Who comes to mind when we think of who commands respect beyond the tentacles of her
reign? Queen Elizabeth II definitely!
Beyond being a British Monarch, she commanded respect from the rest of the world. She
upheld her coronation oath even beyond what we all thought.
During her life, she witnessed the world change during her reign, but none affected her
sense of duty and devotion to her country. The announcement of her death was displayed
on the gates of the Buckingham palace and nations across the world mourn.
- Her birthplace was not the palace.
Unlike most royal babies, Queen Elizabeth II was not born in the palace. She was born at
17, Bruton Street, her Scottish maternal grandparents’ house in London at 2:40am on April
21, 1926 to the Late King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
Her birthplace, her maternal grandparents’ house is now a Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant.
- She was homeschooled
Her mother and her governess homeschooled her to read and write until the age of 7 till they
got her special teachers in French, German, and Music.
- She became a house owner at the age of 6
At age 6 when no one thought that Princess Elizabeth Mary would be Queen, she got a
house on her birthday which she co-owned with her younger sister.
- She wasn’t supposed to end up on the throne.
Queen Elizabeth II also never thought she’d be the Queen. In 1936, her uncle, King Edward
VIII, abdicated the throne, making Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, the new king
and in turn, she became the new heir to the throne at the age of 10.
- First Royal female to join the Military Full-time.
On her 16th birthday, Queen Elizabeth got her first job inspecting a military regiment during
a parade at Windsor Castle. By the time she was 18, she joined the women’s branch of the
British Military known as a mechanic. She was the first female member of the Royal family
to join the Armed Forces full-time.
Images
- She had 4 children with her late husband, Prince Philip
On November 20, 1947, she got married to the love of her life, the Late Prince Philip.
Together, they had 2 children: King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince
Edward.
- She became Queen at the age of 25.
On Feb 6, 1952, while watching wildlife, Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth Mary,
was at the Treetops Hotel in Aberdare National Park, Kenya when she received news of her
father’s death. She became the Queen immediately at the age of 25, but was officially
crowned on June 2, 1953.
She was also the first British Monarch whose coronation was broadcast live on TV.
- She has a nickname you didn’t know about
Queen Elizabeth II, the ‘Million Mile Queen’, was the most travelled British Monarch. She
made almost 300 state visits during her lifetime. You can check out the places she visited
here.
- Former head of 54 CommonWealth Nations.
During her reign, she was the head of 54 CommonWealth Nations. She didn’t only rule over
the United Kingdom of London, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland; she ruled over dozens of
nations across the world.
10. You could always find her and point to her amidst the crowd.
Queen Elizabeth II’s famous motto was, “You have to be seen to be believed”.
The Queen had a colourful wardrobe; she wore bright coloured dresses with matching hats
for her public appearances so she could be easily spotted. Her choice of vibrant colours
separated her from the rest of the crowd in public places. She used transparent umbrellas
when it poured so she’d remain visible to the public.
- Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee on the throne before she passed on.
She holds the record-breaking longest-serving British Monarch title of 70 years and 7
months. She served longer than her great grandmother Queen Victoria who we thought
served the longest with her reign of 63 years and 7 months.
- She was full of grace and highly courteous.
To crown it all, Queen Elizabeth II had uncommon courtesy. At an official feast, an African
prince popped cherries and grapes into his finger bowl and drank from it. To save this African prince from feeling awkward, she sipped water from her finger-bowl as well. The
story is still told till date.
The Queen lived such a stupendous life, being exposed to Etiquette and Manners. Exposing
children to Etiquette and Good manners is an essential consideration for families who desire
to raise gracious children. “How Etiquette Saves the Snaggletooth Shark” is a fictional book
by Salome Olajide-Buari that can teach your children Etiquette in a fun way using sharks as characters. Click HERE to get a copy on Amazon.