See what "Elizabeth II" is in other dictionaries. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. Biography Princess Elizabeth was educated at home with Princess Margaret, her younger sister.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England was born on April 21, 1926 in London. The birth of a charming baby did not cause a stir at court. It never occurred to anyone that this young creature would eventually take the royal throne. At that time, Elizabeth's grandfather George V reigned. The eldest son Edward was considered the heir to the throne. The girl's father was Prince Albert - the second son of the king. He did not even think that he would become a crowned person. Everyone thought that the eldest son would soon marry, acquire heirs and, after the death of his father, assume royal duties.

Lilibet, as everyone called Elizabeth in childhood, loved her grandfather very much, and he paid her back affection, although by nature he was a very stern and tough person. The king had no kind feelings for his sons. He brought them up in a Spartan style and often went too far. The result of such upbringing was the stuttering of the girl's father, whom he never got rid of until the end of his life.

But for a small female creature, George V had the most tender feelings. He not only loved his granddaughter, but adored, by which he proved to those around him that even in a cruel and callous soul there is always a bright corner capable of sincere and pure love.

George V left the mortal world on January 20, 1936 at the age of 70. He reigned for 24 years and established himself as a wise politician, caring for the welfare of the nation.

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

The throne rightfully passed to Edward. He became Edward VIII, but was never crowned. The man was unable to shoulder the heavy burden of the monarch. He became entangled with a twice-divorced lady named Wallis Simpson (1896-1986). She married a military pilot in 1916, but he began to beat her, and in 1927 Wallace fled from him.

She moved to London and "picked up" a businessman named Ernst Simpson. She married him in 1928. In 1931, Wallace met the heir to the throne at a party with close friends. But this couple's love affair began only in 1934. The feeling was so strong that Simpson divorced her husband. Edward responded with no less intense love. In order not to part with Wallace, he abdicated the throne.

All these heartfelt affairs, casting an unattractive shadow on the representatives of the Windsor dynasty, brought Elizabeth's father Albert Frederick to the English throne. He was crowned on May 12, 1937 under the name of George VI.

The newly made king had no sons. Therefore, the younger brother of Henry was declared heir to the throne. But he flatly refused such an honorable role in favor of Elizabeth. Thus, at the age of 11, our heroine became the legal heir to the royal throne of one of the most powerful countries in the world.

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

In 1939, the Second World War began. The girls at this time were 13 years old. In 1940, on October 13, she spoke on the radio with an appeal to children who were injured during the German bombing. And at the age of 18 she received the driver's license for an ambulance. Until the last days of the war, the future Queen of England turned the wheel, transporting sick and wounded soldiers.

As a very young girl, Elizabeth fell in love once and for the rest of her life. She met her future fiancé just before the war at the Royal Naval Academy. The king, along with both daughters (the youngest daughter of Margaret), arrived in it to communicate with the cadets.

It was within the walls of this institution that the heiress of the English throne saw the Greek Prince Philip. He was listed as one of the cadets, and was 5 years older than Elizabeth. The young people talked for only a couple of hours, but this time was enough for Elizabeth to fall in love with the young man seriously and for a long time.

Prince Philip had the most brilliant lineage. He was the grandson of the Greek and great-grandson of the Danish king, as well as the great-great-grandson of the Russian emperor Nicholas I. But after the revolution in Greece, the prince had nothing but a title. His mother ended her days in a mental hospital, and his father fell ill with gambling addiction. England took in a poor child and placed him at the Royal Naval Academy so that the boy could get a decent profession and be able to earn his daily bread.

From the above, it is clear that Philip was not a match for Elizabeth. At least that's what the royal court thought. But the girl showed amazing tenacity and perseverance. Throughout the war, she wrote letters to the young officer, while he fought bravely on the destroyer.

Elizabeth and Prince Philip's wedding

Immediately after the end of hostilities, the heiress to the throne invited the Greek prince to get engaged, trampling all existing norms and conventions. The wedding took place on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey.

