Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain 2nd Dynasty. Royal dynasty. queen in russia

After the death of the king George VI On February 6, 1952, a 25-year-old mother of two children became the de facto Queen of England. Elizaveta Alexandra Maria, now known as Elizabeth II, the record holder for the longest reign in the history of the English crown.

In February 1952, the Crown Princess of the great British Empire (which then included large areas than now) was vacationing with her family in Kenya. Kenya at that time was British territory, the “African resort” of the British. There the news came from the metropolis that the king George VI died. A week before, he, already seriously ill, came to the airport to take his daughter on vacation. I didn’t even have time to meet her - and right in Kenya, a twenty-five-year-old woman, mother of two children (a three-year-old Charles and one and a half year old Anna) Elizabeth Alexandra Maria Windsor becomes the de facto reigning monarch. There will still be more than a year left before the coronation, but that is a formality. She returned to London from Africa already acting as Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. And besides this, also acting. Queen of Australia, Queen of Canada, Queen of New Zealand, Queen of Pakistan, Queen of Fiji, Queen of Ceylon, Queen of the Union of South Africa. Plus - the head of the British Commonwealth, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army and the head of the Anglican Church with tens of millions of parishioners.

The surprising thing is that Elizabeth received all these titles after a long chain of accidents. She was born the daughter of a non-crown prince. Then her uncle Edward VIII will fall in love with an American woman who is married for the second time and has a number of lovers, will abdicate the throne for her and will begin to travel around Europe, stopping by to visit Hitler. The father will become the king, she will become the crown princess, and all plans for a quiet family life will disappear. By 1952, most British subjects had already accepted the fact that a woman would ascend to the throne after George's death. And, of course, they compared her with two other great queens - Elizabeth I And Victoria. If the comparison with Elizabeth was rather formal (due to the passage of time), then great-great-grandmother Victoria was an excellent example.

There were still alive then those who remembered the Victorian era and the empire “on which the sun never sets.” Immediately, the press, so influential in England, loudly wondered: could the woman cope with the unfortunate political inheritance that she had inherited? Under Victoria, the Kingdom is a powerful expanding state, the voice of London is heard across thousands of kilometers. In 50 years, Elizabeth will get a “collapsing pie.”

The Labor government is acting under pressure former allies for World War II - Americans. One after another, the colonies become independent, and the metropolis, no matter how much it wants, is unable to prevent this. The British Commonwealth finally becomes a formality. The economy after World War II never recovered and is being saved by American loans. The significance of the monarchy is finally reduced to representative functions, and the prestige of the crown declines.

British newspapers print photographs of the Queen on their front pages, asking whether Elizabeth II will return England to greatness. But the English press is merciless - many articles talk about the throne as an empty formality.

Elizabeth II turns all these ideas upside down. A caring mother does for the monarchy what many strong men cannot do. The almighty great-great-grandmother Victoria was a recluse, but Elizabeth begins vigorous activity. She makes a huge number of visits. Remaining the head of Australia and New Zealand only on paper, she becomes the first English monarch to visit these (albeit long-independent) countries. The Queen tours the countries of the British Commonwealth and visits the USA. Within the country, not only does she not turn out to be a “paper monarch,” but quite soon she begins to play a serious role in political life.

Most shining example— Commonwealth summit in 1985. In Nassau (in the Bahamas), a heated dispute broke out over sanctions against South Africa due to its apartheid policy. A number of countries supported the sanctions. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was against it. All this led the situation to a political impasse. “Iron” Thatcher was, as usual, adamant, as a result of which African countries announced a possible exit from the Commonwealth. Here Elizabeth II once again demonstrated that she is by no means just a formal figure. She fully “activated” her title as head of the Commonwealth, taking advantage of the right to organize personal meetings with representatives of countries. Thus, alone (and not against a united “political front”), she was able to find out the position of each country, and along with the position, its strengths and weaknesses. And already at the next summit the queen becomes the mistress of the situation. She herself begins to talk about the importance of human rights and the unacceptability of apartheid. But at the same time he avoids any criticism of Thatcher. It turns out that on the one hand she supports opponents of her prime minister, but at the same time makes it clear that she will not allow attacks against her. Thus, Elizabeth “pushed” Thatcher, but allowed her to save face, and took on herself the criticism of opponents of the sanctions. Thatcher changed her position, the Commonwealth was preserved, and the Queen resolved a difficult situation.

