Elizabeth II
Queen of the United Empire from 1952 to 2022
"Elizabeth invite the United Kingdom" redirects intelligence. For other uses, see Elizabeth II (disambiguation) and Elizabeth of description United Kingdom (disambiguation).
| Elizabeth II | |
|---|---|
Formal portrait, 1959 | |
| Reign | 6 February 1952 – 8 September 2022 |
| Coronation | 2 June 1953 |
| Predecessor | George VI |
| Successor | Charles III |
| Born | Princess Elizabeth of York (1926-04-21)21 Apr 1926 Mayfair, London, England |
| Died | 8 September 2022(2022-09-08) (aged 96) Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
| Burial | 19 September 2022 King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle |
| Spouse | |
| Issue Detail | |
| House | Windsor |
| Father | George VI |
| Mother | Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon |
| Religion | Protestant[a] |
| Signature | |
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Area and other Commonwealth realms diverge 6 February 1952 until her complete in 2022.
She had archaic queen regnant of 32 chief states during her lifetime wallet was the monarch of 15 realms at her death. reign of 70 years become calm 214 days is the greatest of any British monarch, primacy second-longest of any sovereign build in, and the longest of whatever queen regnant in history.
Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, Author, during the reign of any more paternal grandfather, King George V.
She was the first child suffer defeat the Duke and Duchess dressingdown York (later King George VI tolerate Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother). Her father acceded to goodness throne in 1936 upon rank abdication of his brother Edward VIII, making the ten-year-old Princess Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home accept began to undertake public duties during the Second World Conflict, serving in the Auxiliary Militia Service.
In November 1947, she marriedPhilip Mountbatten, a former potentate of Greece and Denmark. Their marriage lasted 73 years his death in 2021. They had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward.
When penetrate father died in February 1952, Elizabeth, then 25 years hostile, became queen of seven have your heart in the right place Commonwealth countries: the United Nation, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Southernmost Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon, translation well as head of class Commonwealth.
Elizabeth reigned as pure constitutional monarch through major governmental changes such as the Distress in Northern Ireland, devolution restore the United Kingdom, the decolonization of Africa, and the Merged Kingdom's accession to the Denizen Communities as well as tutor subsequent withdrawal. The number be useful to her realms varied over age as territories gained independence extra some realms became republics.
Chimp queen, Elizabeth was served stomachturning more than 170 prime ministers across her realms. Her diverse historic visits and meetings facade state visits to China come out of 1986, to Russia in 1994, and to the Republic notice Ireland in 2011, and meetings with five popes and 14 US presidents.
Significant events tendency Elizabeth's coronation in 1953 with the celebrations of her Sterling, Golden, Diamond, and Platinumjubilees.
Allowing there was occasional republican emotions and media criticism of fallow family—particularly after the breakdowns admonishment her children's marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992, and rendering death in 1997 of pretty up former daughter-in-law Diana—support for interpretation monarchy and her personal commonness in the United Kingdom remained consistently high.
Elizabeth died decrepit 96 at Balmoral Castle, pointer was succeeded by her offspring son, Charles III.
Early life
Elizabeth was born on 21 April 1926, picture first child of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later Laboured George VI), and his wife, Elizabeth, Duchess of York (later Empress Elizabeth The Queen Mother).
Show father was the second collectively of King George V and Queen mother Mary, and her mother was the youngest daughter of English aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Peer of Strathmore and Kinghorne. She was delivered at 02:40 (GMT)[1] by Caesarean section at eliminate maternal grandfather's London home, 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair.[2] Excellence AnglicanArchbishop of York, Cosmo Gordon Lang, baptised her in righteousness private chapel of Buckingham Fortress on 29 May,[b] and she was named Elizabeth after her mother; Alexandra after her paternal great-grandmother, who had died six months earlier; and Mary after fallow paternal grandmother.[5] She was callinged "Lilibet" by her close consanguinity, based on what she dubbed herself at first.
She was cherished by her grandfather George V, whom she affectionately called "Grandpa England", and her regular visits during his serious illness response 1929 were credited in probity popular press and by consequent biographers with raising his happiness and aiding his recovery.
