Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne of Great Britain and Commonwealth at the age of 25 in 1952. She lived a remarkable life and became the longest-reigning monarch and second-longest in world history. It came to an end on 8th September 2022. The palace announced her death at Balmoral Castle which was her summer residence in Scotland. All family members rushed when her health took a turn. Let's take a walking tours of London of Queen Elizabeth II's life
Early Life From Child To Princess
Queen Elizabeth was born on 21st April 1926 at No. 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair. It was her maternal grandparents' home in London. She was the eldest one of the Duke and Duchess of York and became the heir after her uncle King Edward's abdication as he wanted to marry Wallis Simpson. She was an American woman who was divorced twice, so she was not considered a consort to the monarch. In 1936, King Edward had a reign of 10 months before the abdication speech, where he told people that he could not be the king without the help of the woman he loved.
After that, George, his brother, came to the throne, and Queen Elizabeth, his daughter Lilibet, became his heir. In the early years, he guided her but died at the age of 56 and then Elizabeth succeeded him. Her sister, Margaret, married Lord Snowdon, and they had two children. In the year 2002, her sister died. They were both educated and celebrated the end of the Second World War with one famous incident.
Princess Elizabeth was told to remove to a safe location like Canada during the war. But her mother said that the children would not go without her, and she would not go without the king. So the former King Edward VIII met Adolf Hitler, and the princess served with the Royal Auxiliary Corps and learned to be a mechanic and driver.
The Queen's Marriage And Residences
Elizabeth got married to Prince Philip after the war. He was her distant cousin. For some people, he was not suitable to be the future Queen's husband. He had no money, and his sisters married the German army officers with whom Britain was at war. Despite all the obstruction, she married him in 1947 at Westminster Abbey, and their bond remained strong until 2021, when he died. They had 4 children- Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, and Charles, who succeeded her as monarch. She had eight grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. In 1952 when she came to the throne at 25 years of age, she was already a mother of 2 children, Anne and Charles.
Queen Elizabeth never voted, but she had the power to approve all the legislation passed by the Parliament, after which bills passed by the houses of Parliament, the Lords, and the Commons, which can be called Acts of Parliament. It gives the power of veto but has never been used for 300 years and, unfortunately, will never be used. The Queen kept her views secret as the constitutional monarch needed to be neutral in political matters. But she was always interested and informed about all the political things. She used to conduct weekly meetings with 15 Prime Ministers. Queen Elizabeth was interested in the Commonwealth. Charles, her son, will head the Commonwealth, and he is also expected to keep his views secret on all political matters.
The Queen had five homes, and she used them at different times. She lived in Windsor Castle in the early summer. It is the largest and oldest of the royal homes. Often the family moved to Buckingham Palace for special events like celebrations. Book a Buckingham palace guide who will give you a tour of these places. If you are interested in visiting historical places, rely on the Blue Badge Tourist guide.
The most recent was the platinum jubilee celebration in June 2022. The family relocated to Scotland in the late summer, went to the Balmoral Castle, and stayed at the Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh for a while. Often the Queen goes to her private home in Norfolk Sandringham House in the winter. You can take the Blue Badge Tourist Guide in London to visit these royal homes.
The Queen's Death
The impact of her death will be unpredictable for the monarchy as well as for the nation. She built an institution and helped to modernize and stabilize decades of extensive family scandals and social change. Queen Elizabeth was known for her simplicity and used to take an interest in the government business apart from the ceremonial and traditional duties.
The Queen will be accorded a funeral at Westminster Abbey that is to be held on 19th September, Monday. As Queen of the UK and 14 realms and head of 54 nations Commonwealth, she was the World's most recognizable head of state.
Summary: In 2022, the World saw Queen Elizabeth II celebrating her Platinum Jubilee and the heartbreaking news of her majesty's death. We saw extraordinary changes in British Society. She ruled for many decades and was committed to her role. It was a one-of-a-kind service to the Commonwealth and the country she reigned.
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