At the same time, Elizabeth is an innovator from the very beginning of her reign. Her coronation was broadcast on television, making the monarchy more open and the activities of the royal family as transparent as possible. The throne is experiencing serious moral blows. The children (especially Charles) get into scandals. The press is biting the queen for her rather cool reaction to her death Diana. But even this does not “finish off” the prestige of the monarchy, which rests on the shoulders of a ninety-year-old woman. Prime ministers who have structured their political activities end up listening to her advice. An open critic of the monarchy Cameron subsequently spoke about the queen with admiration, and Thatcher, in her memoirs, was amazed at Elizabeth’s experience and her vision of the situation.

The Queen has made Buckingham Palace accessible to tourists, using income from them to reduce the budgetary costs of maintaining the symbols of the monarchy. Since 1992, members of the royal family have paid capital gains tax. And a female monarch abolishes the law of male primogeniture, which allowed princes to overtake princesses in line for the throne, even if they are younger than their sisters.

Elizabeth I and Victoria became queens at a young age. Elizabeth II - being the head of the family and at 25 years old. Now she has surpassed both predecessors in terms of reign. And the monarchy, which was rapidly losing popularity in the second half of the 20th century, is now (according to the poll) supported by the majority of Britons. The subjects of a woman who, 65 years ago, on vacation in Africa, shouldered an incredibly heavy load and still carries it.

The British monarch has long been able to afford not to follow fashion and rules, but to set them

ElizabethII- a true long-lived monarch: she turned 92 this year, of which she has ruled Great Britain for 66 years. Her life arouses the interest and admiration of millions of fans. She is charming and energetic, has a sense of humor, but the queen also has some rather strange habits.

Corgis and other favorite animals of Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II is very fond of animals and birds. Breeding homing pigeons is a hobby that is inherited in the English royal family. Elizaveta acts as a trustee of numerous sports pigeon breeding societies. However, despite such a tender love for birds, one day, in a fit of causeless anger, the queen beat to death with her cane a wounded pheasant that a hunting dog had brought her.

The queen also loves horses. At the age of four she received a gift from her grandfather (King GeorgeV) little pony. Then she learned to stay in the saddle perfectly. Subsequently, Elizabeth became a regular at the favorite national entertainment of the British - horse racing.

The best breeds of horses are bred at the stud farm owned by the Queen. Her Majesty still goes on horseback rides from time to time - despite her advanced age.

However, Elizabeth's real passion is dogs. She simply loves to wander around the plowed field in the company of dirty and wet Labradors. The Queen considers this pastime very interesting and healthy.

Elizabeth's favorite breed is corgi. Now she has five dogs of this hunting breed. In addition, she keeps several Labradors and dozens of dogs of other breeds. Every day the queen goes for a walk, surrounded by this whole pack.

Elizabeth II with Ronald Reagan on a horseback ride, 1982. Source: wikimedia.org

The Queen of England doesn't like: mustaches, ice in squares and talkativeness...

In order not to irritate the royal person, those around her have to be attentive to detail. For example, the queen may become angry at the sight of a mustache and beard, so those close to her have to constantly shave. In addition, the Queen should not be seen wearing a vest and bow tie.

For cocktails and other drinks, everyone freezes ice in cubes - and in the royal kitchen the ice is shaped like balls! Simply because, in Elizabeth’s opinion, the sound of ice of this shape is more melodic: the jingling of the cubes irritates her.

The Queen may become angry when she is tired of listening to a long speech. The centenarian does not forgive even the slightest hint of her own age.

When getting into a car, Her Majesty never fastens her seat belt because she hates seat belts. It is better not to open windows near the queen.

