Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II
English  Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II in 2015
Royal coat of arms of Great Britain. Option on the right is used in Scotland.
Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from February 6, 1952
Coronation	June 2, 1953
Head of the government	Winston Churchill (1951-1955) Anthony Eden (1955-1957) Harold Macmillan (1957-1963) Alexander Douglas-Hume (1963-1964) Harold Wilson (1964-1970) Edward Heath (1970-1974) Harold Wilson (1974-1976 ) James Callaghan (1976–1979) Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990) John Major (1990–1997) Tony Blair (1997–2007) Gordon Brown (2007–2010) David Cameron (2010–2016) Teresa May (2016–2019) Boris Johnson (since 2019)
Predecessor	George VI
Heir	Charles, Prince of Wales
Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom April 1, 1964  - June 10, 2011
Predecessor	position reinstated; as (as First Lord of the Admiralty , 1963-1964) ; William, Duke of Clarence (as the last Lord High Admiral, 1828-1829)
Successor	Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Queen of the Commonwealth Queen of the following states:[show] ( 1981) ( 1952) ( 1973) ( 1966) ( 1981) (1966—1970) (1965—1970) (1957—1960) ( 1974) ( 1952) (1963—1964) (1968—1992) (1964—1966) (1964—1974) (1960—1963) ( 1952) (1952—1956) — ( 1975) -   ( 1983) - ( 1979) - ( 1979) ( 1978) - (1961—1971) (1961—1962) (1962—1976) ( 1978) (1962—1963) (1952—1987) (1952—1972) - (1952—1961) ( 1962) from February 6, 1952
Predecessor	George VI
Birth
Kind	Windsor
Birth name
Father
Mother
Spouse
Children	, , and
Relation to religion
Autograph
Monogram
Awards	Great Britain Other [show]
Type of army
Battles

Elizabeth II of ( . English  Elizabeth II of ), full name - Elizabeth Alexander Mary ( Eng.  Elizabeth the Alexandra Mary ^[10] ; b. 21 on April 1926 , Mayfair , Westminster , London , England , United Kingdom ) ^[11]  - the reigning Queen of the United Kingdom and the kingdoms Commonwealth of the Windsor Dynasty . Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Great Britain . The supreme ruler of the Church of England .Head of the Commonwealth of Nations . The current monarch in fifteen independent states: Australia , Antigua and Barbuda , Bahamas , Barbados , Belize , Grenada , Canada , New Zealand , Papua New Guinea , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Saint Lucia , Solomon Islands , Tuvalu , Jamaica .

She ascended the throne on February 6, 1952 at the age of twenty-five, after the death of her father, King George VI .

He is a champion among all British monarchs by age ^[12] and duration of tenure ^{[13] [14] [15] [16]} .

Since January 23, 2015, after the death of the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah ibn Abdul-Aziz Al Saud , is the oldest of the current monarchs in the world ^[17] .

Since October 13, 2016, after the death of the King of Thailand, Phumipon Adulyadej , is the most long-running of the current heads of state in the world ^[18] .

Since November 21, 2017, after the resignation of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe , for six months she was the oldest of the current heads of state of the world, then she lost the championship to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for a year and a half . Since February 29, 2020, she is again the oldest of the current heads of state of the world.

The reign of Elizabeth II fell a very broad period of British and world history. The decolonization process was completed , which was marked by the final collapse of the British Empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations . Under Elizabeth II, Great Britain entered and left the European Union . Among other events of this period, it is worth noting the long ethnopolitical conflict in Northern Ireland , the Falkland War , the participation of Great Britain in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . Under these conditions, Elizabeth II was able to maintain the prestige and popularity of the British monarchy .

Childhood and adolescence

The eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI , 1895-1952) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002). Her grandfathers and grandmothers: on her father - King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary, Princess Tekskaya (1867-1953); by mother, Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore (1855-1944) and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1862-1938).

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Maria was born on April 21, 1926 in the Mayfair district of London in the residence of Earl Strathmore on Bruton Street, house 17. Now the area has been rebuilt and the house no longer exists, but there is a Chinese restaurant on this wall with a memorial plaque on its wall ^[19] . She got her name in honor of her mother (Elizabeth), grandmother (Maria) and great-grandmother (Alexander).

At the same time, the father insisted that the daughter’s first name be "like the duchess". At first they wanted to give the girl the name Victoria, but then changed their minds. George V remarked: “Bertie discussed the name of the girl with me. He named three names: Elizabeth , Alexandra and Mary . The names are all good, I told him so, and as for Victoria, I absolutely agree with him. It was superfluous ” ^[19] . Princess Elizabeth's christenings took place on May 29 in the chapel of Buckingham Palace , which was later destroyed during the war. In the family, Elizabeth was called by the diminutive name "Lilibet."

On August 21, 1930, the only sister of Elizabeth was born - Princess Margaret ^[10] .

Elizabeth received a good home education, mainly of a humanitarian orientation - she studied the history of the constitution , jurisprudence , religious studies , art criticism , as well as (almost independently) the French language . From a young age, Elizabeth was interested in horses and engaged in horse riding . She has been faithful to this passion for many decades ^[20] .

At birth, Elizabeth became the Princess of York and was the third in the line of succession to the throne after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII) and father. Since Prince Edward was young enough and was thought to have been married and had children, initially Elizabeth was not considered a real candidate for the throne. However, Edward was forced to abdicate eleven months after the death of George V in January 1936 . Prince Albert ( George VI ) became the king , and 10-year-old Elizabeth became the heir to the throne and moved with her parents from Kensington Palace to Buckingham Palace . However, she remained in status“Heir presumptive” (“alleged heir”) , and if George VI had a son, he would have inherited the throne.