It was a hard time, post-war. Elizabeth had to sell some jewelry in order to make herself a wedding dress. For the wedding cake, they sent food from Australia. The cake turned out to be luxurious, 3 meters high. He was not cut with knives, but cut with sabers. The guests got only a small piece. Everything else was sent to schools and hospitals.

At the end of January 1952, a young happy couple left for a vacation in Kenya. The couple lived in the Tree Tops hotel. It was located among the branches of a huge ficus. On February 7, an entry appeared in the registration book: "For the first time in the history of human civilization, a princess climbed a tree, and a queen descended from it."

The reason for the entry was the death of George VI. He died on the night of February 5-6. Elizabeth automatically became Queen of England. In many countries around the world, large print headlines appeared on the front pages of newspapers: "The King is Dead, Long Live the Queen."

Queen Elizabeth II of England bypasses the guard of honor after accession to the throne

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of England took place at Westminster Abbey (the traditional place of coronation of British monarchs) on June 2, 1953, that is, a year and 5 months after the death of George VI. But the official day of accession to the throne is February 6, 1952.

The husband was not crowned. He was the first to swear allegiance to his queen and was forced to leave the fleet. Now his presence was essential at all the official ceremonies of the royal court.

Private life with Philip did not turn out to be like a fairy tale. In his youth, her husband often made various politically incorrect and rather tactless statements. So in New Guinea, he asked a passer-by: "Listen, my dear, how have you still not been eaten here?"

In China, he casually remarked, addressing an English tourist: "Look, do not stay here for a long time, otherwise your eyes will narrow." In Paraguay, at a meeting with the bloody dictator Stroessner, Philip said: "It's amazing to be in a country that is not ruled by the people."

There were rumors at court about Prince Philip's love affair with Elizabeth's cousin. They talked about children born out of wedlock from various women. The Queen of England did her best to suppress such rumors. Over the years, the prince calmed down. Age and health began to make themselves felt.

Queen Elizabeth II of England and her daily routine

All the days of the Queen of England are as similar to each other as twins. Her Majesty is woken up at exactly 8 in the morning. The maid has been entrusted with such an important task. She brings a tray of tea into the royal chambers. In this case, the handle of the cup is always directed to the right, the spoon on the saucer lies strictly diagonally.

The maid puts down the tray and opens the curtains. Sunlight enters the bedroom, and gentle rays touch the face of the crowned person. At the same time, the royal dogs, who have come from a walk, happily run into the bedroom. This is a corgi. There are four of them: Linnet, Willow, Holly and Monty.

Queen Elizabeth II of England with her beloved dogs

The Queen drinks her morning tea, communicates with the dogs, while the maid fills the bathtub. Her Majesty takes water procedures, and at 9 o'clock leaves the bedroom and goes to the dining room. Here Queen Elizabeth II of England has breakfast.

The morning meal is very modest. Toast, spread with butter and a thin layer of marmalade, and a cup of tea. During breakfast, the crowned lady looks through the newspapers. These are Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Sporting Life. In the latest newspaper, she looks up the section on horse racing. Her Majesty loves this sport. She is well versed in horses and owns several excellent horses herself.

At 10 o'clock the Queen of England's working day begins. She sits in her office and looks through the letters that come to her from all over the world. The information in the letters is very different. Someone asks for help, someone asks for recipes for original dishes that were served to the royal table at the last official banquet.

Then comes the turn of government papers requiring the royal signature. This is an obligatory formality, although the Cabinet of Ministers never asks for the Queen's opinion. Elizabeth II can express her point of view on some issue, but it will not be decisive.

From 11 o'clock Her Majesty receives officials. These are diplomats, judges, ministers. Each of them, entering, kneels down and takes the queen's right hand with his right hand. He touches her with his lips and then gets to his feet. A similar ceremony lasts at least 2 hours. All this time the queen stands. There is no way for her to sit down and rest.