The Queen of England prefers: hard rock, bright colors and letters on paper

Everyone close to her knows that Elizabeth loves bright colors and never (except for special occasions - mourning) wears black clothes.

As for food, Elizabeth should not be offered soup or potatoes - she indignantly rejects this food.

Like many other people, the Queen of Great Britain loves to receive letters. But to answer them - thank you! Interviews with journalists are also not Her Majesty’s element: she usually limits herself to short answers and rushes to end the conversation.

Interestingly, she prefers hard rock to classical music - her favorite performer is Ozzy Osbourne. And from the light side she likes songs performed by Emma Bunton- former member of the Spice Girls.

Children of Queen Elizabeth

In total, Elizabeth II has three sons and one daughter. She immediately gave her children to nannies to raise, but she herself almost never saw them. Wanting to see their mother, children, like other visitors, had to make an appointment with her.

And in general, it seems that the queen does not like children, both her own and those of others. Until now, she prefers to dine alone and especially does not like when children sit at the table: in her opinion, first they need to be properly raised and instilled with good manners.

To the princess Anna, the queen’s only daughter, had to experience her mother’s incredible stinginess, which is whispered about in the kingdom: despite her enormous wealth, Elizabeth hates throwing away clothes and always gives her old things to her daughter so that she can wear them.

The Queen of England enjoys: gardening, crossword puzzles and photography

In addition to animals, Elizabeth loves plants. Lately she has become very interested in gardening. The Queen personally takes care of the currant and raspberry bushes, grows vegetables and offers her guests a taste of all this.

The queen is especially proud of her leeks, sweet beets, and unusual beans - the variety is called the “blue queen”.

Among Elizabeth's hobbies is solving crossword puzzles, and she always solves them honestly, without looking in dictionaries or reference books, or on the Internet, preferring to spend hours thinking about a word.

The Queen of Great Britain loves traveling: during her life she has visited almost every country in the world. She takes a lot of photographs when traveling.

What does the Queen of Great Britain wear?