World War II began when Elizabeth was 13 years old. October 13, 1940 she first appeared on the radio (in the program "Children's Hour") - with an appeal to children affected by the scourge of war ^[21] . In 1943, her first independent appearance in public took place - a visit to the regiment of guards grenadiers . In 1944, she became one of the five “state advisers” (persons entitled to perform the functions of the king in the event of his absence or incapacity). In February 1945, Elizabeth joined the “Auxiliary Territorial Service” - women's self-defense units ^[22] - and was trained as a driver of an ambulance, having received the military rank of lieutenant ^[23] . Her military service lasted five months. Thus, Princess Elizabeth became the first woman from the royal family to serve in the army.

In 1947, Elizabeth accompanied her parents on a trip to South Africa ^[24] and on her 21st birthday, she made a radio promise to devote her life to serving the British Empire , declaring the following ^[20] :

I want to make one statement now. Very simple. I declare to all of you that my whole life, long or short, will be dedicated to serving you and that great empire to which we all belong.

On November 20, 1947, 21-year-old Elizabeth married 26-year-old Philip Mountbatten  , an officer in the British Navy , a participant in World War II, a member of the Greek and Danish royal families, and great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. They met in 1934 and fell in love with each other, it is believed to be after visiting Elizabeth British Royal Naval College in Dartmouth , where Philip studied, in 1939 ^[24] . On the eve of the wedding with the princess, Philip received the title of Duke of Edinburgh . The wedding itself took place inWestminster Abbey .

In May 1948, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip made their first official foreign visit - to Paris .

A year after the wedding, on November 14, 1948, Elizabeth and Philip had the eldest son, Prince Charles ^[24] , and on August 15, 1950, their daughter, Princess Anne ^[24] .

During 1951, George VI's health deteriorated, and Elizabeth began to gradually replace him at public events. In October 1951, she paid a state visit to Canada and the United States, meeting in Washington with US President Harry Truman .

In early 1952, Princess Elizabeth and Philip went on a visit to the countries of the Commonwealth, which was interrupted by the death of the king.

Queen of Great Britain

1950s

King George VI , the father of Elizabeth, died on February 6, 1952 . Elizabeth, who was on vacation with her husband in Kenya at that time , was proclaimed Queen of Great Britain ^[25] . On February 8, 1952, accompanied by her husband Philip, Elizabeth took the oath of the Privy Council and signed the oath of succession. An hour later, the heraldmeister officially announced her accession to the throne from the balcony of St. James's Palace with his last words, “God save the queen!” all the flags of London, lowered after the death of the king, simultaneously rose up in honor of the new Queen of Great Britain.

In March 1953, Elizabeth II hosted a gala reception at Buckingham Palace in honor of the leader of the socialist Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito .

On April 24, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II granted British Prime Minister Winston Churchill membership in the Knightly Order of the Garter, which gave him the right to the title of "sir."

The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II was held at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953 ^[26] . This was the first coronation of the British monarch broadcast on television (the coronation was broadcast live, it was watched by 27 million people), and, as it is believed, this event significantly contributed to the growth of television broadcasting ^[27] .

After that, in November 1953 - May 1954, the Queen made a six-month tour of the Commonwealth , British colonies and other countries of the world. Elizabeth II became the first monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand ^[26] . In addition, she visited Fiji, Tonga, Bermuda, Jamaica, Panama, Cocos Islands, Ceylon, Yemen (Aden), Uganda, Libya, Malta and Gibraltar, covering a distance of 43,618 kilometers.

On April 5, 1955, Winston Churchill resigned by age and health from the post of Prime Minister of Great Britain. The government was led by Anthony Eden .

In 1955, the Queen visited Portugal , and in 1956 - Nigeria .

On April 22, 1956, Elizabeth II received N. S. Khrushchev, First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee in Windsor Castle, and N. A. Bulganin, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The audience took place in the presence of members of the royal family, Prime Minister of Great Britain Anthony Eden, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR to Great Britain J. A. Malik and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Great Britain to the USSR William Heiter. Following the meeting, the leaders of the USSR handed the royal family a number of gifts: to Queen Elizabeth II — an Akhal-Teke horse with decoration, a diamond brooch with sapphire, a pelerine from sables of special quality, Aivazovsky’s picture “The Sea Coast” and a box depicting the royal family; to Prince Consort Philip - a box with a portrait of the queen, a casket with a set of wines, a picture depicting Russian nature and a Tula samovar; Crown Prince Charles - an Arabian horse with decoration, a set of Soviet children's illustrated books and a set of confectionery;Princess Anne - a box of Palekh masters (Russian fairy tales), a set of Soviet children's illustrated books, a 3-month-old live teddy bear and a set of pastry; Queen Mother Elizabeth - a golden brooch “Lily of the Valley” with diamonds, a casket of Ural gems and a cape of sables; Princess Margaret is a sable stole and a sapphire diamond brooch.

On October 29, 1956, at the Empire Cinema in London, Elizabeth II met with the famous Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe .

November 22 - December 8, 1956, the 16th Olympic Games were held in Melbourne, Australia , which were opened by the wife of Elizabeth II, Prince Philip.

In January 1957 , after the resignation of Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden, due to the lack of clear rules for choosing a leader in the Conservative Party , Elizabeth II was to appoint a new head of government from among the conservatives. After consultations with prominent party members and former Prime Minister Churchill, the 63-year-old Harold Macmillan was appointed head of government ^[28] .

In May 1957, the Queen received at Buckingham Palace the former First Lady and widow of 32nd US President Franklin Roosevelt  - Eleanor Roosevelt .