At the end of such a physically difficult event, lunch time comes. Queen Elizabeth II of England has sandwiches with salmon, cucumber or chicken. Leftover food is used the next day. They can go for a casserole or pie. Dogs are never given uneaten food.

After lunch, some rest and an official reception. Dinner starts at 20.15. The whole family gathers at the table. In England, the evening meal is always heavy. It is very rare for Her Majesty to dine alone. This is when all the members of the royal family go on business trips.

After dinner, the queen watches TV, and goes to bed closer to midnight. Elizabeth II has lived such a measured life for almost 60 years.

Scandals in the royal family

Queen Elizabeth II of England has four children. These are Prince Charles (born 1948), Prince Andrew (born 1960), Princess Anne (born 1950), Prince Edward (born 1964). The father was mainly involved in raising children, since the queen always had many important state affairs.

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

The biggest trouble was brought by the eldest son Charles. In 1970, he imprudently fell in love with a lady named Camilla. The girl was of noble blood, but she despised the conventions of high society. She swore, smoked, drank whiskey and changed lovers from time to time. All this was considered the height of indecency. But poor Charles, having a gentle and romantic nature, fell under the influence of this cynical, strong-willed and arrogant person.

The poor man even made a marriage proposal, but got a turn from the gate. Camilla married officer Andrew Parker-Bowles. But after 6 years of family life, there was a discord in relation to the spouses. Camilla again began to accept Charles's advances favorably. This has not escaped the attention of the royal court.

Elizabeth II center, left Sister Margaret, right the Queen Mother

The queen and her husband, seeing that their son was being impudently and shamelessly, began to urgently look for a wife for him. Diana Spencer (1961-1997) came in very handy. A girl of noble blood and with an excellent pedigree. She was a virgin, which was a prerequisite for the bride of the heir to the throne. The wedding took place on July 29, 1981. In 1982 and 1984, Princess Diana gave birth to two sons.

The marriage was very successful for Charles. Not only England, but the whole world fell in love with his wife. Diana had an amazing charm, purity and spontaneity. But male stupidity knows no bounds. The heir to the throne continued to meet with Camilla. Soon the wife found out about this connection. The couple divorced in 1996, but have been living separately since 1992.

Queen Elizabeth II of England sits on the left
In the center sits Princess Diana with her son William, on the right is the mother queen. Prince Charles and Philip are standing

This divorce dealt a serious blow to the prestige of the royal family. England was on the side of the deceived Diana. The situation was aggravated by the tragic death of this amazing woman in 1997. It was rumored that Prince Charles was involved in the death. Allegedly, on his order, the attackers cut the brake hoses from the car in which the princess was traveling. But the official investigation completely dismissed such rumors.

In 1992, Anna and Andrew's marriage broke up. True, there were no high-profile scandals around these 2 events. Everything went quietly and imperceptibly, but left an unpleasant aftertaste in the souls of the British. Still, the royal family should be a model in all respects. For several years, subjects greeted Elizabeth II with cold silence. The same woman pretended not to notice anything. Although it is not difficult to imagine what was happening in her soul.

Charles with Camilla and Elizabeth II

Gradually, the British departed in spirit and again fell in love with their queen. Even the marriage of Prince Charles to Camilla in 2005 could no longer undermine the authority of the Queen of England. Still, many years have passed since the death of Princess Diana, and people have a very short memory.

Currently, Kate Middleton is very popular with the British - the wife of William: the eldest son from the marriage of Princess Diana and Charles. Elizabeth II herself is warm to the girl. Rumor has it that the queen wants to change the rules of succession and appoint William as his heir. After all, the British do not like Prince Charles, and Camilla will never be recognized as their queen.

The customs of the royal court

The whole life of the royal court is a ritual. It has been practiced for hundreds of years. For example, there is a dressmaker on the staff of Buckingham Palace. Her responsibilities include mending socks and bedding. This does not mean that the queen has no money for such little things. A dressmaker is much more expensive than new socks and underwear. It's just that the royal court pays tribute to tradition. About 500 years ago, fabric was very expensive, and crowned persons saved in this way. Times have changed, but the custom has remained. He is not the only one in the royal palace.

