In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee. This celebration marked that she had spent an incredible 70 years on the British throne. This made her the longest-reigning British monarch and head of state in history, smashing the record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria! Read on to find out about her life and reign as Queen of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth.
Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21st April 1926. Her full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor. She was named after her mother, Lady Elizabeth but became known as Lilibet which was how she pronounced her own name as a child. She had one younger sister, Margaret. When she was born, Princess Elizabeth was not expected to ever become queen. Her father, Albert, was the Duke of York and it was his older brother, Edward VIII, who was king. However, when Edward abdicated (gave up) the throne in 1936, Elizabeth’s father became King George VI. Princess Elizabeth then became heir to the throne.
Princess Elizabeth was married to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten on 20th November 1947. They were married in Westminster Abbey in London. Upon their marriage, they became the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Elizabeth and Philip had four children together: Prince Charles (1948), Princess Anne (1950), Prince Andrew (1960) and Prince Edward (1964). By the end of 2021, Queen Elizabeth II had eight grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren!
Elizabeth and Philip had a long relationship, celebrating their Platinum wedding anniversary (70 years!) in 2017 before Prince Philip sadly passed away in 2021.
Find out more about Queen Elizabeth II son, Prince Charles, who is now King Charles III.
Sadly, King George VI, passed away on 6th February 1952 and Elizabeth immediately became Queen. She was crowned on the 2nd June 1953 when she was 25 years old. Her coronation happened at Westminster Abbey and was the first coronation to be televised.
During her early reign, Queen Elizabeth and her husband travelled around the world to different Commonwealth countries and territories. Throughout her reign, she has undertaken many tours around the world, making her one of the most well-travelled heads of state.
Throughout most of her reign, Queen Elizabeth II lived in Buckingham Palace in London.
During WW2, Elizabeth and her sister were sent away to avoid the bombings by the Luftwaffe on London. They stayed at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Sandringham House in Norfolk, and Windsor Castle.
The Queen and her family enjoyed weekends and Easter at Windsor Castle which has been a royal residence for 900 years and is the largest occupied castle in the world!
A jubilee is a special anniversary of the current reigning monarch’s ascension to the throne. Queen Elizabeth II is the first British monarch ever to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.
In 2022, there was an extra bank holiday, as well as a bank holiday that was moved from the end of May to create a special four-day weekend from 2nd-5th of June. This allowed for many special celebrations to take place.
Lots of people celebrated the jubilee by holding a street party in their community. Big tables were set up in closed streets and people from the local area joined together to listen to music, eat party food and play games.
Commonwealth countries around the world, that had Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state, also held events to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.
If you want to find out more about Queen Elizabeth II, her family and her role as Queen and Head of the Commonwealth, download our ready-to-teach lesson pack here!
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8th 2022 at the age of 96. She died peacefully in Balmoral surrounded by her family. When she died her son Charles became king. King Charles III said his mothers death was a "moment of great sadness" for him and his family and that her loss would be "deeply felt" around the world.
Queen Elizabeth II lay in state in Westminster Hall from 14th to the 19th September, during which time an estimated 250,000 people queued to walk past the Queen's coffin and pay their respects.
The Queen's state funeral was held on Monday 19th September 2022. Her coffin was taken from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey by carriage. The Queen's son, King Charles III, and his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, followed in procession. 2000 guests attended the funeral service, and over 29 million people watched it live on television.
Later that day, Queen Elizabeth II was buried next to her late husband, Phillip, in a private ceremony in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle. Her marble slab is engraved ELIZABETH II 1926-2022.
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