In October of the same year, Elizabeth made her first visit to the United States ^[29] and Canada as Queen of Canada ^[30] . During these visits, she spoke at a session of the UN General Assembly ^[31] , met with the then current US President Dwight Eisenhower and former US President Herbert Hoover (he was the US President in 1929-1933), and was present at the opening of 23- th session of the Canadian Parliament (for the first time in history with the participation of the British monarch).

On December 25, 1957, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to congratulate his subjects on Christmas on television (since 1932, the monarchs have congratulated their subjects on the radio) ^[32] .

In 1958, Elizabeth II was the first in the United Kingdom to make a trunk communication call (automatic distribution of communication channels between subscribers).

1960s

On February 19, 1960, the Queen had a third child, Prince Andrew . He became the first child in 103 years to be born to the ruling monarch.

She continued her travels in 1961 when she made visits to Cyprus , the Vatican , Turkey , India , Pakistan , Nepal , Iran , Italy , and also Ghana ^[33] .

On June 5, 1961, Elizabeth II received the Kennedy couple, President of the United States John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline, in Buckingham Palace .

On July 15, 1961, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain received Yuri Gagarin in the world’s first cosmonaut in Buckingham Palace . In honor of him, a lunch was arranged, attended by the queen herself, her husband Philip and their children - Prince Charles, Princess Anna, Prince Andrew (he was only one year old at that time), as well as uncle of Prince Philip Lord Louis Mountbatten and Queen's sister Princess Margaret.

In October 1963 , after the resignation of Prime Minister Macmillan, on his advice, Elizabeth appointed Alexander Douglas-Hume as prime minister ^[34] . In the same year, she paid an official visit to Australia and socialist Yugoslavia, and in 1964  to Canada.

On March 10, 1964, the last child of Elizabeth II, Prince Edward , was born . He was baptized on May 2, 1964 in the chapel of Windsor Castle.

In May 1965, members of the Kennedy family  , Jacqueline Kennedy and their children John and Caroline , and the brothers of the deceased president, Robert and Edward , visited Britain . They met with the royal family and unveiled a number of memorial objects: a monument to John F. Kennedy in London, a memorial in Runned and the Kennedy Memorial Fund was established.

On October 26, 1965, Elizabeth II awarded the Beatles members of the famous rock band (the “Liverpool Four”) with orders of the British Empire .

In 1969, the BBC directed the Royal Family documentary about Windsor’s daily life (watched by 23 million people) ^[35] . In the same year, Elizabeth received in the Buckingham Palace the American astronaut and the first man to land on the moon, Neil Armstrong .

1970s

In 1970, Elizabeth II met with US President Richard Nixon and toured Australia and New Zealand. During this journey, the queen and her husband introduced a new practice of communicating with subjects - the “royal walk”. The royal couple walked along the streets of the cities and talked with a huge number of ordinary people.

In 1971, the Queen received the Japanese Emperor Hirohito at her residence .

In mid-October 1972, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, and their daughter Princess Anna paid a state visit to socialist Yugoslavia, where they met with the country's leader Josip Broz Tito .

In 1974, a political crisis began to brew after parliamentary elections , as a result of which no party received a majority of the vote. Although the Conservative Party turned out to be the largest party in parliament, Labor leader Harold Wilson was appointed prime minister ^[36] . A year later, there was also a political crisis in Australia during which Elizabeth II refused to reverse the decision of Governor General John Kerr to resign Prime Minister Hough Whitlam .

In 1975, Elizabeth II paid an official visit to Japan, becoming the first British monarch to visit this country. .

On March 26, 1976, Elizabeth II became the first head of state to use email, sending her first email. She sent a message through ARPANET (the predecessor of the Internet) at an IT conference at the Royal Research Institution in Malvern .

In July 1976, Elizabeth II inaugurated (like the Queen of Canada ) the XXI Olympic Games in Montreal ^[37] , and even before they opened, she went on a visit to the United States, where she met with American President Gerald Ford and took part in the celebration of the 200th anniversary of independence USA.

1977 was a significant date for the queen - the 25th anniversary of Elizabeth II's tenure on the British throne (Silver Anniversary) was celebrated, in honor of which many ceremonial events were held in the countries of the Commonwealth ^[38] .

In May 1977, Elizabeth II received US President Jimmy Carter at Buckingham Palace .

In 1978, the Queen received the leader of socialist Romania Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena in Buckingham Palace .

1980s

In 1980, Elizabeth II paid an official visit to the Vatican , where she met with Pope John Paul II. The Queen’s visit was the first ever British monarch to visit the Vatican.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a series of assassinations were committed against the royal family. In particular, in August 1979, terrorists killed the “ Provisional Irish Republican Army ” of Uncle Prince Philip, an influential statesman and military commander of Lord Louis Mountbatten ^[39] . In May 1981, a letter containing explosives was intercepted, addressed to Prince Charles, and in June of the same year, six empty shots were fired from the pistol towards Elizabeth II during a military parade in honor of the Queen's “official birthday” holiday ^[27] .

On July 29, 1981, the wedding of the son of Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer ^[40] , took place , which would later become a big problem for the royal family.

At that time, in 1982, as a result of changes in the constitution of Canada, the British Parliament lost any role in Canadian affairs, but the British Queen still remained the head of the Canadian state ^[41] . In the same year, the first visit of the Roman Pope John Paul II to Britain took place for the first 450 years (the Queen, who is the head of the Church of England, received him personally) ^[26] .

On June 8, 1982, the Queen received US President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy at Windsor Castle .

On June 21, 1982, at St. Mary's London Hospital, Princess Diana gave birth to her first child, Prince William , who became the first Crown Prince born outside the Royal Palace. Two years later, on September 21, 1984, Prince Charles and Princess Diana had a second child - Prince Harry .

