21 Unknown Facts About Queen Elizabeth II That Prove Her Be A Really Strong Lady

Transcription

1 21 Unknown Facts About Queen Elizabeth II That Prove Her Be A Really Strong Lady Celebrities Britain's current and longest reigning monarch who created history by surpassing her great-great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, turned 90 on April 21st. Being a Taurus woman has to make her one of a kind! She definitely is one of the most loved royalties there ever must have existed who is not only adored by the citizens of her country but also by the entire world. And why shouldn't she be? I mean, she totally nailed it as a Queen and is surely justifying the British anthem that says "God save the queen". Did you know? Queen Elizabeth II was only 25 when she took the huge responsibility of taking care of her country after the World War II and made sure to make the UK what it is right now. Though a lot has been written on her personal and professional life, there are certain facts, which I'm sure not a lot of you know about. So here's a list of a few lesser known facts about the beloved Queen Elizabeth II. 1. Queen Elizabeth II doesn't have a Passport. (NO, I'm not kidding!)

2 The Queen has visited 116 countries during her reign and despite being history s most widely traveled head of state - she doesn't hold a passport. You may ask, why? Since all British passports are issued in the queen s name, she doesn t need one. She also doesn t require a driver s license for that matter! 2. She didn't take her husband's surname. During World War I, Queen Elizabeths' family had dropped their family name and replaced it with Windsor in view of anti-german sentiments. Similarly, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband, also dropped his father s Germanic surname, Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, and adopted the surname of his maternal grandparents - Mountbatten. But, when Elizabeth ascended the throne, her mother and Prime Minister Winston Churchill did everything to prevent the queen from adopting surname - Mountbatten. 3. The queen has 2 birthdays!

3 Each Commonwealth country traditionally celebrates the queen's birthday on a designated day in May or June. In the United Kingdom, it falls on the first, second or third Saturday in June. Whereas, Britain officially observes her birthday, which coincides with the merging of Trooping the Colour ceremony and parade. She was actually born on April 21, Talk of the town? No, talk of the world.

4 The majesty once woke up to see a stalker in her bedroom and was taken aback. Given her beauty and dynamic personality, she has been the topic of discussion the world over and has a large fan following. 5. Wedding dress The wedding dress of Princess Elizabeth I was worn by future Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding to Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, on November 20, 1947, in Westminster Abbey. As clothes were rationed at the time, she had to purchase some material through ration coupons. The dress, designed by Norman Hartnell, was a fit and flare silhouette. 6. Her presence in the World War II.

5 She drove a truck during the World War II, one badass woman, I must say! At 18, she joined the Women s Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II. Wearing a pair of coveralls, she received training in London as a mechanic and military truck driver. The queen remains the only female member of the royal family to have entered the armed forces in World War II. 7. Her love for horses!

6 Her love for horses began when a pony was gifted to her on her third birthday. This is how she developed love for horses. 8. Mark her punctuality

7 In more than 50 years of her reign, Queen Elizabeth attended every Parliament's opening session. She skipped the session only on two occasions when she was expecting her two children. Beat that! godchildren! Wait...WHAAAT? How many godchildren does anyone have? Two maybe three? Spare a thought for The Queen. At the last count, Queen Elizabeth II had 30 godchildren. 10. An all-rounder, right there!

8 Is there anything that the queen cannot do? As a young girl, she was a Sea Ranger as well as a Girl Guide. 11. There have been 12 US Presidents since she first began her reign.

9 She has seen the election of 12 Presidents of United States since she ascended the throne. That's spectacular. 12. She created a new dog breed 'dorgi'. Her love for dogs comes from her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who owned a number of German dachshunds and corgis. Queen Elizabeth II bred a corgi with a dachshund and thus, created the dorgi, and has continued to breed them since. 13. Her love for children speaks volumes about her nature.

10 In summer 2005, she opened the first children's trail in the Buckingham Palace garden. Also, during her 80th birthday celebrations, she held a "Children's Party at the Palace" and invited about 2,000 children. 14. Ships Ahoy!

11 The queen has launched 23 ships during her lifetime, the first being HMS Vanguard on November 30, 1944, in Clydebank, Scotland, when she was a princess. The first ship launched by her as a queen was on April 16, 1953, the Britannia, which was also from Clydebank. Other ships launched by the Queen include Elizabeth 2 in 1967, and Queen Mary 2 in The Diamond Celebration.

12 She was the first British monarch to celebrate her diamond wedding anniversary on November 20, Her feminism.

13 She hosted Buckingham Palace's first ever women-only event, "Women of Achievement," in March She is way too cool and follows new trends. To celebrate golden jubilee of her reign, the Queen hosted the first public concert in the garden of Buckingham Palace in June 2002 where artists like Paul McCartney and Elton John performed. She attended the classical and pop concerts. The Party at the Palace show was one of the most-watched pop concerts in history, which attracted 200 million viewers from all over the world. 18. World traveller.

14 She has traveled all over the world! In the last 60 years of her tenure, the Queen has undertaken 261 official overseas visits, including 96 state visits, to 116 countries worldwide. 19. A social activist.

15 She is associated with 40 animal-related organisations, 90 medical and health-care charities, in addition to hundreds of other organisations she is involved with. In 2005, she claimed ownership of 88 cygnets (young swans) on River Thames. They are looked after by a swan marker. The first royal swan keeper was appointed in 12th century. 20. Volume of mails. The Queen has received over 3.5 million pieces of correspondence during her reign. 21. Hosting banquets.

16 On an average, the Queen hosts more than 50,000 people at banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and garden parties at Buckingham Palace, every year.