Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain was the monarch with the longest reign in British history. She celebrated 70 years on the throne in June 2022 with the Platinum Jubilee.
But she does not enter history solely because of this achievement. The queen, who initially did not belong to the line of succession to the throne, was destined for the position. She took the Crown at just 25 years old at a time when the country was undergoing various changes. She faced many challenges to maintain traditions while allowing adaptations to modern times. She also encountered controversies. From uncertainties regarding the choice of Prince Philip as her husband to criticisms of her absence during the initial days following Princess Diana’s death. But she died admired, not only by her subjects but also by a large part of the world.
Who was Queen Elizabeth II?
Elizabeth II became queen on February 6, 1952, and was crowned on June 2, 1953. She was the mother of Prince Charles, heir to the throne, as well as the grandmother of Princes William and Harry. As the longest-serving monarch in British history, she sought to make her reign more modern and sensitive to a changing country while always maintaining the traditions associated with the Crown.
The Beginning
Queen Elizabeth II was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, in London, the daughter of Prince Albert, who would later become King George VI, and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
Elizabeth, nicknamed Lilibet, managed to enjoy the first decade of her life with all the privileges of being royalty without the pressures of being in the line of succession to the throne. She and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, were educated at home by tutors. But still very young, Elizabeth took on public duties. In 1940, she made the first of her famous radio broadcasts, with a speech reassuring the children of Great Britain who had been evacuated from their homes and families. The 14-year-old princess, showing her calm and steady personality, told them “that in the end, everything will be alright, for God will take care of us and grant us victory and peace.”
In 1945, Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service to help during the war. She trained alongside other British women to become a driver and specialized mechanic. Although her volunteer work lasted only a few months, it gave her a glimpse into a world different from the one she lived in.
Rise to the Crown
When Elizabeth’s grandfather, George V, died in 1936, his eldest son (Elizabeth’s uncle) became King Edward VIII. Edward, however, was in love with the divorced American Wallis Simpson and had to choose between the crown and his heart. In the end, Edward chose Simpson and abdicated the crown.
This event changed the course of Elizabeth’s life, making her the presumptive heir to the British Crown. Her father was crowned King George VI in 1937, taking the name George to emphasize the continuity of his father’s reign. Her mother became Queen Elizabeth; with the death of King George in 1952, she became the Queen Mother and her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
Coronation
Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey, at the age of 25, following her father’s death. For the first time, the coronation ceremony was broadcast on television, allowing people from around the world to witness the event.
Prince Philip
Elizabeth married her distant cousin Philip Mountbatten on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey.
She met Philip, son of Prince Andrew of Greece, when she was just 13 years old. She fell in love with him from the start. The two kept in touch over the years. They made an unusual pair. Elizabeth was quiet and reserved, while Philip was outgoing and frank.
King George VI was quite hesitant about their marriage. Although Mountbatten had ties to the Danish and Greek royal families, Philip did not possess great wealth and was considered by some to be a rough personality.
Photo: www.shutterstock.com/Fred Duval
Elizabeth and Philip soon had children. Charles was born in 1948, a year after their marriage, and Anne arrived in 1950. Elizabeth had two more children – Andrew and Edward – in 1960 and 1964, respectively.
In 1969, she officially made Charles her successor, granting him the title of Prince of Wales.
The Reign
The long and mostly peaceful reign of Elizabeth II was marked by significant changes in the lives of the British people and how the country is viewed and portrayed abroad. Elizabeth did not interfere in political matters nor revealed her political opinions. However, she regularly met with her prime ministers and was always up to date on everything.
When Elizabeth became queen, post-war Britain still had a substantial empire. However, during the 1950s and 1960s, many of those territories gained independence. Elizabeth II thus made visits to many countries, which attracted international attention and widespread respect.
Elizabeth modernized the monarchy, abandoning some of its formalities and making certain locations and treasures more accessible to the public.
She always remained steadfast in her royal duties. Even after turning 90, she continued to carry out over 400 engagements a year, maintaining her support for hundreds of organizations and charitable programs.
Controversies
The marriage of Elizabeth’s son, Charles, to Diana was news for years until the couple’s separation in 1992, followed by a formal divorce in 1996. After Diana’s death in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997, Elizabeth faced significant criticism from the media. For days, she remained silent about the death of the “people’s princess,” as Diana was called, while the country mourned the death of the queen’s former daughter-in-law.
Stories circulated that the queen did not want to give Diana a royal funeral, which only fueled public sentiment against the monarch. Almost a week after Diana’s death, Elizabeth returned to London and issued a statement about the princess’s passing.
Elizabeth also initially opposed the relationship between her son Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. Charles and Camilla dated years before the then-prince married, but the relationship ended under family pressure. Known for being a defender of ceremonies and tradition, she eventually softened her stance over the years. When Charles and Camilla married in 2005, Elizabeth and Prince Philip did not attend the civil ceremony but did attend a religious blessing and hosted a reception in honor of the couple at Windsor Castle.
In 1992, another son of Elizabeth, Prince Andrew, ended up in the tabloids after photos of his wife Sarah Ferguson with another man surfaced. The couple divorced shortly after. The same son made headlines again in 2019 when controversial business activities and friendship between the prince and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light. Andrew was forced to step back from public duties.
Finally, in 2020, the queen once again saw her family in the spotlight after the decision of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, to step back from their roles as members of the royal family.
Platinum Jubilee
Controversies aside, in 2022, the British people celebrated the year of Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee. She was the first British monarch to reach this milestone, 70 years on the throne.
Elizabeth passed away peacefully at her estate in Balmoral on September 8, 2022. She was 96 years old.
Photo: www.shutterstock.com/Loredana Sangiuliano