The livery worn by the servants was sewn 200 years ago. Each new employee is given an old uniform and fitted. The entire service personnel numbers about 300 people. The staff includes personal pages, maids of honor, maids of honor, custodians of silverware, royal purses. There are even pages of the front and back rooms.

During official receptions, a huge table is laid. It is impossible to reach the middle of it. Footmen wrap rags around their shoes and climb on the table with their feet. During the meal, the first course is served to the queen. She immediately starts eating. After that, the footmen serve the dishes to the guests. When the plate of the crowned person is empty, the employees immediately take the plates from everyone present. Many guests do not even have time to taste what they were served.

However, the Queen of England Elizabeth II canceled this not very amiable custom. She stated that no one should ever go hungry at her table. But this is the only concession to ancient traditions.

As for the servants, they must walk around the palace, adhering to the narrow edge near the wall. If the queen or someone from the reigning family comes to meet, the servants must hide somewhere. It can be some kind of closet, a closet in the wall, that is, any shelter that is nearby. Seeing the queen, noble ladies should squat, and men should bow.

These traditions have been strictly observed for centuries. For people, they are not at all a burden. On the contrary, there are many who want to serve at the royal palace. But all positions are usually inherited. From an early age, children absorb the unique atmosphere of the royal palace and jealously guard its traditions and customs. It seems that time itself stands still within the walls, which have been protecting the reigning persons from the vicissitudes of the external changeable and such unpredictable world for more than one hundred years.

This year, the UK celebrates the 65th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. On this occasion, the BBC filmed the documentary "The Coronation", ahead of which a special program was recorded with the participation of Her Majesty. The monarch spent an hour talking with an expert in the history of the British royal family, Alistair Bruce, and one story became a real discovery for the queen.

One of the most interesting moments of the program was Her Majesty's talk on the topic of precious stones from the crown of the British Empire. According to Bruce, during World War II, one of the royal librarians, on the orders of George VI, pulled gems out of it, including diamonds and the famous Black Prince ruby, and hid it in a secret dungeon ... in a cookie jar. These vicissitudes were previously unknown to the queen, but she remained unperturbed.

“Hmm, did he remember where he hid it? He could have died halfway through, ”the monarch noted, only thoughtfully adjusting her hair.

The audience was delighted with Her Majesty's reaction. Many commented that it took "better stories than jewelry in a cookie jar to impress a queen."

Part of Elizabeth II's childhood fell on the war, which she and her sister Margaret spent at Windsor Castle. “We were not told anything, we were children then. We didn't know anything. It's just that one day the photographs disappeared, then almost everything disappeared and no one said anything. I guess it was secret, "- confessed Elizabeth II

As specified, the history of the hidden treasures became known after Bruce gained access to the documents of Oliver Urquhart Irwin, librarian and assistant curator of the royal archives.

In her honor, and HELLO! prepared 90 interesting, funny, unexpected and entertaining facts about the Queen and her life.

Click on the photo to view the "Love story of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip" gallery

1. The Queen celebrates her birthday twice: on April 21 - in the family circle, and at the beginning of June - officially. This is a tradition established at the beginning of the 20th century by King Edward VII, who was born in November but wanted to celebrate his birthday in good weather.

2. The Queen was born on April 21, 1926, by caesarean section at the home of her maternal grandfather in the London borough of Mayfair.

3. The house where the queen was born now houses a Chinese restaurant.

4. This year's celebration of the Queen's birthday will last much longer than usual: in May and June in London there will be grandiose performances, shows, equestrian parade, aviation parade and even a carnival.

5. In honor of the 90th birthday of Elizabeth II, the Royal Mint has minted a commemorative 5 pounds sterling coin.

6. Since the coronation of Elizabeth II, 68 billion coins have been minted.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

7. Elizabeth II comes from the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty, which was renamed the Windsor dynasty during the First World War.

8. The title of Her Majesty reads as follows: "Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by God's grace of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its other possessions and territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."

