then-Prime Minister Tony Blair also encouraged the Queen to address the people.
Later, in his memoirs, the politician will write that he considered himself obliged "to protect the monarchy from itself."
The Queen's popularity plummeted after the death of Princess Diana. For the first time in 10 years - from 13 to 30% - the number of those who were sure that without the monarchy of Great Britain "it would be better" increased. In 1987, 77% of Britons could not imagine life without the royal family.
According to Blair, he tried to convince Elizabeth to make a public statement, but she considered him presumptuous.
I passionately argued to her the need to learn from life. She found me presumptuous and acted arrogant, but then admitted I was right
Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister
Elizabeth returned to London 5 days after Diana's death.
Together with Prince Philip, she went to a pile of flowers at Buckingham Palace, showing people her sympathy. The crowd started clapping.
“The discontent had not yet gone, but the atmosphere was already changing,” said Mary Francis, assistant to Elizabeth's personal secretary.
On the same day, the Queen addressed the nation on live television, calling Diana "an exceptional and gifted person."
“Neither in joy, nor in grief, she did not lose the ability to laugh and support others with her warmth and kindness,” said Elizabeth.
Photo: © AP Photo/Pool. Video: © Youtube/iconic
At Diana's funeral, the queen, in defiance of etiquette, bowed her head.
Elizabeth managed to return the favor of the British - the popularity of the monarch, according to polls, has grown dramatically.
Charles married only 8 years after the death of Diana - the wedding with Camilla Parker-Bowles was not solemn, they registered their relationship in the municipal department of Windsor.
The royal family gave their blessing, however, Elizabeth II was not present at the wedding.
Income and expenses of the British crown
Local media calculated that in the 2013/14 financial year, each British taxpayer allocated 56 pence to the maintenance of the monarchy.
More than a third of all expenses - 13.3 million pounds - went to the maintenance and repair of royal palaces. This is almost 50% more than a year earlier. However, representatives of the royal family explained this fact by the completion of " a large number long-term projects", as well as "repayment of debts for the past years".
However, the Queen's main source of income is a fixed percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate, or the so-called Sovereign Grant. It was introduced in 2011 to replace the civil list.
Until 1760, the monarchs received income from their property, but by the middle of the 18th century, these funds were sorely lacking to support the royal family. King George III, who ascended the throne in 1760, transferred all the property of the crown under the control of the government in exchange for receiving maintenance according to the civil list, the amount of which was determined by the cabinet in agreement with the court.
According to the law, all income of the Crown Estate goes to the state treasury, after which the British monarch receives 15% of his share. This is called the Sovereign Grant, which goes to pay for ceremonial duties.
Crown Estate is an independent commercial enterprise with the largest real estate portfolio in Britain. The value of the company's capital is estimated at 11.5 billion pounds.
The Crown Estate owns property in London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Properties include Windsor Great Park and the Royal Ascot Racecourse, but the bulk of the portfolio is residential and commercial property, including offices, shops and shopping centers, as well as part of buildings on Regent Street in London's West End.
In June 2015, the Financial Times reported that Queen Elizabeth II would receive a record income from real estate deals she owns, which is managed by Crown Estate.
In the first three months of this year, the Crown Estate earned £285 million, of which Queen Elizabeth II will receive £43 million.
Last year the Sovereign Grant was £37.9m, of which the Queen spent £35.7m.
This money, among other things, went to pay staff, property maintenance, travel, and utilities.
Nevertheless, in 2015, Elizabeth II left the list of the richest residents of the UK, which is compiled annually by The Sunday Times. This year, the queen has lost 17 positions and ended up in 302nd place.
The Queen has been on the list every year since 1989.
Independent experts estimate the fortune of Elizabeth II at 110 million pounds. Behind last year The queen's income was about 10 million pounds. When assessing the state of the queen, the value of the art collection, which includes works by Rembrandt, Monet and other famous painters, was not taken into account.
