Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II
Born: 21 April, 1926.
Queen since 6 February 1952

Elizabeth was the first child of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), and his wife Elizabeth. She was born by Caesarean section at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London,[1] and on 29 May 1926, was baptised in the private chapel of Buckingham Palace by the Archbishop of York, Cosmo Lang. Her godparents were her paternal grandparents King George V and Queen Mary; her aunts, Princess Mary and Lady Elphinstone; her great-great-uncle, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn; and her maternal grandmother, Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Elizabeth was named after her mother, great-grandmother Queen Alexandra, and grandmother Queen Mary,[2] and was called "Lilibet" by her close family.[3] She had a close relationship with her grandfather, and was credited with aiding in his recovery from illness in 1929.[4][5] Her only sibling was Princess Margaret, born in 1930. The two princesses were educated at home under the supervision of their mother and their governess, Marion Crawford, who was casually known as "Crawfie".[6][7] To the dismay of the royal family,[8] Crawford later published a biography of Elizabeth and Margaret's childhood years entitled The Little Princesses. The book describes Elizabeth's love of horses and dogs, her orderliness, and her attitude of responsibility.[8] Such observations were echoed by others. Winston Churchill described Elizabeth when she was two as "a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant."[9]

Her cousin, Margaret Rhodes, described her as "a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved".[10]Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) was born on April 21, 1926 at 17 Bruton Street, London. Her birthday is officially celebrated in Britain on the 3rd Saturday of June each year.
Queen Elizabeth II is a 'constitutional monarch'. This means that although she is officially the head of the state, the country is actually run by the government, led by the Prime Minister.
Where does the Queen live?
The Queen lives at Buckingham Palace.
Interesting Fact:

There has not been a Queen of England since 1707. Queen Ann was the last ever King or Queen of England. From 1707, the monarch, although living in England, has been known as either the Monarch of the Kingdom of Great Britain (as Queen Anne was) or of the UnitedKingdom (as Queen Victoria was).

The Official Title of the Queen

Her Majesty The Queen's title in the United Kingdom is:
'Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.

When did Queen Elizabeth come to the throne?

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on February 6, 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI. Her Coronation, at Westminster Abbey, followed on June 2, 1953.
(A new king or Queen begins to rule as soon as their succession to the throne has been announced. But the coronation - when the crown is placed on the monarch's head - may not happen until months later.)
The queen celebrated her Golden jubilee (50 years since her accession) in 2002.

Head of State
Queen Elizabeth II is the United Kingdom's Head of State. She is queen of 16 former British colonies, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand; and head of the Commonwealth, a multinational body created after the dissolution of the British empire.

Interesting Fact:

The wife of a male monarch (e.g. the Queen Mother was the wife of King George VI) takes on her husband's rank and style upon marrying, becoming Queen. She is known as the Queen consort ( wife and consort of a reigning king)

What is Queen Elizabeth's

Queen does not normally use a surname (she doesn't need a passport or a driving licence for example), but on the few occasions where it has surname? The been necessary, i.e. when serving with the ATS during World War II, she has used the surname 'Windsor'.
The British royal family changed their last name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917. Why? World War One broke out in 1914 and anti-German sentiment was its height in 1917. In protest, King George V renounced all the German titles belonging to him and his family and adopted the name of his castle, Windsor.
From 8 February 1960, all The Queen's descendants who do not bear the "style, title or attribute of HRH, and the titular dignity of Prince or Princess" have the name of Mountbatten-Windsor. (Mountbatten as Prince Philip's surname).
Royal Homes
Among the official royal residences are Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St. James Palace, Balmoral Castle, Frogmore House, The Palace of Holyroodhouse, Sandringham House and Kensington Palace.

Interesting Fact:

The only time when there was no King or Queen in Britain was when the country was a republic between 1649 and 1660. (In 1649 King Charles I was executed and Britain became a Republic for eleven years. The monarchy was restored in 1660.)

The Royal British Family and the fang


Área de Inglês

Trabalho realizado Por: Liliana Neves
António Rocha
Ana Sofia