9. Little Elizabeth could not pronounce her name and called herself Lilibet. This became her childhood nickname.

10. No one imagined that Lilibet would become queen. During the reign of her grandfather George V, she was only third in line to the throne. But after the death of her grandfather in 1936, the abdication of her uncle Edward VIII in the same year, and the coronation of her father George VI in 1937, Elizabeth became the direct heir.

Future Queen Elizabeth II, her sister Margaret-Rose and mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

11. World War II Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, spent at Windsor Castle. On Christmas 1941, the princesses decided to hold Christmas performances in the palace, the proceeds from which went to help the front.

12. In October 1940, 14-year-old Elizabeth made her first three-minute address on the radio with words of support for the children of the kingdom in difficult times of war.

13. In February 1945, Elizabeth joined the women's self-defense units, where she trained as a driver. She drove an ambulance and a truck.

14. At one time the Queen was fond of swimming and received a lifeguard certificate.

13-year-old Elizabeth (second from left), 1939

15. Elizabeth first saw her future husband, Philip Mountbatten, a Greek prince in exile and a senior lieutenant in the British Navy, in 1934, when she was 8 and he was 13 years old.

16. The husband of Elizabeth II is her second cousin and fourth cousin.

17. In the first minutes of their acquaintance, the future spouses started together locomotives on a toy railroad. The governess recalled that Elizabeth fell in love with Philip at first sight, but he did not show reciprocal feelings towards her.

18. Elizabeth's parents opposed her marriage to Philip. He had neither a fortune nor a kingdom. In addition, his three sisters married German aristocrats who were prominent in the Nazi party. Most of Philip's relatives were not invited to the wedding.

19. Elizabeth was able to get married when she was 21 years old. The wedding took place on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey.

Click on the photo to view the "Love story of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip" gallery

20. The rationing system in post-war Britain continued until 1954. To tailor a wedding dress, a masterpiece by designer Norman Hartnell, the government gave Elizabeth 200 additional clothing coupons.

21. According to the memoirs of the Queen's personal secretary, her husband is the only person on earth who can "ask Her Majesty to shut up."

22. In May 1948, Elizabeth II gave birth to a son, Prince Charles. While she was giving birth in a two-story bedroom at Buckingham Palace, her husband played squash with three courtiers.

23. The Queen breastfed Charles for 2 months until she got measles.

24. In August 1950, the Queen gave birth to a daughter, Princess Anne. In total, Elizabeth II has four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Elizabeth II with children - Prince Charles and Princess Anne
Elizabeth II with her great-grandchildren

25. She also has 30 godchildren and godchildren.

26. King George VI died on 6 February. On this day, Elizabeth, who was with her husband in Kenya, was proclaimed Queen of Great Britain.

27. The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey and was broadcast on television. It has been viewed by 27 million people across the UK.

Elizabeth II with her husband and children after the coronation, 1953

28. Elizabeth II - the longest reigning monarch of Great Britain. On September 9, 2015 at 17.30 local time, she broke the record for Queen Victoria, who ruled 23,226 days at 16 hours 23 minutes.

29. During the reign of Elizabeth II, 12 prime ministers, 7 popes and 7 archbishops of Canterbury were replaced.

30. Elizabeth II reigns, but does not rule. It does not affect the politics of the country. Nevertheless, all decisions in the state are made on her behalf.

31. In 1994, Elizabeth II visited Moscow and St. Petersburg. This was the only visit of a British monarch to Russia in history. In Moscow, she visited the Kremlin, the Assumption Cathedral, the Bolshoi Theater and an English special school.

Elizabeth II and Boris Yeltsin

32. The Prime Minister reports weekly to Elizabeth II on the progress of affairs in the kingdom.

33. The queen's most difficult relationship was with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. “Mrs Thatcher never listens to what I tell her,” the queen once complained.