Photo: © AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis. Video: © Youtube/TheRoyalChannel
What awaits the British monarchy
Under the Act of Succession of 1701, the sons of a monarch had precedence over daughters in succeeding to the throne by seniority.
Elizabeth only became queen because her father had no sons. If she had a brother, for example, a younger one, then the crown would have passed to him.
Attempts to change current laws have been undertaken several times since 1981, but each time they did not find support from the government of the country.
In 2011, the succession law reform was finally brought up for discussion.
The fact that the current way of life is outdated and should be "modernized", said even Prime Minister David Cameron.
In 2013, the rules for succession to the throne were changed. The law gave the descendants of the British crown of both sexes equal rights, now they will inherit the throne by seniority.
Elizabeth II's heir is her eldest son Charles, Prince of Wales.
In January 2006, the Queen transferred some of her powers to him. So far, however, she has not given up duties such as weekly meetings with the prime minister and participation in the official opening of the session of parliament.
In February, The Times published fragments of a new unofficial biography of the Prince of Wales. The publication of excerpts from the book caused a stir in the local press. The text noted that the UK may not be ready for the drastic changes that Prince Charles could bring with him if he ascended the throne. And this fear was expressed by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The author of the Prince's biography "Charles: The Heart of a King" is The Times correspondent Katherine Meyer. According to her, Charles is more inclined than his mother to an autocratic style of government, but some courtiers at Buckingham Palace, "like the Queen herself," believe that the country is not ready for the "shock of change."
Mayer claims, citing sources close to the palace, that the prince "will never agree to be a figurehead."
“Speaking of his role as heir apparent, the prince made it clear that he intends to overhaul the monarchy,” Mayer writes.
Critics of the Prince of Wales "led by his father Prince Philip" believe that he "behaves selfishly", preferring his "crazy ideas" to royal duties.
Representatives of the prince noted in an interview with journalists that the book was not authorized, as they did not receive any preliminary copies and did not agree on the text.
Second in line to the British throne - born June 21, 1982, the eldest son of Prince Charles William, Duke of Cambridge.
She (Queen Elizabeth II) is a professional, always carefully considers her every step and never makes hasty decisions.
(In an interview with the BBC for documentary film"Queen", The Queen, 2012)
Prince William, grandson of Elizabeth II
William graduated from Eton College and in 2006 entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He received an officer's rank and joined the Royal Cavalry.
Buckingham Palace does not hide the fact that the grandson of Elizabeth II sees in the queen an example to follow, a model of the monarch. He declared that although he was ready to fulfill the heavy duty of being king, he would ascend the throne only after his father. In 2011, the Duke of Cambridge got a family that should determine the future of the British monarchy in the second half of the twenty-first century.
He met his future wife Catherine Middleton while studying at the University of St. Andrews.
The engagement of Katherine and William took place in October 2010 during a joint holiday in Kenya. While proposing, William presented Katherine with his mother's engagement ring.
April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey, the wedding of the “team of the future”, as David Cameron called the young couple, took place.
