Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II was born as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on 21 April 1926, and was the daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later became King George VI) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Duchess of York (she later became Queen Elizabeth, Consort of King George VI, and later Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother). As a young child, she was known as Lilybet to both her family, and the media, who called her "Princess Lilybet". Her official title then was
Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York. Elizabeth, along with her younger sister Princess Margaret were home-schooled with their mother as a supervisor, and were taught by governess Marion "Crawfie" Crawford.
Her father became King in 1936 after her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated from the throne when she was 10. Three years later, World War II began, and she moved into Windsor Castle with her mother and sister. In 1940, she met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, who was serving in the Royal Navy. The two quickly fell in love, and the two corresponded by letter. Elizabeth wanted to help out in the war, and joined the Women's Auxilliary Territorial Service, and served her time as a driver, which she enjoyed greatly.
Elizabeth married Prince Philip, now then became Duke of Edinburgh on 20 November 1947 in a controversial ceremony, which didn't have the support of her mother, and the fact that Philip's brother-in-laws were Nazi supporters. The two moved to Clarence House located in The Mall in London, England. A year later, Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Charles. Two years later, she gave birth to her second child, Anne.
In 1951, her father King George VI's health began to decline, so Elizabeth began to fufill her father's Royal duties, and began traveling around the world with Philip at her side. Because of stress, his heavy smoking, and his arteriosclerosis, King George VI eventually passed away in his sleep on 6 February 1952 at the age of 56. At the time of his passing, Elizabeth and Philip were staying in Kenya. She was proclamed Sovereign of all the Commonwealth Realms on February 7, 1952. Her coronation officially took place on 2 June 1953, and Philip and her moved into Bukingham Palace.
Since her sucession to the throne, Elizabeth has faced major social and economical changes that faced the world. As Queen, she has traveled all over the world, with her husband Philip, and has played a part in the politics of the United Kingdom, having seen over ten different Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom. In 1977, she celebrated her Silver Jubilee, marking 25 years as Queen. In 2002, she celebrated her Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years as Queen. The very same year, her mother and sister both passed away, which made her closer to her family. Despite rumours of her declining health, Elizabeth is said to be as healthy as ever, even though her duties as Queen have been reduced, while her son, Prince Charles has taken on a larger role. In 2006, she was portrayed by Helen Mirren in the film
The Queen , which was critically acclaimed and even earned Helen Mirren an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Reigning for over half a century, Elizabeth has helped shaped the world around her.
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Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II was born as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on 21 April 1926, and was the daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later became King George VI) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Duchess of York (she later became Queen Elizabeth, Consort of King George VI, and later Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother). As a young child, she was known as Lilybet to both her family, and the media, who called her "Princess Lilybet". Her official title then was
Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York. Elizabeth, along with her younger sister Princess Margaret were home-schooled with their mother as a supervisor, and were taught by governess Marion "Crawfie" Crawford.
Her father became King in 1936 after her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated from the throne when she was 10. Three years later, World War II began, and she moved into Windsor Castle with her mother and sister. In 1940, she met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, who was serving in the Royal Navy. The two quickly fell
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