The Story and Legacy of Queen Elizabeth II
Since the recent passing of Her Majesty The Queen, we wanted to remind ourselves of the beautiful legacy that the Queen left behind and the life that she dedicated to her people.
Early life
Elizabeth was the oldest daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife (Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon). At first, Elizabeth did not have much prospect of acceding onto the throne until her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 and Elizabeth’s father then became King.
When Elizabeth was just 13 years old, she met Phillip Mountbatten (Prince of Greece and Denmark), her future husband. Fast forward to 1947, Elizabeth joined the King and Queen to South Africa and after she returned, there was an announcement of her betrothal to Prince Phillip. The news was first delayed for a couple of years due to Elizabeth’s father wanting to wait until she celebrated her 21st Birthday before announcing her engagement.
The marriage took place at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947 and The King gave Clarence house to the newlywed couple as their new residence. Their first child Prince Charles was born a year later on November 14, 1948.
Accession to the throne
In 1951, the health of the King entered a serious decline, this meant that Princess Elizabeth would represent him on various occasions and events that the King needed to attend. In January 1952, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip set out for a tour of Australia and New Zealand but while they were in Kenya, news had reached about the Kings passing on February 6th 1952. Elizabeth flew back to England as the new Queen, she moved from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace and after 3 months of mourning, her coronation was then held at Westminster Abbey on June 2nd 1953.
Longest reigning monarch
In 2002, Queen Elizabeth celebrated 50 years on the throne, this was known as her ‘Golden Jubilee’. In 2011, the Queen lead the Royal family in celebrating the marriage of Grandson Prince William and Catherine Middleton and a month later she surpassed King George III to become the second longest reigning monarch in British history, behind Victoria.
In 2012, Elizabeth celebrated her ‘Diamond Jubilee’ which marks 60 years on the throne. After 3 years, on September 9th 2015, Queen Elizabeth II surpassed Queen Victoria’s record reign of 63 years and 216 days.
Queen Elizabeth II became the longest reigning British monarch in June 2022 when her Platinum Jubilee was celebrated around the UK, this marked 70 years of service on the throne. This was celebrated with a four-day weekend that included the ‘Trooping the colour ceremony’, a thanksgiving service, a music concert at Buckingham Palace and a street arts pageant.
Just days after appointing Liz Truss as Prime Minister, Queen Elizabeth II unfortunately passed away at Balmoral Castle and so Prince Charles exceeded her on the throne as King Charles III.
We would like to thank Queen Elizabeth II for 70 years of service, our heartfelt condolences are with the Royal Family after the passing of Her Majesty, may she rest in peace.