November 29, 2010, 20:44 Eldest daughter of Duke George of York, future King George VI of Great Britain (1895-1952) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002). Her grandparents: George V (1865-1936), King of Great Britain and Queen Mary (1867-1953), Princess of Teck, - on her father's side, Claude George Bowes-Lyon (1855-1944), Earl of Strathmore and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon (1883-1961), - by mother. Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York was born at the Earl of Strathmore's residence at No. 17 Brewton Street. The Mayfair area has now been rebuilt and the house no longer exists, but there is a memorial plaque on the site. 1926 Princess Elizabeth shortly after birth
The princess was third in the line of succession after her uncle, the Prince of Wales, who was not yet married, and her father. She got her name in honor of her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. At the same time, the father insisted that his daughter’s first name be like the duchess. At first they wanted to give the girl the name Victoria, but then they changed their minds. George V remarked: “Bertie was discussing the girl's name with me. He named three names: Elizabeth, Alexandra and Maria. The names are all good, that’s what I told him, but about Victoria I absolutely agree with him. It was unnecessary." Princess Elizabeth's christening took place on May 29 in the chapel at Buckingham Palace, which was later destroyed during the war.
1928 1929
After the abdication of her uncle Edward VIII and her father's accession to the throne in December 1936, 10-year-old Elizabeth became heir and moved with her parents from Kensington to Buckingham Palace. Photos from the thirties: 1934 Elizabeth turned eight With sister Margaret With parents Princess Elizabeth with her sister Margaret and parents George VI and Elizabeth The future queen grew up in an atmosphere of love and care. She received a good education at home, mainly in the humanities. As a child, I was very inquisitive. Horses were of particular interest to her. She has been faithful to this hobby for many decades. 1934 Elizabeth turned eight During World War II, Princess Elizabeth worked as an ambulance driver as a subaltern, as the royal family was obliged to work for the country's defense. 1942 Elizabeth Alexandra Mary and Margaret Rose Windsor. 1946 In 1934, at the wedding of the Greek Princess Marina (Philip's cousin) and the Duke of Kent (Elizabeth's uncle), Princess Elizabeth met Prince Philip, a cadet at Dortmouth naval school, son of Prince Andrew of Greece, great-great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. In 1947 they married, becoming Elizabeth's husband, Philip received the title Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen's wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell. The fabric for the dress was created by Winterthur Silks Limited, Dunfermline, Canmore factory. Manufacturers used threads from Chinese silkworms brought to Lullingstone Castle. On February 6, 1952, after the death of her father, Elizabeth, who was on vacation with her husband in Kenya at the time, was proclaimed queen. She was staying at the Tree Tops Hotel, built on the branches of a giant ficus tree, on the day her father died. Corbett, who lived there at the same time, left a note in the hotel registration book: For the first time in world history, a young girl, having once climbed a tree as a princess, came down from it the next day as a queen - God bless her! 1951 By that time, she was already the mother of two children: on November 14, 1948, a year after the wedding, Charles Philip Arthur George, now the Prince of Wales, was born. And on August 15, 1950, a daughter was born - Anna Elisabeth Alice Louise. With kids On June 2, 1953, her coronation took place, broadcast on television for the first time. Coronation Dress Coronation 1953 Inspection of the Guard 1954 1955 With kids In 1956, Marilyn Monroe was presented to the Queen 1959 Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne prepare to take a walk on the lake On February 19, 1960, the Queen's second son and third child was born - Andrew Albert Christian Edward, now Duke of York 1962 And March 10, 1964 - Edward Anthony Richard Louis, now Earl of Wessex 1969 Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II after the official investiture ceremony in Wales 1970 Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to New Zealand. During the years of reign Queen of England there were more than 30 Welsh Corgi dogs. 1974 Queen Elizabeth II arrives with her dogs at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland for the weekend 1982 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh during an official visit to the Solomon Islands 1989 Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana meet President Ibrahim Babangida, London. 1991 Elizabeth performs only representative functions, having virtually no influence on the country's politics. In the first years of her reign, she still played some role in the appointment of the prime minister if there was no clear leader in the ruling party. The Queen maintained correct relations with all prime ministers, including representatives of the Labor Party - Harold Wilson, Anthony Blair. 1991 Queen Elizabeth II after service at Westminster Cathedral, London. Some tensions between the prime minister and the queen, hidden from the public eye, arose during the premiership of Margaret Thatcher. Elizabeth was somewhat embarrassed by the “royal style” of the new prime minister. In particular, there were disagreements between them in connection with the British government's support for the apartheid regime in South Africa, which, according to the Queen, could negatively affect Britain's influence in African countries- members of the Commonwealth. At the same time, she always remained faithful to the tradition of English kings of modern times - to remain above political battles.
1994 Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Russia. The authority of the Royal House of Windsor was increasingly threatened by family scandals and divorce proceedings of Princess Anne, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew. Elizabeth's reserved attitude towards the tragic death of Princess Diana in August 1997 caused disapproval from ordinary Britons. Nevertheless, Elizabeth manages to maintain the high prestige of the English monarchy in the eyes of her subjects. 1995 The royal family arrived in Scotland to visit Queen Elizabeth II as part of a cruise on the Royal Yacht Britannia 1999 Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Variety Show, Birmingham 2002 2003 Visit of Putin V.V. to the UK 2005 year. Queen Elizabeth II at the St. George's Day Parade at Windsor Castle, UK 2008 Queen Elizabeth II during a trip to Turkey. The royal family returned from a sea cruise The Queen turned 84 this year.

The institution of monarchy was the most important phenomenon public life Great Britain from the time of the first English king, William the Conqueror, to the present day. What is this - a relic of the past or a symbol of national unity that has more than once united the British in difficult times?..

In our article we tried to give a brief historical information about the ruling dynasty of Windsor and the current reigning monarch - Queen Elizabeth II of England.

You will be able to get acquainted with the regional information necessary for everyone who has seriously decided - the biography of the Queen of Great Britain, interesting facts and even curiosities from the life of the royal family - as well as get acquainted with the original and learn the translation of the national anthem of the British Empire. Let's learn English like royalty!

