Why Elizabeth II should not have become Queen and other little-known facts from the biography of the longest reigning monarch of Great Britain

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Elizabeth II is not just a person, she is a real phenomenon in the world political arena. That being said, it's very easy to forget the fact that she shouldn't have been queen at all. The personal life of the monarch is shrouded in mystery, despite the apparent publicity. Few people know how the queen actually lives, and in 2015 she was recognized as the longest reigning monarch in British history. Interesting and unusual facts about the British queen and the key moments of her reign, further in the review.

Born in 1926, Elizabeth was the daughter of King George V's second son and had no hope of succeeding to the throne. In 1936, her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry a divorced American socialite, Wallis Simpson. After the death of her father, King George VI, 25-year-old Elizabeth was called to take the throne, beginning her landmark reign that lasted most of a century.

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II - June 2, 1953

The ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey. This coronation was the first of its kind to be broadcast live on television. It was watched by almost twenty-seven million people in a country of thirty-six million. About eleven million listened to the radio broadcast. Three million people lined up along the route that the newly minted queen and her retinue took to Buckingham Palace.

First official visit to Germany - 1965

In the midst of such a difficult decade, which was marked by various political and social upheavals, the queen did not retreat from her duties and she had a very busy schedule of diplomatic visits. During this time, she visited the Federal Republic of Germany. This trip was the first official visit to West Germany by a British royal since 1913. The visit took place on the twentieth anniversary of the end of World War II. This was a key moment in the reconciliation of the two powers and the beginning of the formation of Germany as a strong European state in the world political arena.

Tragedy in Wales - 1966

On October 21, 1966, an accident occurred at a coal mine in Wales. As a result, a mud avalanche buried an elementary school building in the village of Aberfan. In this case, one hundred and sixteen children and twenty-eight adults were killed. Elizabeth's husband arrived at the scene of the tragedy on the second day. The Queen decided to postpone the trip. She believed that this would distract people from rescue efforts. To this day, the Queen is extremely sorry for this unfortunate mistake.

Breaking the age-old royal tradition - 1970

During her tour of Australia and New Zealand, the British queen did the unthinkable. Violating protocol, she casually strolled down the street. Previously, the monarchs dared to greet crowds of people only from a safe distance. Elizabeth did it personally. It has now become a common practice for British royalty, both overseas and at home.

Silver Jubilee - 1977

On June 7, 1977, the royal couple traveled to St Paul's Cathedral to officially celebrate Elizabeth's quarter-century on the throne. The queen was dressed in a hot pink dress, and her hat was decorated with fabric bells. Elizabeth reiterated her long-standing promise to devote her life to serving her people and country, saying: "Although this oath was taken in the days when I was too young and inexperienced, I do not regret or refuse a single word."

Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Dee - 1981

Seven hundred and fifty million people around the world have witnessed this key event in the life of the royal family. This romance between the British heir and the young Shai Di caught the attention of all the media. The magnificent wedding was called "the wedding of the century" in the press. Diana Spencer was simply adored by the public, but her marriage was unhappy. Relations with royal relatives were also very tense.

The Queen's Visit to China - 1986

In 1984, a historic event took place - Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the British government agreed to return Hong Kong to China. Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit this country. She examined the terracotta warriors in Xi'an with curiosity, visited the Great Wall of China and other sights. For the press, the diplomatic significance of the Queen's visit was marred by her husband's oversights: Philip called Beijing "terrible" and told a group of British students that they would "narrow their eyes" if they stayed long in China.

'Annus Horribilis' - 1992

Charles and Diana's marriage continued to come apart at the seams, and in 1992 they announced their decision to part ways. At the same time, Prince Andrew and his wife Sarah Ferguson divorced. Then Princess Anne separated from her husband. At the very end of this year, an event followed, which became the apotheosis of misfortune - a fire broke out in Windsor Castle. As a result, more than a hundred rooms were destroyed. In her speech, which was given on the occasion of her fortieth anniversary of her reign, the queen said that 1992 "became for the family" Annus Horribilis ", which means" a terrible year "in Latin.

Elizabeth's reaction to the death of Princess Diana - 1997

The nineties were a very difficult time for the royal family. Criticism in the press and dissatisfaction with the British increased incredibly after the divorce of Charles and Diana a year earlier. The following summer, Diana died in a car accident in Paris. Elizabeth refused to allow the flag to fly over Buckingham Palace or appeal to the mourning nation.

At the insistence of her advisers, she soon reconsidered her attitude to these issues. The Queen returned to London to greet the crowds of mourning subjects. She also gave a rare televised address to a nation devastated by the loss of the People's Princess.

Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee - 2002

The celebration of the British Queen's golden jubilee on the throne was marred by a double loss in the family. Elizabeth's mother and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, passed away almost at the same time. Since Queen Victoria, Elizabeth became the first monarch in Britain to celebrate a golden jubilee. In the same year, the Queen made an extensive tour, visiting Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She also visited countless cities throughout the United Kingdom.

Compared to the not-so-successful nineties, the 2000s marked the beginning of an era of positive relations between the population and the royal family for Elizabeth. In 2005, the British public very actively supported the marriage between Charles and his longtime love, Camilla Parker-Bowles.

Visiting Ireland in 2011

In mid-2011, the royal couple were invited by the President of the Republic of Ireland to pay an official visit. The Queen visited Northern Ireland frequently during her reign. This diplomatic trip was the first visit by a British monarch in a hundred years. Queen Elizabeth expressed "sincere and deep sympathy" for the victims of the tragic, shared Anglo-Irish past. This was marked as the beginning of a new era of friendship.

Birth of a new great-grandson, George - 2013

In 2013, the first child was born to Prince William and Kate Middleton. It was Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. The boy became the third in line to the throne. George is destined to be king one day. This is the first time since the reign of Queen Victoria that all three generations of direct heirs to the British throne are simultaneously alive.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding - 2018

This high-profile event became a real symbol of a new era in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a divorced black American actress, is a true modernization of the monarchy. Although the queen is said to have approved of the marriage, family relationships were still tense. Nothing changed the birth of Archie's son in 2019. As a result, in 2020, the couple of Dukes of Sussex announced that they were giving up their role as members of the royal family. Later, the couple decided to move to southern California.

The life of monarchs has always interested the public, even in those days when there were no tabloids to cover it. Read our article Insane Monarchs: The greatest rulers in history who have gone insane.