The history of Queen Elizabeth II
The history of Queen Elizabeth II
On the 8th of September 2022, it was announced that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had died at the age of 96.
The Queen was a strong supporter of opportunities for children and young people throughout her lifetime. Her Majesty devoted her time to promoting the power of education across the UK and the world.
We pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen by delving into her life and work in relation to children, education and more. As well as what she achieved during her remarkable 70-year reign.
Read about the history of Queen Elizabeth II before and during her reign and remember her with your school for the legacy she was.
When was Queen Elizabeth II born?
Queen Elizabeth II was born at 17 Bruton Street in London on the 21st of April 1926. Princess Elizabeth was never expected to become queen after her birth. Her father, Albert, was the Duke of York and it was his older brother, King Edward VIII who was head of state. However, Edward abdicated the throne in 1936 leaving Princess Elizabeth’s father to become King George VI. Due to this, Princess Elizabeth became heir to the throne.
When did Queen Elizabeth II marry Prince Philip?
Princess Elizabeth as she was known then, married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten on the 20th of November 1947. The royal couple had met previously in 1934 at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark to Prince George, Duke of Kent. Their relationship blossomed from there after meeting again and later announced their engagement in 1947.
The pair married in Westminster Abbey in London, UK. Upon their marriage, they became the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. Their marriage was a long and happy one as Elizabeth and Philip celebrated their Platinum wedding anniversary (70 years) in 2017. Unfortunately, Prince Philip sadly passed away in 2021.
When did Queen Elizabeth II become head of state?
After the sad passing of her father, King George VI, on the 6th of February 1952, Princess Elizabeth immediately became Queen of England. Princess Elizabeth was away visiting Kenya for the first part of the royal tour when her father passed. She was standing in for King George VI due to his illness.
However, Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation didn’t take place until sixteen months later from the passing of King George VI. This is due to the tradition of allowing an appropriate amount of time to pass after a monarch passes away before crowning the new head of state.
Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on the 2nd of June 1953 at only 25 years of age. The coronation took place at Westminster Abbey and was the first coronation to be televised.
What was the Queen’s role as head of state?
The head of states’ duties are vast and Queen Elizabeth II devoted tirelessly to serving her nation throughout her reign. Some duties include appointing the Prime Minister (as well as other ministers), opening new sessions of parliament, and giving royal approval to bills passed by parliament which enforces that it has become law. The monarch acts on the advice from the government but is seen to the public as the head of the nation.
Where did the Queen reside?
During the majority of her reign, Queen Elizabeth II lived in Buckingham Palace in London. However, Balmoral Castle had a special place in Queen Elizabeth’s heart and was her favourite place to live during the summertime.
In WW2 Elizabeth and her sister were sent away to avoid the bombings in London. They stayed in Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Windsor Castle and Sandringham House in Norfolk.
Sandringham House has been a favourite place to stay amongst the royals for years, starting with King Edward VII. He had loved spending time outdoors and sports. He wanted to have as much daylight as possible to enjoy the outdoor space of Sandringham. He had all the clocks altered on his estate to half an hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. This was known as Sandringham time from 1901 until 1936. The Queen had made her first televised Christmas broadcast from the library in Sandringham House in 1957. Traditionally, the Queen spent every Christmas with the Royal Family at Sandringham.
What occurs at a Jubilee?
A Jubilee for the head of state is the anniversary of the monarch’s accession to the throne. Jubilees began in the Roman Catholic Church marking years of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation. These were celebrated every twenty-five years and Jubilees have now been emulated by the British monarchy.
Queen Elizabeth II was the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking seventy years on the throne. In June 2022, there was an extra bank holiday as well as a bank holiday that was moved from May to create a special four-day weekend of celebration. This allowed for street parties, traditional ceremonies, and a concert to be held for the longest reigning British Monarch.
Five facts about the Queen:
- During World War Two, Princess Elizabeth joined the women’s branch of the British Army. At just eighteen years old she helped her country through the awful time. Princess Elizabeth joined the women’s auxiliary territorial service being a mechanic. She had also learnt to drive as she drove the trucks.
- The Queen was an animal lover and due to this, was gifted countless animals from around the world. Queen Elizabeth II received sloths, elephants, tortoises and even jaguars amongst other animals. Once these animals were gifted, the Queen donated them to London Zoo.
- Queen Elizabeth II supported over 600 charities in her lifetime and helped to raise £1.4 billion for them.
- The Queen had owned over 30 corgis in her lifetime. Her first was gifted to the Princess at the age of Eighteen which Princess Elizabeth named Susan. All the Queens corgis were descended from Susan.
- There have been fifteen Prime Ministers running the government throughout Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
How was Queen Elizabeth II there for the education sector in the UK?
Queen Elizabeth II had a long-established relationship with the education sector throughout her 70-year reign. The Queen cherished education and promoted the power of education across the world. Due to this, Queen Elizabeth II visited many schools during her reign and visited children all over the UK.
Due to Covid and ongoing health issues, the last visit to a school the Queen had managed was in 2019. She had opened a music centre and spoke to the students.
The Queen was a patron of several private schools too which included the Royal Russell School in Croydon, South London and Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire.
Supporting your school
The sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II can affect everyone in different ways and bring up bereavement issues that children or teachers have experienced in the past. SBMs can offer support to staff and students for bereavement. Organise a place and time for open talks or therapy that is confidential. Let your school know that you are there for them by clearly stating when these will occur.
Have meetings with your staff to encourage lessons based on the Queen to commemorate and celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s life. Remind them that questions and feelings can be shown and asked by the children at this confusing time.
For extra information on supporting your school as well as yourself, read our blog ‘5 places SBMs can go to for support.’ Under the mental health section, you can discover how to support your school with their mental health as well as yourself, which bereavement fits into.
A legacy
From her childhood to her death, Queen Elizabeth II demonstrated abilities that we should admire and strive to emulate. Her charity, resilience and desire to do the best for others are qualities that SBMs strive to instil into their schools for both their staff and students.
The Queen’s presence in the education sector could be seen as an icon and someone who all school communities could look up to. We thank Queen Elizabeth II for her tireless years of public service and for all that was done by the Queen to promote the power of education across the UK and the world.
