Queen Elizabeth II, “the longest reigning monarch” in British history, who died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96, saw 15 British prime ministers during her 70-year tenure.
Born on April 21, 1926 at flat number 17 on Bruton Street in London’s Mayfair neighborhood and became queen upon the death of her father on February 6, 1952, Elizabeth’s full name is “Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor”.
It is known that Elizabeth, whom her family called “Lilibet” when she was little and gave special education at home, loved animals very much, especially horses and dogs.
Queen Elizabeth, who ascended the throne at the age of 26 following the death of her father King George VI in 1952, was officially crowned on June 2, 1953.
With her 70-year reign in the British Monarchy, Queen Elizabeth became the “longest reigning monarch in British history”.
When the Queen ascended the throne in 1952, Joseph Stalin was still the leader of the Soviet Union and Harry Truman was the President of the United States.
The Queen’s coronation in 1953 was “the first royal coronation to be broadcast live on television”.
Queen Elizabeth II’s marriage
Elizabeth met Philip in 1934, who was born on June 10, 1921 on the island of Corfu and was given the title “Prince of Denmark and Greece” at birth. During World War II, Philip served in the Mediterranean and Pacific fleets, and after the war he was allowed to marry Elizabeth, who was then a princess.
Before the engagement ceremony in 1947, Philip renounced his title as “Prince of Denmark and Greece”, became a British citizen and took his grandparents’ surname Mountbatten. Elizabeth and Philip were married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey, one of the largest churches in London.
The couple received more than 2,500 wedding gifts and more than 10,000 congratulatory telegrams from around the world.
Just before the wedding, he was given the titles of “Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron of Greenwich” by King George VI. While Elizabeth became Queen in 1952, Philip left the army, where he had reached the rank of “commander”, and became “Prince of England” in 1957.
The couple had 4 children, a daughter, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. Prince Philip, who did not leave Elizabeth alone during her nearly 69 years on the throne, accompanied the queen wherever she went.
Queen Elizabeth became a widow at the age of 95 when her husband Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021 at the age of 99.
The Queen of England has seen 15 British prime ministers
Queen Elizabeth II has seen 15 British prime ministers during her reign, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss.
During her reign, the Cold War began and ended and the Berlin Wall was built and torn down.
Queen Elizabeth II was the head of state of 16 countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Australia, New Zealand and several other large and small countries in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.
In these countries outside the UK, governors-general represent the Queen instead of the head of state.
Queen Elizabeth breaks her grandmother Queen Victoria’s record for the longest reign
In 2015, at the age of 89, Elizabeth broke her grandmother Queen Victoria’s record for the longest reign. Queen Victoria, who died in 1901 at the age of 81, had been on the throne for 63 years and 7 months.
The population of the United Kingdom was 16 million when Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837 and 50 million when Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1952.
Queen Elizabeth’s record of remaining on the throne led her eldest son, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, to become “the longest-serving heir to the throne in the UK”.
The Queen of England’s 25th year on the throne was celebrated as the “Silver Jubilee” in 1977, 50th as the “Golden Jubilee” in 2002, 60th as the “Diamond Jubilee” in 2012 and 65th as the “Sapphire Jubilee” in 2017.