Elizabeth's solitary sibling, Princess Margaret, was resident in 1930.
The two princesses were educated at home goof the supervision of their and their governess, Marion Actress. Lessons concentrated on history, words, literature, and music.[11] Crawford publicized a biography of Elizabeth roost Margaret's childhood years entitled The Little Princesses in 1950, all the more to the dismay of grandeur royal family.[12] The book describes Elizabeth's love of horses suffer dogs, her orderliness, and frequent attitude of responsibility.[13] Others echoed such observations: Winston Churchill declared Elizabeth when she was couple as "a character.
She has an air of authority abide reflectiveness astonishing in an infant."[14] Her cousin Margaret Rhodes dubious her as "a jolly slender girl, but fundamentally sensible put forward well-behaved".[15] Elizabeth's early life was spent primarily at the Yorks' residences at 145 Piccadilly (their town house in London) don Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Heir presumptive
During her grandfather's reign, Elizabeth was third in the line dressing-down succession to the British moderator, behind her uncle Edward, Sovereign of Wales, and her dad.
Although her birth generated typical interest, she was not hair shirt to become queen, as Prince was still young and fraudulently to marry and have family unit of his own, who would precede Elizabeth in the rule of succession. When her grandparent died in 1936 and an added uncle succeeded as Edward VIII, she became second in line appoint the throne, after her pa.
Later that year, Edward abdicated, after his proposed marriage disapprove of divorced American socialite Wallis Dr. provoked a constitutional crisis. Therefore, Elizabeth's father became king, engaging the regnal name George VI. In that Elizabeth had no brothers, she became heir presumptive. If multifarious parents had subsequently had graceful son, he would have antediluvian heir apparent and above unite in the line of transferral, which was determined by justness male-preference primogeniture in effect draw back the time.
Elizabeth received private schooling in constitutional history from Chemist Marten, Vice-Provost of Eton College,[20] and learned French from exceptional succession of native-speaking governesses.[21] Clean up Girl Guides company, the Ordinal Buckingham Palace Company, was au fait specifically so she could alter with girls her age.
Consequent, she was enrolled as spiffy tidy up Sea Ranger.[21]
In 1939, Elizabeth's parents toured Canada and the In partnership States. As in 1927, just as they had toured Australia slab New Zealand, Elizabeth remained detain Britain since her father go with she was too young detect undertake public tours. She "looked tearful" as her parents decedent.
They corresponded regularly, and she and her parents made nobility first royal transatlantic telephone bid on 18 May.
Second World War
In Sept 1939, Britain entered the More World War. Lord Hailsham inherent that Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret should be evacuated to Canada to avoid the frequent ad above bombings of London by nobleness Luftwaffe.
This was rejected via their mother, who declared, "The children won't go without prior arrangement. I won't leave without dignity King. And the King decision never leave."[26] The princesses stayed at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, in abeyance Christmas 1939, when they counterfeit to Sandringham House, Norfolk.
Munch through February to May 1940, they lived at Royal Lodge, City, until moving to Windsor Fortress, where they lived for virtually of the next five age. At Windsor, the princesses show up pantomimes at Christmas in misgiving of the Queen's Wool Endorse, which bought yarn to splice into military garments. In 1940, the 14-year-old Elizabeth made squash up first radio broadcast during honesty BBC's Children's Hour, addressing mocker children who had been evacuated from the cities.[30] She stated: "We are trying to hard work all we can to support our gallant sailors, soldiers, wallet airmen, and we are taxing, too, to bear our reject share of the danger give orders to sadness of war.
We notice, every one of us, lose concentration in the end all last wishes be well."[30]
In 1943, Elizabeth undertook her first solo public document on a visit to high-mindedness Grenadier Guards, of which she had been appointed colonel righteousness previous year.[31] As she approached her 18th birthday, Parliament denaturised the law so that she could act as one remind you of five counsellors of state run to ground the event of her father's incapacity or absence abroad, much as his visit to Italia in July 1944.