34. If the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) is considered the golden age of the British Empire, which occupied a quarter of the world, with a population of about 400 million people, then the reign of Elizabeth II fell on a period of disintegration. The former empire lost its last colonies, and now the British queen is the head of the United Kingdom and 15 countries of the Commonwealth (which includes some of the former colonies) with a population of 139 million people.

35. Elizabeth II is the Supreme Ruler of the Church of England. She attends church services every Sunday.

36. The Queen does not carry money with her. On Sundays alone, when she heads to church, she takes £ 5 or £ 10 to donate to the temple.

37. There is Her Majesty's personal ATM at Buckingham Palace.

38. In honor of Queen Elizabeth II, 237 streets are named.

39. Elizabeth II was awarded more than 387,700 honorary awards and prizes.

40. The Queen made more than 250 official visits to 129 countries of the world.

41. Her Majesty does not have a passport.

42.Since 1970, the Queen, making official visits, always goes out to communicate with the people. "If they don't see me, they will stop believing that I exist!" she explains.

43. In July 1961, Yuri Gagarin visited Elizabeth II for lunch. Not a single journalist was allowed to the meeting, which gave rise to many legends. According to one of them, Gagarin allegedly accidentally touched the queen's leg under the table. In response to the touch, she smiled slightly and ... continued to drink tea.

44. Elizabeth II speaks fluent French.

45. The Queen patronizes over 600 charitable organizations.

46. ​​The Queen replied to 3.5 million emails.

47. In 1977, on the eve of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, the Sex Pistols released the anti-monarchist song God Save the Queen, in which Her Majesty was described as a "non-human being." The queen did not react to the trick, which did not save punks from persecution. But the punk portrait of Elizabeth II with a pin in her lip on the unofficial cover of the single has become one of her most iconic images.

48. In 1981, during the equestrian parade in front of Buckingham Palace, a 17-year-old teenager fired 6 blanks towards Elizabeth II, who was riding on horseback. She just straightened the peacock feathers on her hat and galloped on.

49. In 1982, the psychopathic stringer Michael Fagan entered Buckingham Palace through a drainpipe and looked into the queen's bedroom. "She slept alone on a four-poster bed," the robber recalled. "When she saw me, the queen screamed and darted out of the room. I saw her little bare heels sparkling."

50. Elizabeth II presented her subjects with almost 80 thousand Christmas puddings.

51. The Queen posed for artists more than 130 times.

52. Once at an exhibition of nude portraitist Lucian Freud, the Queen was asked: "Did Freud also draw you, Your Majesty?" “Yes, but not like that,” she replied.

53. No one except Her Majesty's husband has the right to touch her in public. Only four protocol breakers allowed themselves to embrace the queen. They were Australia's two prime ministers, Paul Keating and John Howard, Canadian cyclist Louis Garneau and US First Lady Michelle Obama.

55. The Queen is not enthusiastic. Seeing Niagara Falls for the first time, she said: It looks very damp.

56. The Queen does not give interviews.

57. Elizabeth II is a first-class driver. Her sister, Princess Margaret, described the Queen's driving style as "like a hellish bat."

58. The Queen never had a driver's license.

59. The Royal fleet is impressive: two Bentleys, three Rolls-Royces and three Daimlers for official departures. And this is not a complete list. August is also a fan of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. According to unofficial data, she has about 30 Range Rover and Land Rover vehicles.

60. Earlier this year, Elizabeth II's Jaguar V6 Sovereign was sold online for £ 15,000 to a buyer unaware that the former owner of the car was the British Queen herself.

61. Elizabeth II loves horses. Her grandfather George V gave her the first pony when she was four years old. Even today, being in venerable years, the queen makes horseback riding.

62. Elizabeth II is a dog lover. First of all, the corgi breed. The first corgi was presented to Elizabeth for her 18th birthday, in 1944, by her father. The puppy's name was Susan. Most of the pets are descendants of this dog.

63. A total of more than 30 corgis lived at the court of Elizabeth II.

64. The Queen has developed a new breed - Dorgi. This happened after one of her corgi had an affair with the dachshund Pipkin Princess Margaret.

