Queen Elizabeth is someone who does not get enough recognition for being a strong, empowered woman. Women all over the world seem to have forgotten that she became the queen in the 1950s- in a world that was still very much a man's world. She even changed some old traditions concerning the royal family to make her family more comfortable. So, in light of the Queen's 91st birthday on Friday, here are a few things you may not have known about her.
1. Elizabeth was not in line to become the heir to the throne.
Her father, King George VI was the younger brother. His elder brother, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne after just one year of ruling, and no formal coronation, in 1936. Edward wanted to marry an American socialite, Wallis Simpson. However, being an American as well as being divorced twice made her a completely unacceptable match for the king, in the eyes of the royal family, the Prime Minister, and Parliament. After trying to fight this, Edward chose the love of his life over the love of his country and stepped down from the throne. It was at this point, that Elizabeth's father began his rule.
2. She is one of the few monarchs to not change her name.
Throughout English history, most monarchs have changed their name from their birth name to a "regnal name." However, when asked, in 1952 after the sudden death of her father, what her reigning name would be, she responded: "Elizabeth, of course."
3. She was only 25 when she took the throne.
4. She is the longest reigning monarch in English history.
This year, on February 6- the Queen celebrated her 65th anniversary as Queen of Great Britain. Dubbed the "Sapphire Jubilee," she is the first monarch to have reached this milestone.
5. She was very involved with the war effort of WWII.
Elizabeth II had to grow up before her time, in a sense, due to WWII. At age 14, she made her first radio appearance, addressing children who had been evacuated due to the air strikes. At age 15, she was appointed colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and the following year made her first public appearance. On her 18th birthday, Parliament granted her permission to travel abroad and appear on behalf of her father, if he was unable to. In 1945, she joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service and was trained as a driver and a mechanic.
6. She fell in love with Prince Philip at age 13.
Elizabeth met the then heir of Greece and Denmark in 1934 at age 8. They met again in 1937, and again in 1939. At the this third meeting, Elizabeth claims she fell in love with Philip. They began to exchange letters throughout the war (in which he served in the Royal Navy) and became officially engaged when she was 21 years old.
7. Her engagement to Philip was riddled with controversy.
Due to the Greek Civil War as well as other conflicts, Philip's throne was lost. This, along with the fact that he was not full-blooded English made him undesirable. He also had no financial means, and his sisters had married into the German nobility with Nazi connections. In order to help quell some of the concerns of the royal family and Parliament, Philip gave up his other foreign titles and converted to Anglicanism from Greek Orthodoxy and took his mother's British surname.
8. She has had and loved over 30 corgis.
9. She was a Daddy's Girl.
It is well known that Elizabeth was very close to her father. She was closer to him than any other member of the royal family, other than Philip. He often taught her of the affairs of state and that being a woman did not mean she was not smart or capable. His early death devastated her.
10. She is a very stubborn, determined woman.
Queen Elizabeth II is the picture of grace and poise. She is very strict on the image she portrays, as well as that of the rest of the royal family. Being a constitutional monarch, she does not make her political opinions readily known. However over the years, particularly in regards to her family, she has set her foot down on many issues and even bucked what Parliament said her family had to do. She understands the balance of serving her country and being a wife and mother. She is a woman to be admired and looked up to.