Royal family name

The surname Windsor arose relatively recently. During the First World War, Elizabeth's future grandfather King George V (cousin of both the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and the last German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm), who belonged to the German Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty (the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha), defiantly out of patriotic feelings abandoned his German roots, adopting the surname Windsor [ˈwɪnzə] after the castle that was home to the royal family at the time.

Thus, the beginning of the Windsor surname should be considered 1917 - a fairly young age for a European monarchical dynasty.

Until 1917, members of the royal family (British royals) did not have surnames: they were replaced by the name of the royal house and the name of the lands owned by the dynasty. Therefore, kings and queens signed only with the name - .

After the marriage of Princess Elizabeth Windsor to Prince Philip Mountbatten, it was decided that the heir to the throne would bear the surname Windsor, and descendants without the right to the throne would be called Mountbatten-Windsor.

Other royals have the right to choose their own surname: in addition to the Windsor surname, there are many others in the royal family tree (the surname is often replaced by the title).

Common forms of addressing members of the royal family:

Young heir to the throne

Little Lilipeth, as she was later called in the family, was born on April 21, 1926 in the family of a prince belonging to one of the most ancient and proud monarchies in Europe. And, what is especially important, it is a ruling one, albeit a constitutional one (the monarch governs his state only formally, since the laws are still passed by the parliament elected by the people).

However, the golden-haired girl’s chances of ruling the state were not so great: her father Albert (Bertie) Windsor, Duke of York, was not the heir to the throne.

But chance intervened: the young princess was not yet ten when a romantic and scandalous story took place in the British Kingdom.

In 1936, Albert’s elder brother Edward, by that time already King Edward VIII, decided to marry the American Bessie Wallis Simpson, a divorced woman (twice!), and also suspected of having connections with the military intelligence of Nazi Germany.

As the head of the Church of England, the king could not have demonstrated to his subjects a more flagrant example of a violation of the Seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”: to marry a divorced person (“divorced”), and even twice, and even a member of the royal family (“royal family”), was equated with adultery.

Everyone and everyone was against the loving couple: the Archbishop of Canterbury, government ministers, and the British people. The king made a choice: after reigning for less than a year, Edward VIII abdicated (“abdicated”) on his own behalf and on behalf of his descendants (“descendants”), declaring the following in a speech on national radio:

And Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor - Bertie, Elizabeth's father - ascended the throne, taking the name George VI and making the eldest of his two daughters heir to the imperial throne.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

When did the second one begin? World War(1 September 1939), Princess Elizabeth was thirteen. London suffered from enemy bombing and the children of many residents of the capital were evacuated. But Elizabeth’s mother flatly refused to leave London:

In 1940, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth made her first appearance on BBC radio, addressing the children of evacuated towns:

In 1943, at the age of sixteen, the princess made her first public speech to soldiers of the Grenadier Guards, of which she had been a colonel for several months. After completing a driving and mechanics course, five months later the princess was promoted to junior officer (Junior Commander).

But despite the mother’s fears, the marriage turned out to be happy: after the wedding in 1947, according to tradition - in Westminster Abbey of London, the prince and princess - and then the king and queen - lived in peace and harmony for many years , celebrating silver, gold and diamond weddings.

• It is noteworthy that the princess bought fabric for her wedding dress using coupons - in post-war period in Great Britain there were restrictions on the purchase of food, clothing, shoes, etc.; Out of solidarity with the people, the royal family adhered to the generally accepted card system.

The heir to the dynasty, Prince Charles, was born in 1948, and a few years later Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward were born.

Crown for the queen!

The coronation of the 25-year-old Elizabeth II as monarch of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon took place on June 2, 1953 (her father died a year earlier, in 1952).

The dress for the ceremony, like the Queen's wedding dress, was created by fashion designer Norman Hartnell. It was a work of art imbued with deep symbolism: the white silk of the robe was embroidered with floral motifs symbolizing the countries of the Commonwealth.

