19 Facts From The Life Of Elizabeth II That Show How Little We Know About Her

Elizabeth II ascended the throne when she was 25 years old. She will soon be 93 and continue to rule. The Queen of England is the oldest monarch, both in age and in the length of her reign. From her wisdom, optimism, a sense of humor and a genuine interest in life can only arouse in us a feeling of respect.

O awesome.club will tell you unexpected and little-known facts from Elizabeth II’s biography.

Jorge VI with his daughters and their dogs. Princess Elizabeth is standing by the window, Princess Margaret is sitting and the Queen Mother is looking out from inside the house.

Elizabeth, like her younger sister Princess Margaret, received her education at home. The girls were instructed by the best British teachers. After her father took the throne in 1936 and she became his heir, the future queen began to study history and constitutional law. She also received religious lessons from the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Princess Elizabeth (left) and Princess Margaret, 1945.

On 8 May 1945, Princess Elizabeth, along with her sister Margaret, took part in street festivities in honor of Victory Day. They convinced their parents to allow them to participate in the celebration of the end of World War II. The queen later said that this was one of the most memorable days of her life.

Elizabeth II with her husband Prince Philip, 1949.

Queen Victoria was her great-great-grandmother and also Prince Philip’s. Elizabeth II is descended from Queen Victoria on her father’s side and Prince Philip on his mother’s side. This type of marriage between distant relatives is common among monarchs.

It happened when the hairdresser was fixing the veil on the crown. The Queen Mother told her daughter: “We have two hours and other crowns”. Fortunately, the court jeweler was able to fix it before the ceremony began.

Queen Elizabeth II on Coronation Day, June 2, 1953.

She ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI. At the time, she was 25 years old. Her coronation took place on June 2, 1953. The British queen is the oldest of the current monarchs in the world.

From Winston Churchill to Theresa May (pictured above). Tony Blair was the first prime minister born during the reign of Elizabeth II, in 1953. In addition, during his current reign, there has been an alternation of 6 popes and 12 presidents of the United States.

Corgis are Welsh sheepdogs. Elizabeth had over 30 dogs of this breed during her lifetime. She got her first corgi from her father on her 18th birthday in 1944. Most of the pets that later lived in the palace were descendants of this dog. The queen devoted herself to raising corgis and even created a breed: the dorgi. This was due to a “romantic relationship” between one of her dogs and Princess Margaret’s dachshund.

Sadly, in April 2018, Her Majesty’s last corgi died. The dog suffered from cancer for a long time, and Elizabeth gave her consent for euthanasia to end her pet’s suffering. The queen won’t have any more dogs: she doesn’t want the animals to be “orphaned” when she’s no longer here.

On the left, Princess Elizabeth rides a foal in Windsor Park. On the right, after participating in a parade.

Elizabeth II, currently.

Her grandfather George V gave her her first foal when the monarch was 4 years old. The future queen learned to ride before reading and writing, and at age 6 she held fast to her saddle.

Elizabeth II is a breeder and owner of thoroughbred horses and a promoter of equestrian sport. And today, at the age of 92, she continues to go horseback riding with great pleasure.

Elizabeth II participates in the annual swan census.

According to information on the royal family’s official website, any reigning monarch owns all the swans that live in the waters of the River Thames and its tributaries. Annually, a census of birds is carried out. Royal ornithologists capture the elegant swans for 5 days, inspect them, put a ring on them and set them free. Each animal is given a sequence number.

“The ruler of the country owns all dolphins, whales and sturgeons in British waters,” reads a law passed by King Edward II in 1324. All these animals are defined as “royal fish.” Biologists have long proved that dolphins and whales are not fish but marine mammals, but that hasn’t affected the law.