In January 1986, the queen sailed to Australia on her yacht Britain , when it became known that a civil war had begun in the former British colony of Aden ^[42] . Elizabeth immediately ordered to enter the Yemeni territorial waters (as a monarch she had the right to do this without approval) and took on board 1,068 evacuated people, and for these people even state yacht apartments were provided for these people ^[43] .

In October 1986, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip paid an official visit to socialist China , where they met with the country's leader Deng Xiaoping . This was the first visit to China by the British monarch.

In early April 1989, Elizabeth II received at the Windsor Castle General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee M.S. Gorbachev and his wife Raisa .

In May 1991, Elizabeth was the first of the British monarchs to speak at a joint session of the chambers of Congress . During this visit, the Queen met with US President George W. Bush ^[44] .

1990s

1992 was a “terrible year,” as Elizabeth II herself defined. Princess Anna divorced her husband, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew separated (at that time not yet officially) from their wives - Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson, Windsor Castle was badly damaged by the fire that happened on November 20, 1992 (more than 100 rooms were damaged, damage amounted to 37 million pounds), the queen was extended the obligation to pay income tax (since April 1993), the funding of the royal court was noticeably reduced ^[45] .

In November 1992, Elizabeth II received Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin in London .

On May 6, 1994, the British Queen and French President Francois Mitterrand attended the opening of a tunnel under the English Channel .

On October 17–20, 1994, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain paid a single state visit to Russia. During the visit, the Queen of Great Britain visited such historical and cultural places of Moscow and St. Petersburg as the State Hermitage Museum, leaving an entry in the book of honored guests of the museum, the Peter and Paul Fortress, Moscow Classical Gymnasium No. 20 , the Moscow Kremlin, Red Square, a center for the rehabilitation of children disabled research institutes of prosthetics them. G. Albrecht, the Bolshoi Theater, also opened a memorial stone at the construction site of the new building of the British Embassy in Moscow ^[46] .

In August 1996, at the insistence of the queen, an official divorce was signed between Prince Charles and Princess Diana. A year later, Diana tragically died in a car accident in Paris . The event was a shock not only for the royal family, but also for millions of ordinary Britons. For restraint and the absence of any reaction to the death of the former daughter-in-law, criticisms immediately rained down on the Queen ^[47] .

In 1997, the royal yacht Britannia was withdrawn from the fleet, delivered to the port of Leith and later became a museum, and T. Blair’s government that came to power this year refused to give the queen a new ship (although Elizabeth had given the promise to replace the ship with J. Major ) ^[48] . In the same year, the official website of Buckingham Palace appeared.

In 1999, the Queen blocked the bill on military operations in Iraq , referring to the act of royal consent. This bill was to transfer all powers to direct military operations to parliament and thus affected the rights of the monarch.

2000s

On April 17, 2000, Elizabeth II received Russian President Vladimir V. Putin at Windsor Castle . The audience lasted 30 minutes.

In December 2000, US President Bill Clinton , his wife Hillary, and their daughter Chelsea, were received by the Queen at Buckingham Palace .

In 2002, ceremonies were held in honor of the 50th anniversary of the stay of Elizabeth II on the British throne (golden anniversary) ^[25] . In the same year, the Queen's sister Princess Margaret ^[49] and the Queen Mother — Queen Elizabeth ^[50] died .

In the same year, the Queen first visited the British Mosque - the Islamic center in Scunthorpe (Lincolnshire). In addition, Elizabeth II became the first member of the royal family to receive a gold disc: a recording of the “Party in the Palace” concert, held in honor of the 50th anniversary of her reign, was sold in 100,000 copies.

On June 25, 2003, Elizabeth II hosted a gala reception at Buckingham Palace in honor of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila. The parties exchanged gifts. The Queen was gifted to Putin by a special edition of the Royal Treasures album, and his wife was given an engraved perfume bottle. In response, the queen was presented with a picture of a modern Russian artist, and Prince Philip with a naval ceremonial dirk . An interesting fact is that V.V. Putin was late for the meeting by 12 minutes. When his departure took place upon departure, the queen was late for exactly 12 minutes.

In May 2007, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip paid a visit to the United States to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Fort Jamestown in Virginia. During this visit, the royal couple met with US President George W. Bush ^[51] .

On November 20, 2007, Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a diamond wedding (60 years), and on December 20 of the same year, the queen became the oldest British monarch in history, overtaking her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria (1819-1901).

On March 20, 2008, for the first time in the history of the Anglican Church , headed by Elizabeth, she held a service on Maundy Thursday , which is traditionally attended by the reigning monarch, outside of England or Wales, in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh in Northern Ireland^{[ specify ]} .

On March 4, 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced during his visit to the United States that Elizabeth II awarded Senator Edward Kennedy (the youngest and only surviving Kennedy brothers) with an honorary knighthood for service for the benefit of US-British relations and contribution to the resolution of the conflict in Northern Ireland (an Irishman by birth, Kennedy founded in 1981 the Friends of Ireland Association, consisting of members of the US Congress and advocating for the resolution of the conflict in Ulster). Since Kennedy was a US citizen, his chivalry was honorable, and he did not use the prefix “sir” in front of his name. Edward Kennedy did not use the chivalrous title for long, because after 5 months he died of brain cancer.

On April 1, 2009, Elizabeth II received in Buckingham the leaders of the G-20 countries participating in the London summit  - US President Barack Obama , Russian President Dmitry Medvedev , German Chancellor Angela Merkel , French President Nicolas Sarkozy , Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and others.

2010s

In July 2010 the second time speaking at a meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations . Introducing the Queen, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called her “the saving anchor of our era” ^[52] .