- (אלישבע) Hebrew Other forms: Elisaveta, Elissiv (Old Slavic) Prod. forms: Liza Foreign language analogues: English. Elizabeth, Eliza Arab. اليزابيث arm ... Wikipedia
Elizabeth I- Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I () British Queen from 1558, the last of the Tudor dynasty. Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. and other cities, as well as officials. In 1559, an act was adopted establishing Protestantism in England. ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary"The World History"
Elizabeth- s, female; unfold Lizaveta, s; old Elizabeth, s. Derivatives: Elizabeth; Veta; Lily; Lisa; Lizun; Lizuha; Lizusha; Lizura; Lizuta; Lizavetka.Origin: (Another Hebrew name is 'Eliseba' God is my oath, I swear to God.) Name days: May 7, September 5, September 18 ... Dictionary of personal names
Elizabeth I- (1533 1603) English queen from 1558, the last of the Tudor dynasty. Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth I was supported by the nobility and wealthy sections of London and other cities, as well as officials. In 1559, an act was adopted ... ... Historical dictionary
Elizabeth I- Elizabeth I. ELIZABETH I (Elizabeth) Tudor (1533 1603), Queen of England since 1558, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Under Elizabeth I, the positions of absolutism were strengthened, the Anglican Church was restored, the Spanish “Invincible Armada” was defeated ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Elizabeth- daughter of Yaroslav I, married in 1045 to the king of Hungary, Harald the Bold (Strict), who, seeking her hand, performed a number of feats in Greece, Africa, Sicily and Palestine and composed 16 love songs (one of them was translated by Batyushkov ... Biographical Dictionary
ELIZABETH- (German: Elizabeth) the central character in Friedrich Schiller's tragedy "Mary Stuart" (1800). Historical prototype Elizabeth I Tudor (1533-1603), Queen of England since 1558, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. The image of E. is endowed with deep psychologism and ... ... literary heroes
Elizabeth- the oath of God; Lizaveta; Elizabeth; Elizabeth, Veta, Lily, Lisa, Lizunya, Lizuha, Lizusha, Lizura, Lizuta, Lizavetka Dictionary of Russian synonyms. elizabeth n., number of synonyms: 3 name (1104) ... Synonym dictionary
ELIZABETH I- (Elizabeth) Tudor (1533-1603), Queen of England from 1558, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Under Elizabeth I, the positions of absolutism were strengthened, the Anglican Church was restored, the Spanish Invincible Armada (1588) was defeated, and it was widely carried out ... ... Modern Encyclopedia
ELIZABETH II- (b. 1926) Queen of Great Britain since 1952, daughter of George VI ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
ELIZABETH- (Elizabeth), UK, Universal Pictures, 1998, 121 min. historical drama. The story of the first years of the reign of Elizabeth I Tudor, about the difficult formation of one of the most famous queens of England. The film is notable for its excellent acting and ... ... Cinema Encyclopedia
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November 20 marks the 70th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In Britain, this anniversary is called platinum. Elizabeth is the first monarch in history to celebrate such an anniversary. The couple will celebrate the anniversary with family and closest friends over dinner at Windsor Castle.
It is not known for certain how exactly Princess Elizabeth met her future husband. And the couple does not seek to reveal this secret. The official version says that in 1934 they met at the wedding of Prince Philip's cousin and uncle Elizabeth. But some argue that the acquaintance happened earlier.
Despite his noble birth, Prince Philip was poor. His grandfather, King George I of Greece, was killed in 1913, his uncle was overthrown from the throne, and his father, having fallen into a severe depression after the loss of all regalia, fled Greece in disgrace, taking his whole family with him. And, although Elizabeth's parents did not approve of her daughter's choice, the future queen, once she saw Prince Philip, could not think of anyone else.
The future spouses announced their engagement in July 1947. The wedding was planned for November of the same year. The choice of the ring proved to be difficult, because it was difficult to please a girl who would inherit one of the finest jewelry collections in the world. Philip personally took part in the development of the design of the ring, made by the famous jewelry company Philip Antrobus Ltd. The ring was encrusted with a three-carat diamond. Until now, the queen never parted with the ring.
Another problem arose with the bride's dress. In post-war Britain, fabrics were tight, they were even given out on cards. And then numerous girls of the country began to send their coupons for fabric to the future bride. But, unfortunately, according to the law, it was impossible to use other people's cards. Therefore, Elizabeth took advantage of her own, especially since Parliament allocated an additional 200 coupons to her.
But then rumors spread that the silk from which the dress was sewn was woven from the cocoons of enemy Japanese silkworms. But the scandal was hushed up when it turned out that the worms were friendly Chinese.
Well, what's a wedding without a traditional wedding cake? For its preparation it was necessary great amount sugar, butter, flour, dried fruits, glazed fruits and spirits with which these fruits should be soaked. But at that time all these products were in short supply in the country. And the ingredients had to be collected literally by the whole world.
Canada sent flour, Jamaica sent rum, New Zealand- butter. But Australia has been particularly hard at work. Girl Scouts collected donations and sent several heavy parcels to London with glazed fruits, dried fruits, sugar and other vital products for the pie.
