Early life Elizabeth was born at 17 Bruton Street, in Mayfair, London, on 21 April 1926. Her father was Prince Albert, Duke of York (the future King George VI) and her mother was the Duchess of York (born Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later Queen Elizabeth, and, after her daughter's accession to the throne, the Queen Mother). She was baptized in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace by Cosmo Gordon Lang, the Archbishop of York. Her godparents were her paternal grandparents King George V and Queen Mary, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Connaught, her maternal grandfather the Earl of Strathmore, and Lady Elphinstone. Elizabeth was named after her mother, while her two middle names are those of her paternal greatgrandmother, Queen Alexandra, and grandmother, Queen Mary, respectively. As a child her close family knew her as "Lilibet". Her grandmother Queen Mary doted on her[citation needed] and George V found her very entertaining. At 10 years old, the young Princess was introduced to a preacher at Glamis Castle
a book. ed to send her romis lready As he left, he p about God. I a ed, "Not Elizabeth repli t Him. " overeign in know all abou of the British s ghter As a granddau f a British held the title o she ighness. the male line, yle Her Royal H he st s Princess princess with t Royal Highnes as Her th, she Her full style w time of her bir rk. At the o the Elizabeth of Yo of succession t e line f Wales, was third in th le the Prince o her unc rated throne, behind her birth gene. Although at the and her father was no reason , there come public interest would ever be that she at the time to believe ely assumed th as wid III) would queen, as it w King Edward V s (later Prince of Wale ourse. ildren in due c e ch marry and hav duce any ard did not pro nts had However, Edw lizabeth's pare s, and E cedence legitimate heir have taken pre ould ntually no sons (who w she would eve refore, over her). The ward had en whether Ed ue both have become q g she outlived t, assumin bdicated or no a uncle. father and her 1930
Princess Elizabeth's only sibling was the late Princess Margaret, who was born in 1930. The two young princesses were educated at home, under the supervision of their mother. Their governess was Marion Crawford, better known as "Crawfie. " She studied history with C. H. K. Marten, Provost of Eton, and also learned modern languages; she speaks French fluently. She was instructed in religion by the Archbishop of Canterbury and has remained a devout member of the Church of England, of which, as Queen, she is Supreme Governor. Education
Heiress presumptive P r i n c e s s When her father became King in 1936 upon the abdication of her uncle, King Edward VIII, she became Heiress Presumptive and was thenceforth known as Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth. There was some demand in Wales for her to be created The Princess of Wales, but the King was advised that this was the title of the wife of the Prince of Wales, not a title in its own right. Some feel the King missed the opportunity to make an innovation in Royal practice by re-adopting King Henry VIII's idea, who proclaimed his eldest daughter, Lady Mary, Princess of Wales in her own right. [citation needed] However, the possibility, however remote, remained that her father could have a son, who would have been heir apparent, supplanting Elizabeth in the line of succession to the throne. Elizabeth was thirteen years old when World War II broke out, and she and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, were evacuated to Windsor Castle, Berkshire.
wo the t which hat ion t ada, to e est sugg d to Can ply: "Th e s som acuate mous re 't leave wa on here ses be ev e the fa T e. I w ave. " ad es tm princ other m o withou never le and her m h g ill their n won't e King w Elizabet as with h re ss child ng. And t r, Prince at Christm e Royal o i th s the K at Winds tomime f staff of h made e o et an Whil staged p embers ss Elizab BC's B e m r siste ildren of 40, Princ uring the ildren 9 h d h the c hold. In 1 oadcast g other c was 13 r e e n Hous st radio b addressi When sh sband , . u ir her f en's Hour vacuated future h and r r e im Child ad been st met he e with h the v h in ir who old, she f e fell in lo he was h s en year Philip. S him wh e to Princ writing n bega Navy. l Roya
In 1945, Princess Elizabeth convinced her father that she should be allowed to contribute directly to the war effort. She joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she was known as No 230873 Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor, and was trained as a driver. This training was the first time she had been taught together with other students. It is said that she greatly enjoyed this and that this experience led her to send her own children to school rather than have them educated at home. She was the first, and so far only, female member of the royal family to actually serve in the armed forces, though Queen Victoria was Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian militia, and other royal women have been given honorary ranks. During the VE Day celebrations in London, she and her sister dressed in ordinary clothing and slipped into the crowd secretly to celebrate with everyone. M i l i t a r y c a r e e r
M a r r i a g e ke Philip, Du nce arried Pri rince Philip of m Elizabeth rgh (born P 0 f Edinbu nd Denmark) on 2 re o Greece a 947. The couple a ey h 1 ovember s once removed: t n IX N stia usin econd co cended from Chri reats g es re both d k - Elizabeth II is a h her a r g of Denma nddaughter throu er h great-gra l great-grandmot Duke paterna enmark, and the s hi f. D xandra o randson through of Ale I -g is a great andfather George ins us gr paternal well as second co third s e Greece. A ed, the couple ar ria as to ov once rem y share Queen Vic er. he th cousins: t t-great-grandmo er was th a grea t-grandfa 's sister grea izabeth's while Edward El by ard VII, hess of Hesse and Edw uc , Grand D the Duke's great. Alice s Rhine wa ndmother gra
After their wedding, Philip and Elizabeth took up residence at Clarence House, London. At various times between 1946 and 1953, the Duke of Edinburgh was stationed in Malta as a serving Royal Navy officer. On 14 November 1948, Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Charles. Several weeks earlier, letters patent had been issued so that her children would enjoy a royal and princely status they would not otherwise have been entitled to. Otherwise they would have been styled merely as children of a duke. The couple had four children in all. Though the Royal House is named Windsor, it was decreed, via a 1960 Order-in. Council, that those descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip who were not Princes or Princesses of the United Kingdom should have the personal surname Mountbatten-Windsor. In practice all of their children, in honour of their father, have used Mountbatten-Windsor as their surname (or in Anne's case, her maiden surname). Both Charles and Anne used Mountbatten-Windsor as their surname in the published banns for their first marriages. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have four children
on h was so e, Italy zabet reec , and Eli g 1951 visited G In durin. She declined at public events ing that year. ealth n in ur ather's h ing in for him rf. Truma ioned) d d arry S our n stat ntly stan was the ited President H p set out for a t eque hilip Phili (where P anada and vis ord eth and Malta nd when w izab d. C 2, E l oure enya cer. er, she t. In January, 195 had reached K , from lung can Octob ey. C y 1952 two land. Th ngton, D shi Zea Februar 6 day just Wa ew er, on ka (to and N and her fath ops Hotel in Thi ustralia s death of A th of ther' f the dea g at the Treet of her fa ance for any told arrived o as stayin she was ique circumst n of when hw Elizabet accessio nd Nairobi) throne — a un from ce the on, a rs away cession to the arch sin hou successi h mon suc nt of Britis her own the first try at the mome ct time of her of e). e was he exa own tim vent. Sh tside the coun unkn now t such e be ou not to k ep at an I to race times his sle George ya Sir Ho e UK, modern her had died in f Ken rst in er fat Justice o rty back to th so the fi al Chief ause h l Pa he ied, the ion (bec the Roya to a dinner at t a. It access ather d pany her f he night ould later accom s she then was, retreat in Keny On t th, a ho w urist en". earne, w Princess Elizabe very popular to H n a Que e dow e a orted th l, which is now and cam esc cess s Hote up a prin ent Treetop at she "w re th was the
Visit to Ireland in 17 May 2011
