Element 1: Birthplace and Date
Elizabeth
Alexandra Mary Windsor, better known to her family as Lilibet, was
born on April 21, 1926 in Mayfair, London. She was her parents' first
or two daughters. They had hoped for a boy, but they were not able to
due to her mother's health issues. Neither Elizabeth nor her sister,
Margaret, were born naturally;
instead they were both born through Cesarean sections.
Element 2: Family Members
Queen Elizabeth II had many cousins and relatives that she was very
close to, but there were a select few who had the most prominent
impact on her life. First and foremost was her father Bertie, short
for Albert. He was not the original King, but once he claimed the
throne he changed his name to George VI. Next was her mother who was
very similar to Elizabeth in many ways even though they spent a
considerable amount of time apart. Her sister, four years her junior,
was also very close to Elizabeth as they grew up together. Once
Lilibet got older she married Prince Phillip of Greece and had three
sons and a daughter, Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. Interestingly
Phillip is Elizabeth's third cousin, but in a way they were following
tradition by doing so.
Element 3: Childhood/ School Life
Growing up in that time period meant that women did not go to school
unless they were very intellectual. Therefore her nannies and
caretakers were her most influential teachers and mentors until she
was in line to be Queen at the age of ten, and her parents hired
specific tutors for her.
Her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated the thrown in order to marry
a twice divorced American. By stepping down from his role as King,
her father became an accidental king making her the heiress.
Generally she'd be known as “heiress apparent” if it was certain
that she would one day be Queen, but due to the slight chance of her
parents having a boy she was instead known as “heiress
presumptive.” As an heiress he curriculum increased significantly.
Crawfie, her main nanny, remained as an important mentor for her, but
several tutors were taken in to instruct on all subjects that she
would need to know in order to be a queen. Sir Henry Martin,
Marie-Antoinette de Bellaigue, along with other highly educated
professionals helped her to learn a variety of subjects and put her
through rigorous work every day. As the years passed the lessons and
material to study only intensified.
In the final stages of her childhood and young adulthood, she was
assigned a personal assistant who scheduled out how she would spend
her days. This frequently included royal meetings, dinners, trips,
and political events for the main purpose of spreading her name and
dominance throughout the United Kingdom and its territories. She
caught on quickly to all of the politics and essential duties
necessary to be a successful queen thanks to her instructors and
mentors.
Element
4: Hobbies and Interests
Growing
up Elizabeth may have had a strict routine, but she was always able
to find time to do what she truly loved. Her first passion was horse
racing and breeding. Starting at a young age, she was was introduced
to horses and the world of racing. Her father passed down his love
for the equestrian hobby. Elizabeth rode her horses often for both
recreation and business. There were many times where she needed to
ride her horse in parades or other events; however she would have to
ride sidesaddle because she preferred to be mounted naturally on the
horse. With only the best at her disposal, the future queen was able
to see which horses would be best to breed. After spending so many
years alongside horses, Elizabeth can clearly see the traits of a
quality steed. She enjoyed going to watch horse races when she found
the time. Racing and breeding were not her only interests though.
As
a young adult, Elizabeth was given her first Welsh Corgi by her
parents. From that day on she has developed an incredible fondness
for this specific breed of dog. In her lifetime she has owned more
than thirty corgis in total. Besides surrounding herself in dogs,
Elizabeth was generally a quiet person. She enjoys doing crossword
puzzles, reading, and photography.
Element 5: Anecdotes
Elizabeth was never one to just sit back and have others do things for her. She may have been a princess, but she was far from a spoiled brat as some may have stereotyped her. When she turned eighteen she made the bold decision to join the woman's branch of the British army and worked as both a mechanic and a truck driver. She learned a lot during her time on the force, and her favorite part was being able to know so much about cars and how they work. She was a quick study so she was doing well right off the bat. When she returned home she still put her skills to use when her cars needed fixing, and she was known to go speeding down the road when she had the chance.
The princess met
Prince Philip of Greece when she was only a mere thirteen years old
in 1934. Even though he was quite a few years older than her, they
automatically felt a connection. They constantly exchanged letters
because of him being in the British Royal Navy, and that worked to
deepen their love for one another. They continued to see each other,
and Phillip would often take both her and her sister Margaret out
while he was there. At first no one seemed to notice, but as time
went on their love for each other was obvious. There were some in the
family who were skeptical about him, but for the most part they were
happy for the new couple. Philip asked Elizabeth to marry him in 1946
and she said yes without ever consulting her family. Her parents
approved, but on the condition that they wait to announce it until
after her twenty-first birthday. On November 20th, 1947
they got married.
Element 6:
Career
As
princess she didn't have many responsibilities. Her education came
first, but as she got older she began doing more official business.
Before becoming Queen, Elizabeth needed to build a relationship with
her people. To do so she took many trips around her country and to
many of the Britain's territories. She traveled to Africa for a few
weeks specifically because they were in turmoil due to the war and
economic issues. She gave incredible speeches that moved her
subjects, and word quickly spread about the eloquence and sincerity
in her speeches. Ironically once she was known as a born leader, her
father grew ill and died, giving her the throne.
Her
life as Queen started off without a problem because of all that her
father and mentors taught her. She took charge of her kingdom and
became a modern monarch. She is very knowledgeable when it comes to
her government, and she is very involved in political affairs. She
has been through many Prime Ministers and knows exactly what she's
doing when she offers advice or criticism. Elizabeth II remains
highly respected and follows through on all of her various duties as
Queen still.
Element 7:
Reason for Fame
Queen
Elizabeth II is known by all as the United Kingdom's current monarch.
She is also queen of sixteen territories known as the Commonwealth,
but she is represented by a Governor-General in these countries. She
has worked hard to hold her territories together and builds good
relations with all of them. She has led the modern era as queen, and
has done with even though so much has changed so quickly. One major
choice that increased her popularity was allowing a Commoner to marry
into the British royal family.
Element 8:
Later Life/Old Age
As
she ages, Queen Elizabeth II isn't giving up. There were rumors
spread that she would give the throne to her grandson and skip her
eldest son, but she will not break tradition. She continues to rule
as well as she did when she began, and her heirs are set in stone.
Regretful about the time she didn't spend with her children and the
problems that it caused, she invests herself into the lives of her
grandchildren. She even overlooked her grandson marrying a commoner
which is unheard of in the royal family. Her age is apparent to all,
so there are many speculations to when she will no longer be Queen,
but mentally she is as strong and brilliant as ever, and she won't be
leaving her place as monarch for much longer.
Element
9: Death
She is still very much alive at the age
of 87. She
has had some recent heath issues such as the stomach flu, but Queen
Elizabeth continues to thrive. Her mother lived far past the age that
she is, so it is very possible that her rule will continue for many
years to come.