An exact copy of the Queen's wedding bouquet, made for the anniversary exhibition.
Although the wedding was royal, there were some minor and not very incidents. First, a piece fell off the diadem, and it had to be urgently sent to the jeweler. Then someone removed the pearl necklace somewhere, which was then searched for a long time.
But the most important thing is the mystery of the wedding bouquet. In group photos with friends and relatives, the bride does not have a bouquet in her hands, although she was at the entrance and exit from the abbey. It is believed that one of the servants put the bouquet somewhere, and then forgot where exactly. A week after the celebration, the newlyweds made the same bouquet to be photographed with him, but they failed to gather the guests again. Therefore, the royal family now has photos either with relatives and friends, or with a bouquet.
The newlyweds received more than 2500 gifts. For the first time, the royal family has abandoned the unwritten rule that gifts can only be given by friends and relatives. There were also strange gifts. For example, a lace scarf was sent from India, crocheted from a thread personally spun by Mahatma Gandhi. In the very center were carefully woven the words: "Freedom for India."
Tiara, a gift from my grandmother.
The newlyweds were also presented with: a gold jade necklace sent by the Egyptian King Farouk, a desk from the New Zealand government, a Chinese porcelain table set with hieroglyphs that meant “double joy” from President Chiang Kai Shek, and a couple of antique chocolate cups from dad Pius XII. The bride was given a lot of jewelry. The Queen presented a set of salt shakers, the Queen Mother presented a bookshelf, and the sister of the newlywed Princess Margaret presented a special picnic basket.
During the wedding ceremony, Elizabeth insisted on reciting the traditional oath, promising to obey her husband. This caused quite a bit of surprise, because everyone knew that when the princess became queen, there would be big problems with "obedience".
Coronation of Elizabeth II.
The Duke of Edinburgh remains the husband of the monarch and was neither crowned nor anointed at the coronation ceremony. He was the first aristocrat to publicly take an oath of allegiance to his wife: “I, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, am your faithful vassal in body and soul, in deed and thought. And truly and truly I swear that I am ready to live and die in your name. And God help me."
Already 70 years have passed since this significant date. To that solemn event Buckingham Palace has unveiled a new portrait of the royal couple. It shows the Queen in a cream-colored gown, to which is attached a gold jeweled brooch given by Prince Philip about 50 years ago. A series of shots taken by renowned photographer Matt Holyoak, who specializes in portraiture and has photographed many famous actors, musicians and athletes.
On the night of February 5-6, 1952, King George VI of England died. The heir to the throne was his eldest daughter Elizabeth. It was she who automatically became Queen Elizabeth II of England on February 6, 1952. But in order to officially accept power and all its attributes, a young woman had to go through such a procedure as a coronation. This is a kind of wedding state power, a ritual that God himself blesses.
The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953, that is, almost a year and a half after her accession to the throne. The ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey. This is a Gothic church traditional place coronations and burials of English monarchs. With the consent of the queen, the solemn ceremony was filmed by television. Therefore, it was seen by more than 100 million people in the UK, Europe and North America.
I must say that not all the British enthusiastically accepted the information about the coronation. Only 8 years have passed since the war, and the solemn ceremony was a very expensive event. It was necessary to decorate the city, the palace, the abbey, to replace the old monograms with new ones. Monograms with initials former king were available on all mailboxes in the country, on office buildings and uniforms.
Therefore, the doubters were explained that the proceeds from the sale of souvenirs compensated for the costs. Seating will also be organized along the route of the carriage with the queen, and they will be rented out for money. Such a prudent approach brought a sense of calm to the hearts of the stingy English. People realized that the coronation would not affect the budget in any way and even replenish it.
The Duke of Norfolk was the organizer of the coronation of Elizabeth II. It was not an arbitrary choice. The Dukes of Norfolk have been organizing all the solemn royal ceremonies since the 16th century. That is, they had such a right by blood. And so it never occurred to anyone to change something. Before the ceremony, a rehearsal was held, in which all the main characters. Only the queen was absent: her role was played by one of the duchesses.