65. The Queen fired the footman after learning that he had given her Corgi a whiskey taste.

Elizabeth II with her corgi and dorgi

66. The Queen spends her holidays at the Scottish estate of Balmoral. When she has breakfast, a piper walks around the castle and plays folk melodies.

67. Most of the palaces and castles in which the Queen and her relatives live are owned by the State or owned by the Crown Estate (an independent commercial enterprise that manages royal real estate). Elizabeth II owns Sandringham Palace in Norfolk, palaces and castles on the Balmoral estate in Scotland.

68. The Royal Collection of Art and Jewelry consists of over a million items and is valued at £ 10 billion. However, this is not the queen's personal fortune.

69. Among the many gifts that the monarch received were two turtles, a seven-year-old elephant and two black beavers.

70. In 2015, the Queen was ranked 302 on the Sunday Times list of the richest people in Great Britain. Unofficially, her fortune is estimated at 340 million pounds.

71. The Queen is not required to disclose the status of her personal accounts.

72.Since 1992, the Queen has voluntarily agreed to pay income tax and income tax.

73. The main residence of the British monarchs - Buckingham Palace - does not belong to Elizabeth II. She takes him, as it were, on behalf of the nation.

74. The Queen cannot be sued.

75. The height of Elizabeth II is 163 centimeters.

76. The Queen wears only British-made clothes and only bright colors to be visible in the crowd.

77. The queen can appear in black only during mourning.

78. The monarch wears handbags from the British label Launer London with tops in black, white or beige.

79. The contents of the queen's handbag are a secret with seven seals. It is only known for certain that Her Majesty wears lipstick there and in some cases a hook to hang the bag under the table.

80. When Elizabeth II is not wearing a hat, she ties a headscarf in the style of a Russian babushka.

81. During her reign, the queen managed to put on more than 5,000 hats. Among the basic requirements for hats: they must sit firmly on the head of their mistress, even in windy weather, and not interfere with her when getting into the car.

82. With the help of her purse, the queen gives signals to the servants. For example, if she is going to leave her meal within the next five minutes, she puts her purse on the table.

83. In public, Elizabeth II always wears tights. And only flesh-colored.

84. For half a century, Elizabeth II wears shoes of the same old-fashioned style (with a small heel with a rounded toe) from Anello & Davide. These shoes cost about 1000-1300 British pounds per pair, so the monarch, known for her frugality, tries to change shoes less often, and more often - heels. New shoes for the queen are being worn out by the so-called Cinderella - a servant with the same foot size as Elizabeth II's.

85. The Queen shows motherly concern for the destinies of her subjects. One day she asked to bring a journalist who was late for giving birth to his wife on her private plane. When the baby was born, the queen sent a birthday card to the parents.

86. Three of Elizabeth II's four children, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Prince Charles, have gone through a divorce.

87. In the 1990s, due to the divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Elizabeth II's popularity declined sharply. The British believed that the queen, ostensibly jealous of Diana's success, was an indirect cause of the people's princess's troubles.

Elizabeth II with Prince Charles and Princess Diana

88. Today, the popularity of Elizabeth II among the British is greater than ever. The inhabitants of the kingdom consider it a "bastion of stability".

89. Elizabeth II is not a leader of public opinion. The palm belongs to her heir, Prince William, and the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, a middle-class girl.

90. Members of the royal family argue that Elizabeth II is not going to relinquish the throne in favor of the heirs. She considers her reign to be a matter of life.

Elizabeth II and Prince Charles

September 9, 2015 Queen Elizabeth II became the monarch who has been on the British throne for the longest period of time. On this day, she broke Queen Victoria's record of 23,226 days. Elizabeth II ascended 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 on the occasion of the establishment of the record of government said: "For 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 preservation of national traditions.

The 89-year-old queen also set an age record among British monarchs: now she is the oldest ruler of Great Britain. And after the death of 91-year-old King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah ibn Abdul-Aziz 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 inauguration in Edinburgh of Britain's longest railway line built in the last 100 years, the Borders Railway.