In May 2011, the first ever British visit of the British monarch to independent Ireland took place ^[53] . A few days later, the Queen arranged a gala reception at Buckingham Palace in honor of US President Barack Obama and his wife.

April 29, 2011 the wedding of Prince William (grandson of Elizabeth II) and Catherine Middleton ^[54] .

In October 2011, the Queen paid an official visit to Australia.

The XXX Olympic Games solemnly opened by Elizabeth II ^[55] were held in London in July-August 2012 , and in December of the same year a new law was approved that changed the succession order , according to which male heirs lose priority over women ^[56] .

In the same year in the UK and other countries of the Commonwealth, the 60th anniversary (“diamond” or “diamond”) of the tenure of Elizabeth II on the throne was solemnly celebrated. The culmination of the celebrations was the weekend of June 3-4, 2012 ^[57] :

• On June 3, a ceremonial water parade of more than a thousand ships and boats was held on the Thames . It is believed that this is the most ambitious river procession in history;
• On June 4, 2012 , a concert was held in the square in front of Buckingham Palace with the participation of such stars of British and world music as Paul McCartney , Robbie Williams , Cliff Richard , Elton John , Grace Jones , Stevie Wonder , Annie Lennox , Tom Jones and others. The organizer of the evening was the lead singer of the group Take That Gary Barlow .

On December 25, 2012, the Queen’s Christmas speech was broadcast on television for the first time in 3D.

In 2013, Elizabeth II for the first time in 40 years refused to attend the summit of the heads of the countries of the British Commonwealth, held in Sri Lanka . Britain was represented by Prince Charles at the summit , which testifies to the gradual transfer of Elizabeth’s powers to her son ^[58] .

On July 22, 2013, Prince William and Kate had their first child - Prince George Alexander Louis , one of the great-grandchildren of the British Queen.

The 2010s were marked by the adoption of regulations that deprived the British monarchy of a number of powers (some of which it had not actually used for a long time). In 2015, the parliamentary act, adopted in 2011, entered into force, which established the exact terms of the parliament and the dates of the next elections, which deprived the queen of the privilege of dissolving the parliament (the queen can now dissolve parliament only with the support of 2/3 of the House of Commons) ^[59] . On April 1, 2012, the “Royal Grant Act” came into force, which formally canceled the civil list for the queen and established the list of duties of the British monarch ^[60] . (see Crown Property article )

On May 2, 2015, Prince William and his wife Kate had a second child - Princess Charlotte of Cambridge .

On September 9, 2015, Elizabeth II became the longest reigning ruler of Britain in her entire history.

In April 2016, the Queen’s 90th birthday was solemnly celebrated in Great Britain. In honor of this, Elizabeth II sent her message on Twitter to those who congratulated her on her birthday.

On June 23, 2016, a referendum was held on UK membership in the European Union , as a result of which 51.89% of UK citizens voted for the country's exit from the European Union. Against the background of the referendum, British Prime Minister David Cameron on July 13 of the same year announced his resignation. The government was led by Home Secretary Theresa May , who became the second woman in British history to take over as prime minister.

On October 18, 2016, a meeting between Queen Elizabeth II and Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill took place in Buckingham Palace ^[61] .

In February 2017, Sapphire Anniversary was celebrated in Britain, which marked the 65th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II. By this date, the Royal Mint had issued a series of coins with the Queen's profile.

On November 20, 2017, Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip became the first royal couple to celebrate the platinum anniversary of their wedding (70 years).

On April 20, 2018, leaders of the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations announced that her son Prince Charles would be the successor to the Queen as head of the Commonwealth.

On April 23, 2018, Prince William and his wife Kate had a third child, Prince Louis of Cambridge .

On May 19, 2018, the wedding of Prince Harry (the second grandson of Elizabeth II) and Meghan Markle took place in the chapel of St. George in Windsor Castle .

June 2, 2018 marks the 65th anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth II. By this date, a commemorative investment gold coin of 10 pounds was issued, on both sides of which the profile of the queen is depicted.

On July 13, 2018, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain received U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania at Windsor Castle . During the meeting, Donald Trump presented the Queen with a traditional American-style Scottish quaych cup (a shallow drinking cup with two handles), and handmade cowboy saddles were presented to her great-grandchildren (Prince George, Princess Charlotte and newborn Prince Louis). Elizabeth II, in turn, presented the First Lady of the United States with a perfume bottle, made to order by Queen J. Floris's personal perfumer.

On May 6, 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had their first child - Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor , who became the eighth great-grandson of Elizabeth II and Prince Consort Philip.

2020s

On January 31, 2020, Great Britain withdrew from the European Union .

April 5, 2020 Elizabeth II issued an appeal to the nation in connection with the coronavirus pandemic in the UK . This is her fifth extraordinary appeal to the people in 68 years of rule. The performance was broadcast on television, radio and social networks ^[62] .

Role in Political and Public Life

In accordance with the British tradition of parliamentary monarchy , Elizabeth II performs mainly representative functions, with little or no effect on the governance of the country . However, during her reign, she successfully supported the authority of the British monarchy. Her responsibilities include visiting various countries with diplomatic visits, receiving ambassadors , meeting with senior government officials (especially the Prime Minister), reading annual messages to Parliament , presenting awards , knighting , etc. ^[63]. The queen also daily looks at the main British newspapers and answers with the help of servants to some letters that are sent to her in large quantities (200-300 pcs. Daily) ^[63] . Moreover, there is a practice that every day several letters are selected at random and read to the queen, and in this case she personally dictates the answers to them ^[64] . In addition, there are other forms of communication of the Queen with subjects. For example, since 1956, small informal dinners of the Queen and her husband have been practiced with prominent people (usually they are attended by 6-8 guests and 2 courtiers) ^[65]. In general, under Elizabeth, the forms of communication between the monarch and his subjects became much more diverse than under her predecessors, which was facilitated by the development of information technologies. It was with her that the British monarchy acquired pages on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube , as well as an official site ^[66] .