The luxurious royal dress featured: English Tudor rose, Scottish thistle [ˈθɪs(ə)l]), Welsh leek (leek), Irish clover (shamrock), Australian acacia (wattle [ˈwɒt(ə) l]), Canadian maple leaf (maple [ˈmeɪp(ə)l] leaf), New Zealand fern (fern), South African protea (protea), lotus flowers, symbolizing India and Ceylon, as well as the emblems of Pakistan - wheat ( wheat), cotton and jute.

For luck, the creator of the dress, secretly from the customer, placed a leaf of a four-leaf clover on it exactly where the queen's left hand should touch it.

The coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey was not much different from the traditional one, except that it was the first such ceremony to be shown on television.

The coronation was accompanied by magnificent celebrations in all countries of the Commonwealth, and in London, an official coronation luncheon was given in honor of the new queen, at which the chefs delighted the guests with “Coronation Chicken” - a dish created especially for this occasion.

• The royal family lives in Buckingham Palace: it has 775 rooms, served by more than 800 people, each of whom is traditionally sent a Christmas pudding by the Queen once a year.
• The monarchy "costs" the British people just over £36 million a year.
• The Queen's fortune is estimated at £300 million, which gives her the right to take only 257th place in the ranking richest people Great Britain.
• The crown treasures do not belong to the queen - she only uses them by proxy, without the right to sell or give them away.
• The Queen was born at the end of April, but celebrates her birthday twice a year: the first time - in April with her family, the second, the so-called Queen's Official Birthday - on one of the Sundays in May or June, at the choice of the government .
  Why at the beginning of summer? The official birthday of the monarch was traditionally celebrated with lush open-air festivities, so the choice of the exact date of the royal birthday party always depended on weather conditions - and at this time the weather in London is as dry and sunny as ever.
• In 1981, during the Trooping the Color ceremony dedicated to the Queen's official birthday, while Elizabeth was riding her horse Burmese, six pistol shots were fired (as it later turned out, the attacker fired blank cartridges) . Without losing her presence of mind, the queen continued the ceremony, showing an example of restraint and composure in the face of danger.
• During her reign, the Queen answered more than 3.5 million letters and sent more than 175,000 telegrams to her subjects in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries.
• The queen's breakfast consists of muesli and oatmeal, yogurt and two types of marmalade - light and dark.
• Elizabeth II is a passionate lover of horses and dogs. Its purebred horses often win races, and its success in breeding new dog breeds is admirable. Officially, the Queen is the creator of the Dorgi and Fergi breeds, which were created by crossing the Corgi breed with other dog breeds.

How to address the queen

You can write to Her Majesty at the following address:
Her Majesty The Queen
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA
If you wish to adhere to all the rules of etiquette when communicating in writing with the Queen, address your addressee Madam, and end your message with the following phrase:

However, you may well adhere to a free style of presentation: after all, it is known that the queen even understands, because she often has to “SMS” with her older grandchildren.

Elizabeth II bears many titles and honorary titles, including the seemingly “masculine” titles of Duke of Normandy and Lord of Maine. But the official website of the British monarchy, when communicating with the queen, advises at the beginning of the conversation to simply address her: Your Majesty ("Your Majesty"), and after that - Madam or Ma "am. By the way, it is becoming increasingly popular with the queen, do not miss your chance:

National anthem of the British Empire

Its origin dates back to the eighteenth century. Depending on the gender of the monarch - and there are 40 monarchs in the United Kingdom: 34 kings and 6 queens, including the current one - the anthem was called God Save The King or God Save The Queen. queen"). The authorship of the words and music has not been established.

God save the queen!

(free translation)

God save our merciful queen!
Long live our noble queen!
God save the queen!
Bless her with victories,
Happiness and glory
And long reign over us,
God save the queen!

With your chosen gifts
Shower her with Thy mercy,
May she reign for a long time.
May she protect our laws,
To always give us a reason
Sing with your heart and voice:
"God save the queen!"

There are many different variations of the British anthem: we have given only a short official version, and you can find expanded and modified versions in the English-language Wikipedia.