At 10:15 a.m. on June 2, 1953, a gilded carriage left Buckingham Palace, in which the 27-year-old Elizabeth was sitting with her husband Prince Philip. By this time, at least 2 million people had gathered on the streets of London. Everyone wanted to join historical event, and therefore crowds of people filled the 4-kilometer path from Buckingham Palace to the abbey.
Before the arrival of Elizabeth, all the guests had already gathered in the royal gallery of the abbey. In total, there were 7.5 thousand people invited. Each of them was given their place, according to the status. And so the invitees were assigned to their places within a few hours. Among those invited was the USSR Ambassador to Great Britain, Yakov Aleksandrovich Malik.
But the representative of the Catholic Church was not present at the ceremony. The papal legate arrived in London, but remained outside Westminster Abbey, as, according to established rules, he could not attend the service of the Anglican Church.
When the queen entered the coronation hall, she was greeted by a choir who performed prayers of praise on Latin. This is an old tradition, which is 9 centuries old, and its beginning was laid in the era of William the Conqueror. The coronation of Elizabeth II itself also consisted of ancient ceremonies of the same times, and there were 6 of them in total.
First ceremony – confession. The queen turned in turn on four sides, and all those present loudly announced that they recognized her.
Second ceremony – oath. The Queen is sworn to rule the country and territories of which she is sovereign in accordance with their laws and customs.
Third ceremony – religious rite(anointing). This ceremony was held under a canopy. A few drops of oil, which is considered sacred, were dropped on the queen.
Fourth ceremony – investiture. Elizabeth received all the symbols of royal power, and a crown was placed on her head.
Fifth ceremony – pledge of allegiance. The chief peers of the kingdom approached Elizabeth in turn and swore allegiance to her.
Sixth ceremony – solemn procession and return to Buckingham Palace. The way back did not go along the same road that the queen rode to the coronation. It was 8 km in contrast to the original 4 km.
During the swearing in, the bible to the queen was submitted not by a representative of the Anglican Church, but by Reverend Pete Watson, a representative of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. He was chosen to calm certain unrest in Scotland. And the reason for the unrest was the royal throne, which has been used for coronations for 700 years.
Below, under the throne, lay the stone of fate in a wooden setting. At the end of the 13th century, the British took this sacred relic from Scotland, which inflicted a terrible insult on the locals. He was in England until 1950, and then inexplicably disappeared. A few months later, it turned out that he had been kidnapped by young Scottish patriots. After negotiations, the British managed to return the stone back, but only for the period of the coronation of Elizabeth II.
A few days before the solemn ceremony, the Queen made Winston Churchill a Knight of the Garter. This is the highest order of chivalry in Great Britain, and besides, it is one of the oldest orders in the world. Therefore, at the coronation, Churchill was in appropriate vestments.
The crown placed on the head of Elizabeth weighed 2 kg 200 g. During the solemn procession, Her Majesty changed the crown to a lighter one, which weighed 900 g.
Television footage of the coronation of Elizabeth II was broadcast in 5 countries: England, France, West Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. In 1953 they were of mediocre quality, but attracted millions of viewers. 11 hours after the end of the solemn event, copies of the filmed television material were delivered to Canada and the United States. Over the ocean they were watched by about 80 million viewers.
During the solemn procession, all honored guests walked in front of the queen. Moreover, people with a higher status walked closer to her, and guests with the lowest status were far ahead. Winston Churchill walked at the end of the procession. In front of him were the prime ministers of Australia and Canada. During the celebrations, Churchill was very tired, and a few days later he had a stroke.
The coronation of Elizabeth II, covered by all kinds of media, markedly raised the image of both the queen herself and the British monarchy. Tens of millions of people personally joined the solemn ceremony, felt its spirit, imbued with the significance of the moment. But he was based on thousand years of history island nation, until recently considered the most powerful in the world.