Moreover, the methods of communication with subjects established by the former monarchs are also preserved. Since 1860, there has been a tradition of tea parties in the park of Buckingham Palace, to which guests are selected by various charitable and other public organizations by a random method ^[67] . At these tea parties, the Queen communicates freely with guests.

Elizabeth continued the practice of compulsory meetings of the monarch with the British prime ministers - every Tuesday at six in the evening for conversation and exchange of views ^[68] . The contents of these audiences were not disclosed, no records are kept on them ^[69] . If a mandatory weekly meeting cannot be held, then the Queen and the Prime Minister communicate on a dedicated telephone line that is protected from wiretapping ^[70] .

Apparently, these meetings play a significant role in the decision-making process. In her memoirs, Margaret Thatcher wrote about her weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth:

Everyone who thinks that they [meetings] is a simple formality or social convention is deeply mistaken. In fact, they are held in a calm business atmosphere, and Her Majesty always demonstrates her ability to cover a wide range of problems and her wide experience.

- Thatcher, Margaret. The Path to Power. - HarperCollins, 1997.

The Queen is more knowledgeable in most matters than it seems at first glance. In addition, the Queen has regular meetings with other ministers and prime ministers of the Commonwealth states when they are in the UK on a visit. Also, during her stay in Scotland, she meets with the first Minister of Scotland . Ministries and diplomatic missions in the UK send her regular reports.

During her tenure on the throne, the queen maintained correct relations with all the prime ministers. However, she always remained true to the tradition of the English kings of modern times - to be above political fights. As a constitutional monarch, Elizabeth II should not publicly express her political sympathies or antipathies. She always complied with this rule, acting not publicly - therefore her political views remain unknown.

Three times during her reign, the queen had constitutional problems with the formation of the British government. In 1957 and 1963, in the absence of a clear mechanism for electing a leader in the Conservative Party, it was the queen who had to decide who to entrust the formation of the government after the resignations of Anthony Eden and Harold Macmillan. In 1957, Anthony Eden refused to advise the queen of whom to appoint him successor, and she turned to Winston Churchill for advice as the only conservative prime minister alive at that time (according to a precedent, after which King George V after the resignation of Andrew Bonar Lowe in 1923 consulted with the father of Lord Salisbury and former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour ). In 1963, Harold Macmillanhe himself advised to appoint Alec Douglas-Home as his successor, and in 1974, after the resignation of Edward Heath as a result of the unclear outcome of the elections, Elizabeth II appointed opposition leader Harold Wilson as prime minister . In all these cases, the Queen acted according to the British constitutional tradition, according to which she should not make any important decisions without the advice of her ministers and secret advisers.

Although it is accepted that the queen does not interfere in politics, but due to the fact that for her long reign she had the opportunity to work with many prime ministers and leaders of other countries, her advice is always taken carefully.

Elizabeth II is also actively involved in charity and social activities. The Queen of Britain is the trustee of more than 600 various public and charitable organizations ^[71] .

In addition to duties, Elizabeth II also has certain inalienable rights as a monarch (royal prerogatives). For example, she may reject the candidacy of the Prime Minister (which seems inappropriate to her) and so on. These prerogatives are far from always a mere formality. For example, the prerogative of “the right to consult, the right to encourage and warn,” is expressed in the fact that Elizabeth receives a number of documents for study, which the Privy Council collects for her . These papers are brought to the palace in red boxes every day at 7 o’clock in the evening, after which the monarch quickly looks through them, emphasizing in red that he did not like or do not understand, since already at 8 o’clock in the morning of the next day these documents are taken away ^[72]. The Queen's remarks are usually listened to. In addition, the queen receives reports from 15 countries of the Commonwealth, with whom she gets acquainted and sends back ^[73] .

Financial costs

Certain funds are spent on the maintenance of the queen (until 2012 they were called a civil sheet , which was controlled by the government).

• Thus, according to data from Buckingham Palace, in the fiscal year 2008-2009, every Briton spent 69 pence ( $ 1 14 cents ) on the maintenance of the monarchy , which amounted to 41.4 million pounds or $ 68.5 million (the total cost of maintaining the royal family increased by 1.5 million pounds). The cost of royal trips also increased - from 6.2 to 6.5 million pounds ^[74] .
• In 2010-2011, in view of the new economic program of the government, the queen was forced to cut her expenses to $ 51.7 million ^[75] .
• But, starting in 2012, Elizabeth’s income began to grow again (with an approximate rate of 5% per year) ^[76] .
• According to Buckingham Palace, in the 2014-2015 fiscal year, every Briton spent 56 pence on the maintenance of the monarchy. 35.7 million pounds were allocated from the budget for the maintenance of the royal court ^[77] .
• For 2018-2019, the grant for its maintenance increased to 82.2 million pounds - this is 1.25 pounds for each subject. The grant does not cover royal visits, ceremonies, and guards. Taking into account them, the total expenses of the yard reach 300 million pounds ($ 400 million) ^[78] .

Such amounts cause dissatisfaction with the Republican-minded part of the population of Great Britain, which considers it necessary to cut them back ^[74] .

Supporters of the preservation of the monarchy indicate that these expenses bring a large profit in the form of revenues from tourists who are attracted to the ceremonies of the British monarchy. In 2011, UK Treasury Secretary J. Osborne said that the monarchy brings annually more than £ 500 million to the state budget ^[79] .