The most famous are:

The series The Crown, which premiered in November 2016. It was timed for the Queen’s 90th birthday. The role of young Elizabeth was played by Claire Foy (pictured above left); the biographical film The Queen (2006). The role of Elizabeth II was played by actress Helen Mirren, who won the Golden Globe, Oscar, BAFTA and Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for her performance (pictured above right); The 5-episode miniseries (documentary-drama) a Rainha (2009). The queen was played at different stages of her life by 5 actresses: Emilia Fox, Samantha Bond, Susan Jameson, Barbara Flynn and Diana Quick; The film Margaret (2009). The role of the queen was played by actress Rosemary Leach; The Oscar-Winning Film The king’s speech (2011), in which Princess Elizabeth was played by actress Freya Wilson; The film The Night of Royalty (2015) is about the adventures of Princess Elizabeth on the night of the Victory Day celebration in World War II. She was represented by actress Sarah Gadon.

Most of the palaces and castles in which the Queen and her family reside are either owned by the State or by Crown Property (an independent commercial company that manages the royal property). Elizabeth II owns palaces and castles in Balmoral, Scotland, and Sandringham Palace in Norfolk.

In the list of the richest people in the UK, compiled by The Sunday Times, in 2015, the queen was ranked 302nd. Her assets are informally estimated at 340 million pounds sterling (about 445 million dollars).

Before the Apollo-11 spacecraft landed in 1969, dozens of world leaders were asked to write “messages of goodwill” that were transferred to a metal container that is still on the moon’s surface. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin placed it just below the American flag.

“On behalf of the British people, I celebrate the skill and courage that took man to the moon,” the queen wrote in her message. “May this increase the knowledge and well-being of humanity.”

The queen does not wear a traditional alarm. When she is at Buckingham Palace, Windsor or Balmoral Castle, or the Palace of Holyrood, she is woken up by a bagpipe player who plays outside her window at 9 am for 15 minutes, all days of the week. He also plays during state banquets. The musician has an official position in the court and is known as the “piper of the sovereign”.

In 1843, Queen Victoria became the first monarch to have a personal bagpipe player. The tradition continues to this day (the exception was the period of World War II).

Elizabeth II learned to speak French at an early age from her French and Belgian governesses. The Queen speaks in French with ambassadors and heads of state of French-speaking countries and when visiting French-speaking areas of Canada. She surprised many when she gave a speech in French at a 2014 state banquet in Paris.

The view from the apartment at nº 50 of Praça das Nações Unidas.

The Queen purchased a property in the luxury building at 50 United Nations Square in New York in 2015. It was designed by Lord Norman Foster, who was knighted by Elizabeth II in 1990. Her Majesty owns a modern three-bedroom penthouse with an impressive view from its panoramic windows.

Elizabeth II next to her portrait on the Queen Elizabeth, 2010.

The queen has posed for many artists. According to the painters, it is not easy to draw Her Majesty, because she does not like to sit still and not move. In 2012, artist Chris Levin created the first holographic portrait of Elizabeth II. Once, when she visited an exhibition of the nude works of painter Lucien Freud, the queen, famous for her sense of humor, was asked: “He painted her too, did he not, Your Majesty?” She replied, “Yes, but not like that.”

Each year, the royal family publishes a report that details all the gifts it has received from world leaders and the public over the past 12 months. The British royal family can use them, but they don’t own them. The items become part of the royal collection, which is entrusted to the queen.

During her reign, Elizabeth II received a number of unusual gifts, including live animals. There were turtles and a baby elephant, kangaroos and crocodiles. Generally, exotic animals given to the monarch go to the London Zoo.

On 27 July 2012, the broadcast of the London Olympics opening ceremony was preceded by a video featuring Queen Elizabeth II and Daniel Craig as James Bond. At the end of the video, they both jumped out of a helicopter onto the sand of the Olympic Stadium. To be fair, we must clarify that whoever flew over the stadium was not the queen, but a stunt double dressed like her. On April 5, 2013, the Queen received the BAFTA Film Award for the best performance in the role of James Bond’s companion.

What facts from Elizabeth II’s life surprised you the most?