From point of view English grammar, the British anthem is interesting primarily for two reasons:

1. The use of archaisms (the shortened version included only the obsolete form of the pronoun your - thy [ðʌɪ]).
2. Widespread use of the subjunctive mood - the Present Subjunctive, the subjunctive mood of the present tense - which is formed using the infinitive of the semantic verb without the particle to and means wish:
   God to save the Queen! God to bless you!

• Wherein:
  The verb be remains unchanged regardless of person:
  I will be
  he, she, it be
  we, you, they be
• In other cases, compared to the indicative mood, verbs in the 3rd person have singular. there is no ending -s:
  he/she/it makes s
• The modal verb may is also used in wishes:
  May the force be with you! - May the force be with you!

So, God save the Queen! Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, Her Majesty Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Her Other Kingdoms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, Defender of the Faith.

A symbol of the English state, a mother of four children, a persistent and courageous person, a passionate animal lover and a woman pleasant in every way!

In contact with

The form of government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been a parliamentary monarchy for several centuries. Queen Elizabeth 2 has been on the throne since February 6, 1952. This name is associated with the greatness and power of the country. But what is Elizabeth's true role in governing the state and why are the British so proud of their permanent ruler?

On April 21, 1926, Prince Albert, Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon gave birth to a daughter, the future Queen of England. In London, where the family lived, a memorial plaque was installed on Brewton Street. The heiress was christened Elizabeth (in honor of her mother) Alexandra (in honor of her great-grandmother) Maria (in honor of her grandmother). The British monarch belongs to the Windsor dynasty.

Prince Albert, Elizabeth's father, second in line to the throne, became King George VI after his elder brother Edward VIII abdicated the throne. Thus, Elizabeth acquired the status of “heir presumptive” (“presumptive heir”). This means that if the king later had a son, the throne would belong only to him.

1947 was significant with the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain to Philip Mountbatten, a British naval officer who came from the Greek and Danish royal families. The great-great-grandson of the British Queen Victoria and the Russian Emperor Nicholas I, in order to marry Elizabeth, Philip had to become a naturalized citizen of Great Britain, change Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, and renounce such titles as “Prince of Denmark” and “Prince of Greece.” For all this, George VI awarded him the title Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron of Greenwich.

George VI died on February 6, 1952. At this time, Elizabeth and her husband were just traveling. Princess Elizabeth returned from Kenya as a queen. The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II, held on June 2, 1953 in Westminster Abbey, was broadcast on television for the first time, and photographs were published in all newspapers. The first to take the oath of allegiance to the new queen was her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen has four children: three princes - Charles, Andrew, Edward and Princess Anne, all of whom are pictured below.

Formal government

Today, Queen Elizabeth performs two important functions - she rules the state and the nation. As head of state, she performs duties such as attending the annual opening ceremony of Parliament, meeting weekly with prime ministers, receiving foreign ambassadors and delegations, and making official visits to foreign countries to maintain her country's diplomatic and economic relations with others.

Most of the official powers of the monarch or the so-called “royal prerogatives” are exercised by Queen Elizabeth of England only nominally, after a preliminary consultation with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers - persons responsible to the House of Commons of Parliament. In practice, most prerogatives are exercised by UK Cabinet Ministers.

The Prime Minister is formally appointed by the monarch (the “kissing hands” ceremony), but in reality he is the head of the party who won the elections to Parliament. If none of the parties receives a majority, Queen Elizabeth has the right to appoint the Prime Minister herself. She took advantage of this opportunity only once, appointing Labor member Harold Wilson as Prime Minister in 1974.

The monarch can exercise the right (on the advice of the Prime Minister) to issue a decree on the resignation of either ministers or the entire Cabinet (but British kings never use this prerogative). All laws considered by Parliament are adopted in the name of the monarch and become valid only after his formal approval. The monarch also has the formal right to convene, dissolve Parliament, and extend its validity. But in reality, Parliament, as stated in the Parliament Act 1911, is elected for a period of 5 years and is automatically dissolved upon expiration of this period.