Family and children

On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (born June 10, 1921 ), the son of the Greek Prince Andrew, who received the title of Duke of Edinburgh .

On November 20, 2017, Elizabeth II and Philip celebrated a platinum wedding - 70 years have passed since the moment of their marriage. This royal marriage is the longest in world history ^[80] .

Four children were born in their family:

Name	Date of Birth	Marriage		Children	Grandchildren
Charles, Prince of Wales	November 14, 1948	Lady Diana Spencer (1960-1997)	July 29, 1981 ( divorce: August 28, 1996 )	Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (b. 1982)	Prince George of Cambridge (b. 2013) Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (b. 2015) Prince Louis of Cambridge (b. 2018)
				Prince Henry (Harry), Duke of Sussex (b. 1984)	Archie Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2019)
		Camilla Shand (b. 1947)	April 9, 2005
Princess Anne , " a princess of royal blood » ( « Princess Royal »)	August 15, 1950	Mark Phillips (b. 1948)	November 14, 1973 ( divorce: April 28, 1992 )	Peter Phillips (b. 1977)	Savannah Phillips (b. 2010) Isla Elizabeth Phillips (b. 2012)
				Zara Tyndall (b. 1981)	Mia Grace Tyndall (b. 2014) Lena Elizabeth Tyndall (b. 2018)
		Timothy Lawrence (b. 1955)	December 12, 1992
Prince Andrew , Duke of York	February 19, 1960	Sarah Ferguson (b. 1959)	July 23, 1986 ( divorce: May 30, 1996 )	Princess Beatrice of York (b. 1988)
				Princess Eugenia (Eugenia) York (b. 1990)
Prince Edward , Earl of Wessex	March 10, 1964	Sophie Rhys-Jones (b.1965)	June 19, 1999	Lady Louise Windsor (b. 2003)
				James, Viscount Severn (b. 2007)

Genealogy

Official titles, awards and emblem

The full title of Elizabeth II in Great Britain is “Her Majesty Elizabeth II, the Divine Grace of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other kingdoms and territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith” ( Eng.  Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith ) ^{[81] [82]} .

During the reign of Elizabeth II in all countries that recognize the British monarch as their head of state, laws were passed according to which in each of these countries the British monarch acts as the head of this particular state , regardless of their titles in the UK or in third countries. Accordingly, in all these countries, the title of queen sounds the same way, with the replacement of the name of the state. In some countries, the words “protector of the faith” are excluded from the title. For example, in Australia, the title reads as follows: “Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen of Australia and other kingdoms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth” ^[83] .

On the islands of Guernsey and Jersey , Elizabeth II also bears the title of Duke of Normandy ^[84] , on the Isle of Man  - the title “ Lord of Man ” ^[85] .

States whose head was or is Elizabeth II

Upon accession to the throne in 1952, Elizabeth became the queen of seven states: Great Britain , Canada , Australia , New Zealand , South Africa , Pakistan and Ceylon .

During her reign, some of these countries became republics. At the same time, as a result of the decolonization process, numerous British colonies gained independence. In some of them, the Queen of Great Britain retained the status of head of state, in others - not.

Abolition of the monarchy in the original possessions of Elizabeth II:

• Pakistan  - in 1956 (formerly Dominion Pakistan ) ^[86] .
• South Africa  - in 1961 (formerly South Africa ) ^[87] .
• Ceylon (Sri Lanka)  - in 1972 (formerly Dominion Ceylon ) ^[88] .

The new independent states that retained the monarchy ^[89] :

• Antigua and Barbuda ;
• Bahamas ;
• Barbados ;
• Belize ;
• Grenada ;
• Papua New Guinea ;
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ;
• Saint Kitts and Nevis ;
• Saint Lucia ;
• Solomon Islands ;
• Tuvalu ;
• Jamaica .

The new independent states, which some time later abandoned the monarchy ^[89] :

• Guyana ;
• Gambia ;
• Ghana ;
• Kenya ;
• Mauritius (see Queen of Mauritius );
• Malawi ;
• Malta ;
• Nigeria ;
• Sierra Leone ;
• Tanganyika ;
• Trinidad and Tobago ;
• Uganda ;
• Fiji .

Awards

Elizabeth II in the UK and the countries of the Commonwealth, as well as in other states, is the head of a number of chivalry orders, and also has military ranks, numerous honorary titles, and academic degrees . In addition, she is a holder of various domestic British awards, as well as a number of various awards of foreign countries.

Coat of arms

• Coats of arms at different times and in different countries
• 

  Coat of arms of Princess Elizabeth ( 1944-1947 )

• 

  Coat of arms of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (1947-1952)

• 

  Royal coat of arms in the UK (except Scotland)

• 

  Royal coat of arms in Scotland

• 

  Royal coat of arms in Canada

Ceremonial under Elizabeth II

Despite active communication with subjects, Elizabeth strictly abides by the royal ceremonial . For example, the queen does not like to be touched first. It was noted that when visiting hospitals, exhibitions and other official events, Elizabeth was very polite, but she never took off her gloves and did not touch anyone ^[90] . Even at regular tea parties in the park of Buckingham Palace, the queen and her family members have a separate tent where only especially important guests are allowed ^[91] . A certain estrangement of the queen from other people is observed when she communicates with the press. Despite the fact that under Elizabeth II, the monarch’s communication with his subjects expanded dramatically, the queen herself did not give a single interview during her reign^[92] . The Queen sometimes does not forgive violations of the protocol even to the heads of other states. For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin during his state visit to the UK in 2003 was late for a meeting with the Queen for 12 minutes. In response, Elizabeth II came to Putin's departure with a delay of exactly 12 minutes ^[93] .