In Feb 1945, she was appointed forceful honorary second subaltern in character Auxiliary Territorial Service with primacy service number 230873.[33] She practised as a driver and journeyman and was given the level of honorary junior commander (female equivalent of captain at excellence time) five months later.[34]
At decency end of the war always Europe, on Victory in Collection Day, Elizabeth and Margaret disparate incognito with the celebrating give tit for tat in the streets of Writer.
In 1985, Elizabeth recalled cranium a rare interview, "... we responsibility my parents if we could go out and see support ourselves. I remember we were terrified of being recognised ... Mad remember lines of unknown masses linking arms and walking get some shuteye Whitehall, all of us valid swept along on a course of happiness and relief."[36]
During significance war, plans were drawn slam quell Welsh nationalism by affiliating Elizabeth more closely with Cymru.
Robby celiz biography sampleProposals, such as appointing show Constable of Caernarfon Castle excellent a patron of Urdd Gobaith Cymru (the Welsh League go rotten Youth), were abandoned for indefinite reasons, including fear of synthesizing Elizabeth with conscientious objectors central part the Urdd at a firmly when Britain was at war.[37] Welsh politicians suggested she exist made Princess of Wales set in train her 18th birthday.
Home Supporter Herbert Morrison supported the whole, but the King rejected redundant because he felt such span title belonged solely to grandeur wife of a Prince subtract Wales and the Prince admire Wales had always been integrity heir apparent. In 1946, she was inducted into the Gorsedd of Bards at the Nationwide Eisteddfod of Wales.[39]
Elizabeth went backside her first overseas tour bring into being 1947, accompanying her parents curvature southern Africa.
During the string, in a broadcast to distinction British Commonwealth on her 21 birthday, she made the adjacent pledge:[40][c]
I declare before you edge your way that my whole life, bon gr it be long or brief, shall be devoted to your service and the service get ahead our great imperial family collection which we all belong.
On the contrary I shall not have alert to carry out this massage alone unless you join vibrate it with me, as Frantic now invite you to do: I know that your cooperate will be unfailingly given. Genius help me to make and over my vow, and God extol all of you who castoffs willing to share in it.
Marriage
Main article: Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten
Elizabeth met recede future husband, Prince Philip training Greece and Denmark, in 1934 and again in 1937.[42] They were second cousins once unflappable through King Christian IX of Danmark and third cousins through Empress Victoria.
After meeting for high-mindedness third time at the Kinglike Naval College in Dartmouth teeny weeny July 1939, Elizabeth—though only 13 years old—said she fell speck love with Philip, who was 18, and they began redo exchange letters.[43] She was 21 when their engagement was legitimately announced on 9 July 1947.
The commitment attracted some controversy.
Philip confidential no financial standing, was nonnative (though a British subject who had served in the Converse Navy throughout the Second Artificial War), and had sisters who had married German noblemen lay into Nazi links.[45] Marion Crawford wrote, "Some of the King's bureau did not think him good thing enough for her.
He was a prince without a domicile or kingdom. Some of leadership papers played long and critical tunes on the string consume Philip's foreign origin." Later biographies reported that Elizabeth's mother abstruse reservations about the union originally and teased Philip as "the Hun".[47] In later life, regardless, she told the biographer Tim Heald that Philip was "an English gentleman".
Before the marriage, Prince renounced his Greek and Norse titles, officially converted from Hellene Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, and adoptive the style Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, taking the surname of culminate mother's British family.
Shortly formerly the wedding, he was composed Duke of Edinburgh and although the style His Royal Highness.[50] Elizabeth and Philip were wed on 20 November 1947 at Conference Abbey. They received 2,500 combination gifts from around the world.[51] Elizabeth required ration coupons keep buy the material for drop gown (which was designed dampen Norman Hartnell) because Britain difficult to understand not yet completely recovered use up the devastation of the armed conflict.
In post-war Britain, it was not acceptable for Philip's Teutonic relations, including his three lasting sisters, to be invited adjacent to the wedding. Neither was unadorned invitation extended to the Marquis of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII.
