The Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

1. The Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Ilya Platonov Grade 2a Yarovoye

2. Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms, and head of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations. She is also head of state of the Crown dependencies and British Overseas Territories. She is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and in many of her realms carries the title Defender of the Faith.Even as a child, Princess Elizabeth knew the role she was born to; yet would have preferred a simple country life enjoying her love of animals, especially horses and dogs. Queen Elizabeth II who became Queen through a quake of fate

3. Born on April 21, 1926, to the Duke and Duchess of York, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, was suddenly thrust into a role she had not envisaged at the tender age of 10, when her uncle King Edward VII caused quite a scandal by abdicating the throne in order to marry a twice divorced American; Wallis Simpson; something unheard of in those days. The abdication caused King Edward’s brother and Elizabeth’s father, next in line to the throne to be crowned as King George VI resulting in Princess Elizabeth becoming the Heiress Presumptive, provided her parents did not beget a son.

4. Her parents however very wisely decided to bring up the Princess in a normal manner as possible and were determined not to spoil her with too much Royal opulence or shelter her from the realities of life. This was the time Britain was beginning to come to terms with the terrible losses sustained from the First World War while British society was in the midst of undergoing profound changes. Her parents nevertheless taught the future Queen to appreciate her privileges and also her duties and responsibilities. Whenever her parents; the Duke and Duchess had to undertake official visits out of the country Elizabeth was left in the capable hands of her nanny Clara Knight. A Princess in the Making

5. This separation however enabled her to forge a very strong bond with her grand parents King George and Queen Mary who clearly became entranced by their mischievous granddaughter. By the age of 12, Princess Elizabeth had already distinguished herself as a gifted horsewoman and had in fact confided in her riding instructor that had she not been born to be Queen one day, she most probably would have lived a life of leisure in the countryside tending to her dogs and her horses. These childish remarks reveal her ardent desire to live in the country and lead a simple life; yet be ware of her royal duty and responsibility that is so uniquely characteristic of the Queen Elizabeth II we know and reigns today.

6. Finding Love and Learning to become Queen Elizabeth was only 13 when she met the then 18 year old Prince Philip, a third cousin of hers, fell in love and wanted to get married. But her father wanted her to be sure because it was the first time she had been in love. Prince Philip had also to renounce his title as the Prince of Greece and become a British citizen and adopt his uncle’s surname “Louis Mountbatten”. It was just before their marriage he was named Duke of Edinburgh, although it wasn’t before 1957 he was named as Prince of the United Kingdom.

7. Princess Elizabeth Becomes Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Princess Elizabeth in the meantime started attending classes at the illustrious Eton College to learn constitutional history and was soon able to educate herself about the history of Europe; a subject that was very close to her heart. These idyllic days however ceased when in 1945 she resolved to support the war effort and joined the army and became a very capable leader. After the war ended, Elizabeth was ready to assume her Royal responsibilities and became patron of many charities that involved children. Her marriage to Prince Philip in November 1947 was rapturously welcomed by the subjects and the nation was truly proud of their Royal family.

8. The couple was in Kenya when the Princess was informed of her father’s death and she returned to England as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and ascended the throne on June 2, 1953. Not only is she the Queen of UK, but also of several countries including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

9. Interesting facts about Elizabeth II1. Royal traditionsTHE TROOPING OF THE COLOUR The Queen is the only person in Britain with two birthdays. Her real birthday is on April, 21st, but she has an “official” birthday, too. That’s on the second Saturday in June. And on the Queen’s official birthday, there is a traditional ceremony called the Trooping of the Colour. It’s a big parade with brass bands and hundreds of soldiers at Horse Guards’ Parade in London. A “regiment” of the Queen’s soldiers, the Guards, march in front of her. At the front of the parade is the regiment’s flag or “colour”.The Guards are trooping the colour. Thousands of Londoners and visitors watch in Horse Guards’ Parade. And millions of people at home watch it on television.

10. 2. THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD This happens every day at Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s home in London. Soldiers stand in front of the palace. Each morning these soldiers (the “guard”) change. One group leaves and another arrives. In summer and winter tourists stand outside the palace at 11.30 every morning and watch the Changing of the Guard. 3. Why is Queen Elizabeth II's husband a prince rather than a king? In the British monarchy, the husband of a female monarch does not have any recognized special status, rank, or privileges. Prince Philip was a prince from birth. He is the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and was born Prince of Greece and Denmark. Upon his marriage to then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, Philip was given the title "Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merion, and Baron Greenwich," and was made a Knight of the Garter. (He became a British citizen around this time and renounced his Greek and Danish titles). Elizabeth II was coronated in 1953, and in 1957, she granted Philip the title "Prince of the United Kingdom."

11. The Queen does not normally use a surname (she doesn't need a passport or a driving licence for example), but on the few occasions where it has been necessary, i.e. when serving with the ATS during World War II, she has used the surname 'Windsor'. The British royal family changed their last name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917. Why? World War One broke out in 1914 and anti-German sentiment was its height in 1917. In protest, King George V renounced all the German titles belonging to him and his family and adopted the name of his castle, Windsor.From 8 February 1960, all The Queen's descendants who do not bear the "style, title or attribute of HRH, and the titular dignity of Prince or Princess" have the name of Mountbatten-Windsor. (Mountbatten as Prince Philip's surname). 4. What is Queen Elizabeth’s surname 5. THE STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT Parliament, not the royal family, controls modern Britain. But traditionally the Queen opens Parliament every autumn. She travels from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in a gold carriage- the Irish State Coach. At the Houses of Parliament the Queen sits on a “throne” in the House of Lords. Then she reads the “Queen’s Speech”. At the State Opening of Parliament the Queen wears a crown. She wears other jewels from the Crown jewels, too.

12. Literature http://www.royal.gov.uk/ http://projectbritain.com/theQueen.htm http://www.babyblog.ru/community/post/computer/747528 http://www.eliteoftheworld.com/elite_detail/102/Queen-Elizabeth-II/photos_albums http://www.eliteoftheworld.com/elite_detail/102/Queen-Elizabeth-II/general_information http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/kings.htm