However, under Elizabeth, the ceremonial underwent some democratization. For example, in 1998 it was established that the Lord Chancellor could, having given the Queen a speech at the opening of the parliamentary session, turn her back on the monarch, rather than back off the steps from the royal throne ^[94] . Elizabeth also abandoned some traditions - the royal standard over Buckingham Palace was replaced by the Union Jack , representatives of national minorities were accepted into her guard, and the process of finding a job in the palace was simplified to the point that the resume could be submitted there over the Internet ^[94] . Royal Standard in Scotlandand the procedure for raising it was changed with the consent of Elizabeth II and brought into line with the Lyon King of Arms Act 1672 ^[95] , which was enshrined in a regulation adopted by the Scottish government in April 2010 ^[96] .

Public Perception

Most Britons praise the institution of constitutional monarchy. According to a 2012 survey, approximately 69% believe that without a monarchy the country would be worse off; 60% believe that the monarchy contributes to raising the country's image abroad, and only 22% were against the monarchy ^[97] .

Criticism

Despite the positive attitude of most of her subjects, the queen was repeatedly criticized during her reign, in particular:

• In 1963, when there was a political crisis in Britain, Elizabeth was criticized for personally appointing British Prime Minister Alexander Douglas-Hume .
• In 1997, for the lack of instant reaction to the death of Princess Diana , not only the anger of the British public, but even many large British media (for example, The Guardian ) fell upon the queen ^[98] .
• In 2004, after Elizabeth II killed a pheasant to death with a cane, a wave of indignation from environmental organizations over the monarch’s actions swept across the country ^[99] .

Hobbies and personal life

Among the queen's interests are dog breeding (among them Corgi (see the Royal Corgi article ), Spaniels and Labradors ), photography, horse riding, and travel ^{[85] [100]} . Elizabeth II, supporting her prestige as the head of the Commonwealth, travels very actively throughout her possessions ^[101] , and also happens in other countries of the world. She has over 325 foreign visits (during her reign, Elizabeth visited more than 130 countries) ^[102] .

Since 2009, she began to engage in gardening ^[103] .

In addition to English, she is also fluent in French ^[85] .

Worship

In culture

In the movie

• 2006: the biographical film " Queen ". The role of the queen was played by actress Helen Mirren ^[104] . The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Film. Actress Helen Mirren, who played the main role in the film, won the Oscars , Golden Globes , BAFTA , and the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for Best Actress. The film was nominated for an Academy Award as "Best Film."
• 2009: 5-episode art mini-series The Queen (The Queen, Channel 4, directors Edmund Coulthard, Patrick Rims). The Queen at different periods of her life was played by five actresses: Emilia Fox, Samantha Bond, Susan Jameson, Barbara Flynn, Diana Quick ^[105] .
• 2009: the film "Margaret". The role of the queen was played by actress Rosemary Leach.
• 2011: the film “ The King Says!” ". The role of Princess Elizabeth was played by actress Freya Wilson.
• 2015: The London Vacations movie about the Queen’s adventures on the night of World War II Victory Day. The role of the queen was played by actress Sarah Gadon .
• since 2016, the series “ Crown ” has been filmed , which was dedicated to the Queen’s anniversary. In the first two seasons, the main role was played by Claire Foy , in the next two seasons, the role of Elizabeth II was played by Olivia Colman .
• 2016: " Big and good giant ." The role of the queen was played by actress Penelope Wilton .

July 27, 2012 a television broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in London began a video with James Bond ( Daniel Craig ) and the Queen ( cameo ). At the end of the video, they both parachute from a helicopter over the arena of the Olympic Stadium . On April 5, 2013, the Queen was awarded the BAFTA for this role , for best performing the role of the James Bond girl ^[106] .

In video games

• In 1987, the game “Flunky” was released, in which, playing the role of a lackey, it is required to fulfill instructions from members of the royal family. During the game you can get the queen's autograph.

In architecture

• Queen Elizabeth Alley was named in honor of the Queen in the Esplanade Park in Singapore ^[107] .
• The famous Big Ben , the symbol of London, has been officially called the “Elizabeth Tower” since September 2012 ^[108] .
• In honor of the Queen, the Dufford Bridge , built in 1991 ^{[109], is} also named .
• On August 1, 2013, the Olympic Park of Elizabeth II was opened in London ^[110] .

Intravital Monuments

• Lifetime Monuments
• 

  Statue of Elizabeth II in Ottawa , Parliament Hill, Canada

• 

  Statue in Regine, Saskatchewan , established in 2005

• 

  Statue in the Great Windsor Park

In botany

In honor of Elizabeth II, the rose variety Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth' was named ^[111] .

On coins and in philately

• Coins and Postage Stamps
• 

  On the Canadian stamp, 1953

• 

  On the Australian stamp in honor of the coronation

• 

  On the stamp of Northern Ireland, 1958

• 

  On a 1953 coin

• 

  On a 1961 coin

• 

  50 new pence, 1969

• 

  1 pound, 2000

In geography

The name of Elizabeth II was repeatedly assigned to various territories, among them:

• Princess Elizabeth Land in Antarctica ^[112] ;
• Queen Elizabeth Land in Antarctica ^[113] ;
• Queen Elizabeth Islands in Canada ^[114] .

See also

• Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II

Notes

Notes

Footnotes

Literature

Links

• The official site of the British royal family
• Elizabeth II  / G. S. Ostapenko // Dynamics of the atmosphere - Railway junction. - M  .: Big Russian Encyclopedia, 2007. - ( Big Russian Encyclopedia  : [in 35 vols.]  / Ch. Ed. Yu. S. Osipov  ; 2004-2017, vol. 9). - ISBN 978-5-85270-339-2 .
• Queen Elizabeth II's profile on bbc