In 2012, the Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee - the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. During the festive events, 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.

In addition, Elizabeth II is nominally the oldest participant in World War II, still not retired. Of course, no one sent her to the front, but the following facts make it possible to assert this: in 1945 she entered the military service, where for 5 months she took courses as an ambulance driver-mechanic. 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 rather nominal, and she does not have real political power.

Elizabeth II is also called one of the richest monarchs in the world, with a fortune of $ 94.8 billion, including works of art, real estate, including castles, and jewelry.

In 2007, the Queen celebrated a diamond wedding anniversary (60 years) and set another record for the longest marriage among the ruling monarchs of Britain. In addition, Queen Elizabeth II broke the world record for the most theatrical and film incarnations - she was portrayed on screen and on stage more often than any living monarch.

And the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne - - was celebrated by the whole country!

November 20 marks the 70th anniversary of the wedding 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 a jubilee. The spouses will celebrate the round date with family and closest friends at 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 dethroned, and his father, falling into a severe depression after losing all his regalia, fled Greece in disgrace, taking his entire family with him. And, although Elizabeth's parents did not approve of the choice of her daughter, 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 scheduled for November of the same year. Choosing a ring turned out to be difficult because it was difficult to please a girl who will inherit one of the best 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 handed 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 used her own, especially since the parliament allocated her an additional 200 coupons.

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 kind of wedding can do without a traditional wedding cake? To prepare it, a huge amount of sugar, butter, flour, dried fruits, glazed fruits and alcohol were required with which these fruits must 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 sent butter. But Australia did its best. The girls from the scouting groups collected donations and sent several weighty parcels to London with glazed fruits, dried fruits, sugar and other vital products for the pie.

An exact replica of the Queen's wedding bouquet made for the anniversary exhibition.

Although the wedding was royal, it was not without minor and not very incidents. First, a piece fell off the diadem, and it urgently had to be sent to the jeweler. Then someone removed the pearl necklace, which they were looking for for a long time.

But the most important thing is the secret of the wedding bouquet. In common photographs with friends and relatives, the bride does not have a bouquet in her hands, although it was at the entrance and exit of the abbey. It is assumed that the bouquet was put somewhere by one of the servants, and then forgot where exactly. A week after the celebration, the newlyweds were given the same bouquet to be photographed with him, but once again it did not work to collect the guests. Therefore, the royal family now has photos either with relatives and friends, or with a bouquet.

The newlyweds received over 2500 gifts. For the first time, the royal family has abandoned the unwritten rule that only friends and family can give gifts. There were also strange gifts. For example, a lace scarf was sent from India, crocheted from thread personally spun by Mahatma Gandhi. In the very center were carefully knitted the words: "Freedom for India."

Diadem, a gift from my grandmother.
The newlyweds were also presented with: a gold necklace with jade sent by the Egyptian king Farooq, a desk from the New Zealand government, a Chinese porcelain table set with hieroglyphs that meant "double joy" from President Chiang Kai Shi and a couple of antique chocolate cups from the Pope Pius XII. The bride was presented with a lot of jewelry. The Queen presented a set of salt shakers, the Queen Mother presented a bookshelf, and the newlywed's sister Princess Margaret presented a special picnic basket.

During the wedding ceremony, Elizabeth insisted on taking the traditional oath, promising to obey her husband. This was quite surprising, 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 monarch's husband and was neither crowned nor anointed at the coronation ceremony. He was the first aristocrat to publicly swear an oath of allegiance to his wife: “I, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, am your loyal vassal in body and soul, and in deeds and thoughts. 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. For this solemn event, Buckingham Palace has presented a new portrait of the royal couple. On it, the queen is dressed in a cream dress, to which is attached a gold brooch with precious stones, donated by Prince Philip about 50 years ago. The series was taken by renowned photographer Matt Holyoke, who specializes in portraits and has photographed many famous actors, musicians and athletes.