The oath of allegiance is taken to the king, passports are issued to the British on his behalf, and the name of the country's anthem also speaks of the importance and veneration of the monarch - “God Save the Queen.” The Queen is featured on banknotes, coins and postage stamps. As the head of the Royal Armed Forces, he has the formal right to wage war or conclude a peace agreement, ratify agreements and conclude treaties of international importance. Despite their venerable age, the royal family continues to perform their official duties.

The monarch in England is the Source of justice, therefore he appoints judges, the Source of honor, therefore he appoints (not without the participation of the Prime Minister) peers, awards various orders, knighthoods and many other honors. While leading the Church of England, the monarch also appoints (again on the proposal of the prime minister) archbishops and bishops.

Since 1760, funding for the maintenance of the royal family has been carried out according to the Civil List. That is, income from the Crown Estate (royal inheritance) goes to the UK budget and is then allocated for the needs of the royal family. The monarch formally owns even his own estate, since it cannot be sold, but only transferred to the heir to the throne. The earldom of Lancastershire is formally owned by the current monarch. The income from it goes to replenish the ruler’s “personal wallet” and is spent on needs, according to tradition, not recorded in the Civil List.

Pride of the Nation

The public life of the future queen of England as a monarch began in the early 40s. For the first time, she spoke on the radio to the children of England who suffered from the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1943, she officially appeared in public, meeting with the Guards Grenadiers. Later, Elizabeth was included in the list of five people who were allowed to act as monarch in the event of anything happening to her father. And per year Great Victory the future royal person appeared military rank lieutenant and working specialty - mechanic-driver of a Red Cross vehicle.

As Head of the Nation, Queen Elizabeth II serves an important function of cultural and social significance, providing national identity and symbolizing the unity and pride of the nation. It gives UK residents a sense of stability and confidence in the future. The ruler of England constantly visits various parts of the United Kingdom. The presence of the Queen is mandatory at ceremonies, dedicated to the Day In memory of those killed in wars and at major sporting events.

Many people remember the opening of the Olympic Games in London in 2012, when the Queen appeared in a video with James Bond. She also opened the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics in Canada as Canada's head of state. Thousands of congratulatory messages are sent out by the royal office to citizens, they are addressed to those celebrating their centenary and wedding anniversaries (60 years). Every year on Christmas Day, Queen Elizabeth II addresses her subjects with a speech.

Do you know that…

The Queen does not have a passport. A British passport is issued on behalf of Her Majesty, but she cannot issue one to herself. All other members of the royal family, including the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, have British passports.

Queen Elizabeth II is the only person in the country who is allowed to drive a car without driver's license and registration number.

Other official and unofficial titles of the queen: "kotuku" - "white heron" (in the Maori language), "Mrs. Kwin" (in the pidgin language of Papua New Guinea). On the Isle of Man she is the Empress of Man, on the Channel Islands she is the Duchess of Normandy, and in the Duchy of Lancaster she is the Duchess of Lancaster.

Do you know how many thrones Queen Elizabeth II has? There are 9 of them in total. One is located in the House of Lords, 2 are in Westminster Abbey and 6 more are located in Buckingham Palace.

The Queen should remain above political battles, not publicly expressing her Political Views and communicating extremely correctly with all prime ministers of the state. This also applies to members of the royal family, so their political views always remain unknown.

Queen Elizabeth II is the patron of more than 620 charities.

Since William the Conqueror, Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's 40th monarch.

The British Queen owned more than 30 Corgi dogs. She received her first dog of this breed, named Susan, as a gift for her 18th birthday. All other pets are descendants of the beloved Susan. The Queen unwittingly became the creator of a new breed of dog - the Dorgi, which was the result of mixing her Corgis with Princess Margaret's Dachshund.

In 1976, Queen Elizabeth II sent her first email, and in 1997, the first official royal website was created.

Queen Elizabeth II is also a large employer: about 1,200 people (from kitchen workers to private secretaries) work in royal residences.

The Queen of England received more than 3 million letters throughout her reign.

At the moment, Queen Elizabeth II continues to be one of the main symbols of England and the whole of Great Britain. Having been in power for more than 65 years, she reliably strengthened the authority of the British monarchy, and also became a real role model and a source of pride for millions of British people.