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Summary remembering Queen Elizabeth II
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describing the life of Queen Elizabeth II
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Her early lifeIn the early hours on the 21st of April 1926, the Duke and Duchess of York introduced their
eldest daughter to the world in the residence of 17 Bruton Street London, a property owned
by her maternal grandparents. On the 29th of May, she was baptised as Elizabeth Alexandra
Mary Windsor - a name which honoured her mother, grandmother as well as her paternal
great-grandmother who had died six months previously. Both her parents desired for their
'Lilibet' to be raised in a somewhat ordinary life away from royal expectations, however, she
did nevertheless remain especially devoted to her 'grandpa England' and his Queen, Mary of
Teck.
Future Prime Minister, Winston Churchill observed that as a two-year-old Elizabeth was
"A character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant."
Although the granddaughter of the monarch, Elizabeth maintained the ideology of any other
ordinary girl her age with a fascination for animals and cheeky mannerisms. In 1930,
Elizabeth's beloved sister, Margaret, was welcomed into the world, completing the York
family for which the future Queen loved so dearly. Much like her father, although Elizabeth's
birth had gained some public attraction, it was never truly speculated that someday she
could become the monarch herself as her uncle, the future Edward VIII, remained young
with the high possibility that one day he would take the throne and produce his own heirs to
the throne. George V expressed in the privacy of his own home his concern for the capability
of his heir presumptive in his future role as King of the United Kingdoms; so much so that he
is quoted as having written
"After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself in twelve months."
Unknown to the royal family until January 1934, Edward had been engaging in an affair with
his future bride, Wallis Simpson an American divorcee still involved in her second marriage
with Ernest Simpson. On the 20th of January 1936, George V died at the age of 70 following
a lethal dose of cocaine and morphine triggering the instantaneous reign of Edward VIII.
Becoming aware of the affair between Wallis and Edward, British Prime Minister, Neville
Chamberlain met with the King where he encouraged the King to make a decision between
his mistress and his throne, to which he responded on the 10th of December when he
announced his abdication and declared his intentions to marry Simpson. The Queen's father,
the late George VI was declared King, something which notoriously horrified him due to a
speech impairment he possessed and created limitations in his ability to communicate
clearly.
World War II
Following the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Lord Hailsham suggested to the
Queen's mother that the royal children should be evacuated to Canada in order to shelter
them from the consequences of the aerial bombings occurring in London. However,
Hailsham's proposal was rejected, with the Queens Consort remarking
"The children won't go without me. I won't leave without the King. And the King will never
leave."
As a substitute for Canada, the two princesses were relocated temporarily to Balmoral in
Scotland followed by Sandringon House and Windsor Castle. In order to raise national
spirits, Elizabeth and Mary performed entertainment for stationed and injured soldiers with
, the events raising money in aid of the 'Queen's Wool Fund.' Following the celebration of her
18th birthday and therefore legal adultery, the heir apparent enrolled in the army under the
positions of both a driver and mechanic where, within five months, she was appointed the
title of honour junior commander. Following the conclusion of the war on the 2nd of
September 1945, the princesses endured a night of celebrations in the streets of London
concealed by false identities. This occurrence provided the royals with an understanding of
what it meant to be ordinary as they like the rest of the country, celebrated nationalism.
On her 21st birthday, whilst participating in a tour in Southern Africa with her parents,
Elizabeth pledged in a broadcast to the Commonwealth
"I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to
your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."
Meeting her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece
In 1934, Elizabeth met her second cousin, Prince Philip of Greece for the first time and once
again in 1937. However, it was their third encounter in July 1939 at Royal Naval College
when thirteen-year-old Elizabeth declared herself as falling in love with the Prince who
provided her and her family a personal tour of the building. On the 9th of July 1947, the King
announced to his subjects the engagement of his twenty-one-year-old daughter to her
twenty-six-year-old fiance. Although George VI did not necessarily agree with the pairing, he
nevertheless accepted their request despite his awareness that the public may oppose the
marriage due to Philip's social, and financial standings as well as his sister's marriages to
known Nazis. The foreign prince earned mocking due to the irony of him being
"A prince without a home or kingdom."
As a response to the Greek revolution of 1921 which saw the royal family immigrating to the
United Kingdom yet nevertheless maintaining their titles. In order to attract public approval,
Philip denounced both his Greek and Danish titles and styled his last name Mountbatten
from which his mother descended from. On the 20th of November 1947, the two engaged in
holy matronly at Westminister Abbey, with Elizabeth purchasing her gown using rations
Her role as a mother
Within a year of marriage, Elizabeth and Philip welcomed their heir, Prince Charles to the
world, followed less than two years later by their daughter, Princess Anne. Due to the Duke
of Edinburgh's military occupation, between the years 1949 and 1951, both himself and the
Princess were stationed in Malta where they enjoyed a life in the rented home of Philip's
uncle, Louis Mountbatten. Elizabeth expressed a fondness for this period of her life, stating
in 2015 “Visiting Malta is always very special for me”
Becoming Queen Elizabeth II
Throughout the entirety of his life, George VI was an avid smoker to such an extent that his
daughter Margaret stated that he smoked close to 100 cigarettes a day whilst still
possessing the title of Duke of York. As a response to such unhealthy habits, in September
1951, the King had his left lung removed after being falsely told by doctors that it had
developed a lump, when unknown to him, it was actually cancer which his wife requested he
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