On 8th September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest reigning monarch, died peacefully at Balmoral Castle at the age of 96. The Queen was the UK’s longest-serving monarch – reigning for 70 years – and the world’s oldest head of state.
The Queen’s son Charles has now ascended to the throne and will be known as King Charles III. Paying tribute to his mother, Charles has said, “I know her loss will be felt deeply throughout the country, and the realms of the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
The UK has now entered a period of National Mourning as we reflect on her life and her legacy. Though Queen Elizabeth II was widely known for her sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service, for many, she was also a constant and reassuring presence throughout a period of sweeping change.
To honour the Queen’s memory, we’ve put together a list of 26 of our favourite facts about the remarkable life she led.
26 facts about the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II
- Mother-of-two Elizabeth succeeded to the throne on 6th February 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI. She was just 25 years old at the time and became known as Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth was the first Sovereign to accede to the throne while abroad – she was in Kenya at the time.
- The Queen’s Coronation was held on 2nd June 1953 at Westminster Abbey, and was watched by people across the globe – including 27 million people in the UK alone.
- The first time Elizabeth met her husband, Prince Philip, she was eight and he was 13. It was 1934 and they were at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, and Prince George, Duke of Kent.
They connected again five years later at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and began exchanging letters.
- Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip married on 20th November 1947 and Elizabeth used clothing ration coupons to pay for the material for her wedding dress. Elizabeth and Philip were side by side for 75 years until Philip died on 9th April 2021.
- During a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1970, Queen Elizabeth rebelled against centuries of royal tradition when she strolled up to crowds of people to meet them in person – rather than waving to them from a safe distance. This was the first ‘walkabout’; a term now used to describe the British royal duty of meeting and greeting the public.
- Queen Elizabeth became the oldest-ever reigning monarch on 21st April 2007. She overtook the record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
- On 19th October 2021, the Queen politely refused The Oldie magazine’s ‘Oldie of the Year’ award. Her reasoning was “you are only as old as you feel” – so she didn’t believe that she met the relevant criteria for the trophy. Her letter of response wished them luck in “finding a more worthy recipient”.
- Before becoming Queen, Princess Elizabeth volunteered as a mechanic and truck driver during World War II. She became the first female member of the royal family to serve in the military.
- Her Majesty loved corgis and is believed to have owned over 30 of them in her lifetime. The first corgis to join the Royal Family were Dookie and Jane, when King George VI gave them to Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret. Elizabeth was also gifted a Corgi, Susan, on her 18th birthday in 1944.
- During her 70 years as Queen, Elizabeth carried out 21,000 royal engagements! She also spoke French and used her language skills for royal engagements and audiences when visiting.
- Queen Elizabeth II visited over 128 countries during her reign, including all 54 Commonwealth countries. She was better travelled than any British monarch who came before her.
- The Queen opened the Sydney Opera House in Australia on 20th October 1973.
- Elizabeth became Queen at a time (1952) when there were only eight countries in the Commonwealth, and others continued to break away from the British Empire.
The Commonwealth was established in 1926 to maintain a link between countries that had once been a part of the British Empire, but which were considered ‘free and equal’. These countries had no legal ties but shared goals of prosperity, peace, and democracy. They all owed allegiance to the British king or queen, but the UK did not rule over them.Today, 54 countries are part of the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth helped to peacefully guide the rapid transition of colonies from the British Empire to the Commonwealth – making visits to Commonwealth countries to show solidarity – and her role became symbolic and unifying.
- Her Majesty made history as the first British Monarch to visit China in 1986.
- The Queen was involved in the formation of a ‘special relationship’ between the UK and the US after she became the first Monarch to address Congress in 1991. This was more than two centuries after the US won independence from the British Empire. Her Majesty placed great importance on their continued cooperation and unity of interests.
- Queen Elizabeth II helped to build bridges between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. This was after Ireland spent centuries battling for independence, with violent and bloody results.
In 2011, the Queen visited Ireland’s Garden of Remembrance and placed a wreath at the monument for those who died in the fight for independence. Though the respectful gesture had no true political power, it seemed to reset relations between the two countries. - Her Majesty has given Royal Assent to over 4,000 Acts of Parliament during her reign.
- Across seven centuries, Queen Elizabeth has arguably done more for charity than any monarch in history. It’s believed that she supported more than 600 charities in Britain by donating money, hosting fundraisers, and promoting education.
- Queen Elizabeth saw 15 prime ministers come into power during her reign, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss.
- Her Majesty has been praised for her role in modernising the royal family due to her willingness to embrace change.
She was the first monarch to record her annual Christmas message on film in 1957, and made many television appearances over the years.
She also sent her first royal Tweet in 2014, published her first Instagram post in 2019, and had a more relaxed approach to marriage and divorce – approving several divorces among the royal family. - The Word Cup Final attracted the largest ever British television audience with 32.3 million viewers when the Queen presented England football captain Bobby Moore with the trophy.
- Queen Elizabeth II had four children, eight grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and at least 30 godchildren.
- No stranger to having guests in her home, the Queen hosted more than 50,000 people at Buckingham Palace every year at various lunches, dinners, banquets, and garden parties.
- Her Majesty met some of the most famous faces on the planet including Nelson Mandela, Frank Sinatra, Mother Teresa, and Marilyn Monroe. She was said to be good friends with Nelson Mandela – they were on a first-name basis and spoke frequently on the phone before he died in 2013.
- The Queen was known to have a wicked sense of humour. When out walking in the grounds of Balmoral Castle, she began chatting with American tourists who didn’t know who she was. One of them asked if she lived in the area and had ever met the Queen, to which she pointed at her bodyguard and replied, “No, but he has!”
- An avid Arsenal fan, Her Majesty invited the team for afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace in 2007.
- In October 2021 – prior to the COP26 UN climate change conference – The Queen held a major Global Investment summit at Windsor Castle. She emphasised that climate change was the biggest challenge facing the world and called on leaders to work together to beat it.
Final thoughts...
Queen Elizabeth II lived a remarkable life and will continue to be loved and missed by millions around the world.
Here at Rest Less, we are deeply saddened to hear about the Queen’s passing, and offer our sincere, heartfelt condolences to her family during this difficult time.
Rest in Peace Her Majesty The Queen (1926-2022)