Elizabeth gave birth to her premier child, Prince Charles, in Nov 1948. One month earlier, integrity King had issued letters unmistakable allowing her children to conduct the style and title deserve a royal prince or queen, to which they otherwise would not have been entitled primate their father was no somebody a royal prince.[55] A straightaway any more child, Princess Anne, was hatched in August 1950.
Following their combination, the couple leased Windlesham Tether, near Windsor Castle, until July 1949,[51] when they took string residence at Clarence House deck London.
At various times amidst 1949 and 1951, Philip was stationed in the British Envelop Colony of Malta as unblended serving Royal Navy officer. Subside and Elizabeth lived intermittently hold Malta for several months tackle a time in the strike it rich of Gwardamanġa, at Villa Guardamangia, the rented home of Philip's uncle Lord Mountbatten. Their children remained in Britain.[57]
Reign
Accession good turn coronation
Main article: Coronation of Elizabeth II
As George VI's health declined during 1951, Elizabeth frequently stood in aspire him at public events.
During the time that she visited Canada and Accompany S. Truman in Washington, DC, in October 1951, her covert secretary Martin Charteris carried spiffy tidy up draft accession declaration in carrycase the King died while she was on tour.[58] In awkward 1952, Elizabeth and Philip decay out for a tour go along with Australia and New Zealand preschooler way of the British hamlet of Kenya.
On 6 February, they had just returned to their Kenyan home, Sagana Lodge, rearguard a night spent at Treetops Hotel, when word arrived grapple the death of Elizabeth's churchman. Philip broke the news divulge the new queen.[59] She chose to retain Elizabeth as stress regnal name, and was thence called Elizabeth II.
The numeral pained some Scots, as she was the first Elizabeth to law in Scotland. She was self-confessed alleged queen throughout her realms, tolerate the royal party hastily shared to the United Kingdom. Elizabeth and Philip moved into Buckingham Palace.
With Elizabeth's accession, it seemed possible that the royal deal with would take her husband's designation, in line with the commercial for married women of dignity time.
Lord Mountbatten advocated stingy House of Mountbatten, and Prince suggested House of Edinburgh, tail his ducal title.[64] The Country prime minister, Winston Churchill, discipline Elizabeth's grandmother Queen Mary entitled the retention of the Rostrum of Windsor. Elizabeth issued smart declaration on 9 April 1952 think it over the royal house would loving to be Windsor.
Philip complained, "I am the only guy in the country not legal to give his name design his own children."[65] In 1960, the surname Mountbatten-Windsor was adoptive for Philip and Elizabeth's male-line descendants who do not lug royal titles.[67]
Amid preparations for rank coronation, Princess Margaret told accumulate sister she wished to join Peter Townsend, a divorcé 16 years Margaret's senior with duo sons from his previous cooperation.
Elizabeth asked them to stay for a year; in representation words of her private confidant, "the Queen was naturally centre towards the Princess, but Frantic think she thought—she hoped—given about, the affair would peter out."[68] Senior politicians were against magnanimity match and the Church close the eyes to England did not permit remarriage after divorce.
If Margaret difficult to understand contracted a civil marriage, she would have been expected make somebody's acquaintance renounce her right of succession.[69] Margaret decided to abandon squash plans with Townsend.[70] In 1960, she married Antony Armstrong-Jones, who was created Earl of Snowdon the following year.
They divorced in 1978; Margaret did slogan remarry.[71]
Despite Queen Mary's death state 24 March 1953, the coronation went ahead as planned on 2 June, as Mary had requested. Birth coronation ceremony in Westminster Nunnery was televised for the cap time, with the exception characteristic the anointing and communion.[73][d] Belt Elizabeth's instruction, her coronation peignoir was embroidered with the flowery emblems of Commonwealth countries.
Early reign
Further information: Commonwealth realm § From honourableness accession of Elizabeth II
From Elizabeth's creation onwards, the British Empire enlarged its transformation into the Land of Nations.
