H.R.H Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is the most powerful head of state in the world being the world's only monarch who is simultaneously Head of State of more than one independent nation. She is also Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, where she is represented by Governors-General. The sixteen countries of which she is Queen are known as Commonwealth Realms, and their combined population is 128 million.
Born on April 21st 1926 at 17 Burton Street, Mayfair, London. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor she was the eldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, who later become King George VI and her mother who was The Duchess of York and would later become Queen Elizabeth, and, after her daughter's accession to the throne, the Queen Mother.
As a child Elizabeth was referred to by her family as ‘Lillibet’.At the time of her birth it was never assumed that she would ever become Queen because her father was not next in line to the throne and his older brother, Edward, was. Edward, the then Prince of Wales, was expected to marry and have legitimate children who would naturally have been next in line to the throne.
But Edward abdicated in favour of marrying the American divorcee, Mrs Wallace Simpson. This left Elizabeth’s father to become King and subsequently, as he had no sons, the Royal crown fell to his eldest daughter, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth had a younger sister, Margaret, born 21st August 1930.
At the age of thirteen she met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, while he was serving in British Royal Navy.
On November 20th 1947 Elizabeth married Prince Philip which created for him the title, The Duke of Edinburgh. There was much controversy over the marriage as Philip was Greek Orthodox and had no financial resources and he also had sisters who had married Nazi supporters.On February 2 1952, while on her way to a royal tour of New Zealand and Australia her father died from lung cancer.
Elizabeth II's Proclamation of Accession was read at St James's Palace, on Thursday, 7 February 1952 and Elizabeth's coronation took place in Westminster Abbey, on 2 June 1953.On November 14 1948 Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles.
Elizabeth and Philip had four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. Her children have produced for her seven grandchildren to whom she is said to be very close especially Prince William the eldest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana..
In 1976 she toured the United States for the Bicentennial, attending festivities with President, Gerald R Ford, and again in 1991 at the invitation of President George H W Bush. Queen Elizabeth announced that she and Prince Philip would be making a state visit to the United States in May of 2007, in honour of the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.
Her reign of over half a century has seen ten different Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom.
She was thought to have very good relations with her current Prime Minister, Tony Blair during the first years of his term in office, although there has been mounting evidence in recent years that her relationship with Blair has become less positive.
Queen Elizabeth’s relationships with world leaders has been described as warm and informal and Nelson Mandela, in the BBC documentary, repeatedly referred to her as "my friend, Elizabeth".Queen Elizabeth has always been a popular monarch but in 1997 after the death of the Princess of Wales she and the royal family were subjected to much scrutiny in the British tabloid press for their lack of visible grief. After advice from the Queen Mother and Tony Blair the Queen rectified this by appearing on television to pay tribute to Princess Diana.
This difficult time in the royal household has been dramatized in the 2006 film, The Queen starring Helen Mirran..Being 81 years of age in 2007 she is the longest serving current Head of State in Europe, The Americas, and Australasia, and is the second-longest-serving current head of state in the world, after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
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