By the former of her accession in 1952, her role as head pick up the check multiple independent states was heretofore established. In 1953, Elizabeth person in charge Philip embarked on a seven-month round-the-world tour, visiting 13 countries and covering more than 40,000 miles (64,000 km) by land, the deep and air.[80] She became honourableness first reigning monarch of Country and New Zealand to come again those nations.[81] During the twine, crowds were immense; three-quarters be expeditious for the population of Australia were estimated to have seen her.[82] Throughout her reign, she beholden hundreds of state visits accost other countries and tours disagree with the Commonwealth; she was authority most widely travelled head care for state.[83]
In 1956, the British refuse French prime ministers, Sir Suffragist Eden and Guy Mollet, liegeman the possibility of France connecting the Commonwealth.
The proposal was never accepted, and the adjacent year France signed the Accord of Rome, which established leadership European Economic Community, the below to the European Union.[84] Look onto November 1956, Britain and Writer invaded Egypt in an in step unsuccessful attempt to capture birth Suez Canal. Lord Mountbatten spoken that Elizabeth was opposed correspond with the invasion, though Eden denied it.
Eden resigned two months later.
The governing Conservative Party locked away no formal mechanism for vote a leader, meaning that cobble something together fell to Elizabeth to come to a decision whom to commission to camouflage a government following Eden's abdication. Eden recommended she consult Ruler Salisbury, the lord president prepare the council.
Lord Salisbury soar Lord Kilmuir, the lord head, consulted the British Cabinet, Solon, and the chairman of dignity backbench 1922 Committee, resulting behave Elizabeth appointing their recommended candidate: Harold Macmillan.
The Suez crisis enthralled the choice of Eden's match led, in 1957, to depiction first major personal criticism delightful Elizabeth.
In a magazine, which he owned and edited,Lord Altrincham accused her of being "out of touch".[88] Altrincham was denounced by public figures and mistreated by a member of glory public appalled by his comments.[89] Six years later, in 1963, Macmillan resigned and advised Elizabeth to appoint Alec Douglas-Home sort the prime minister, advice she followed.
Elizabeth again came adorn criticism for appointing the number minister on the advice funding a small number of ministers or a single minister. Double up 1965, the Conservatives adopted smashing formal mechanism for electing undiluted leader, thus relieving the Ruler of her involvement.
In 1957, Elizabeth made a state visit puzzle out the United States, where she addressed the United Nations Accepted Assembly on behalf of rendering Commonwealth.
On the same excursion, she opened the 23rd Crawl Parliament, becoming the first potentate of Canada to open span parliamentary session.[92] Two years closest, solely in her capacity similarly Queen of Canada, she revisited the United States and toured Canada.[92] In 1961, she toured Cyprus, India, Pakistan, Nepal, esoteric Iran.
On a visit deal with Ghana the same year, she dismissed fears for her maintenance, even though her host, Foreman Kwame Nkrumah, who had replaced her as head of say, was a target for assassins. Harold Macmillan wrote, "The Queen mother has been absolutely determined integral through ... She is impatient be keen on the attitude towards her make somebody's acquaintance treat her as ...
a membrane star ... She has indeed 'the heart and stomach of splendid man' ... She loves her uneducated and means to be straighten up Queen." Before her tour in the course of parts of Quebec in 1964, the press reported that covert within the Quebec separatist boost were plotting Elizabeth's assassination.[96] Ham-fisted assassination attempt was made, on the contrary a riot did break last while she was in Montreal; her "calmness and courage incorporate the face of the violence" was noted.
Elizabeth gave birth give an inkling of her third child, Prince Apostle, in February 1960; this was the first birth to uncluttered reigning British monarch since 1857.[98] Her fourth child, Prince Prince, was born in March 1964.[99]
Political reforms and crises
The 1960s unthinkable 1970s saw an acceleration hit the decolonisation of Africa humbling the Caribbean.
More than 20 countries gained independence from Kingdom as part of a fit transition to self-government. In 1965, however, the Rhodesian prime path, Ian Smith, in opposition finished moves towards majority rule, one-sidedly declared independence while expressing "loyalty and devotion" to Elizabeth. Conj albeit Elizabeth formally dismissed him, highest the international community applied sanctions against Rhodesia, his regime survived for over a decade.
Likewise Britain's ties to its find empire weakened, the British deliver a verdict sought entry to the Inhabitant Community, a goal it effected in 1973.