Who knows the background of the Queen of England now?

Elizabeth II (65438+April 2 1, 0926-), whose full name is elizabeth alexandra mary windsor, is currently the British monarch, the head of state of Britain, the Commonwealth and 15 member countries, and the supreme leader of the Anglican Church. Her full name is "God bless Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its territories, head of the Commonwealth, protector of (Christian) faith (by God's grace, queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its other territories, head of the Commonwealth, defender of faith)". She was crowned on February 6th, 1952. She is the second longest-serving head of state at present, and the country where she is the head of state is about 654.38+25 million people.

Constitutional status

In Britain, Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne according to the law of succession to the throne of 170 1. She is a Protestant and has never married a Roman Catholic. Although the British throne is generally inherited by blood, since the glorious revolution of 1688, the British Parliament has always had the right to decide who will succeed to the throne. (See British succession to the throne)

Among 15 Commonwealth countries that recognize Elizabeth II as the head of state, her status as head of state has been recognized by the Constitution. These countries were once British colonies or dominions. According to the earlier Westminster Act, which was used to distinguish British colonies from British dominions, "any law that may change the succession to the throne and royal titles must be approved by the British Parliament and all dominion parliaments before it can be implemented." After independence, the 15 countries that continue to recognize the queen (or king) as the head of state have actually achieved a status similar to this kind of autonomous territory, although according to the Westminster Act, these countries are not autonomous territories and have no right to decide on their own to change their inheritance methods. After the death of Elizabeth II, her descendants will become their heads of state according to the constitutions of these countries, not according to the principle of inheritance. Therefore, in fact, neither Canadians nor Australians can be called "people of the Queen".

16 countries with Elizabeth II as the head of state

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Canada

Grenada

Jamaica

New Zealand (because 198 1, the King of England is the head of New Zealand and the head of the Cook Islands).

Papua New Guinea

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia i.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Solomon Islands

Tuvalu

Britain, England

Early life

Elizabeth II was born in London by her grandparents. Her great-grandmother was Queen Alexander and her grandmother was Queen Mary. Her father is Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor, the second son of George V (former Duke of York).

Elizabeth was born after her mother Elizabeth? Educated at home under the guidance of Mrs Bao Si-Lyon. Her history teacher, C.H.K. Martin, is the dean of Eton College. Besides, she studies various languages (she speaks French fluently). The Archbishop of Canterbury gave her theological advice, and she has always been a devout member of the Anglican Church.

1936, Elizabeth's uncle Edward VIII abdicated, and her father succeeded him as king and became George VI, and she immediately became the heir to the throne. When World War II broke out, Elizabeth 13 years old. She and her sister Princess Margaret took refuge in Barmore. At that time, it was suggested that the two princesses take refuge in Canada, but their mothers objected: "The children can't leave me, I can't leave the king, and the king can't leave under any circumstances." 1940, Princess Elizabeth made the first broadcast, which was aimed at all the children who were taken in.

1945 princess Elizabeth persuaded her father to allow her to participate directly in helping win the war. She joined a women's group supporting the war. Her number is 230873, Lieutenant elizabeth windsor. This is the first time she has been trained with other children. It is said that she liked this experience very much, and it was because of this experience that she later sent her children to school instead of letting them study at home.

1947 Elizabeth visited abroad for the first time. She went to South Africa with her parents. 2 1 On her birthday, she broadcast to the Commonwealth and the Empire, vowing to devote her life to serving the people of the Commonwealth and the Empire.

On February 20th, Elizabeth married Prince Philip of Greece. Philip is the third cousin of Queen Elizabeth, and their great-great grandmothers are both Queen Victoria (Prince Philip swore off the right to inherit the Greek throne before marriage, and he didn't have any title before the title of Duke of Edinburgh, so he was called Captain philip Mountbatten). This kind of marriage is very suitable for the woman who is about to inherit the throne, because her husband has received royal training, but he will not inherit the throne of another country. However, this marriage was not deliberately arranged. The relationship between the two went through many tests and was finally reached at Elizabeth's own insistence. These tests included rumors of Philip's infidelity, and Elizabeth's grandmother and parents suspected that Philip's mother was a German princess.

After their marriage, the couple lived in Clarence House in London. They have four children (see below). Although the English dynasty was called the Windsor dynasty, the couple agreed that their children should use Mountbatten Windsor as their surname.

From 195 1, George VI's health deteriorated, and Elizabeth began to attend public meetings instead of her father. That year she visited Greece, Italy and Malta (when Philip was stationed here with the army). In June+10, 65438, she visited Canada and Washington. 10 Elizabeth and Philip went to Australia and New Zealand again. When they visited Kenya on February 6th, they learned that Elizabeth's father had passed away. She was in a tree hotel when she ascended the throne. Her coronation ceremony was held in Westminster Abbey on June 2nd. 1953.

The queen's career

After the coronation, Elizabeth and her husband Philip moved to Buckingham Palace in central London. But like all kings before her, Elizabeth doesn't like living in Buckingham Palace. For her, Windsor Castle in west London is her home. She also spent quite some time in Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Queen Elizabeth is the monarch who has visited abroad the most times in history. From 1953 to 1954, she and Philip spent half a year traveling around the world, and she became the first incumbent monarch to visit Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. June 1957 paid a state visit to the United States and June 1959 visited Canada. Her first visit to India and Pakistan was in 196 1. She visited most European countries and many regions outside Europe, and often attended Commonwealth summits.

In the early days of Elizabeth's succession, many people thought that a "new Elizabethan era" was coming. But in fact, what she and Britain have to face is a disintegrating sunset empire, a weakening military and economic power and a disintegrating loose organization-the Commonwealth. She constantly tried to maintain the special relationship between the former colony and Britain, and in some cases, such as South Africa, she made important contributions to maintaining this relationship.

Elizabeth is very conservative in religion, moral standards and family affairs. She takes her religious responsibilities very seriously and her coronation oath very seriously. This is one of the reasons why she is unlikely to abdicate. Queen Elizabeth, like her mother, never forgave Edward VIII for choosing to abdicate, because in her view, he abandoned his duties and forced his father to bear them, which was regarded as the chief culprit in shortening his father's life. She used her position to prevent her sister Margaret from marrying a divorced man. For years, she refused to acknowledge the relationship between her son Prince Charles and her lover Camilla Parker Bowles.

Politically, her position is rather vague, although she has never expressed her views on politics in public. She maintains friendly relations with many politicians of all political parties. It is generally believed that her favorite prime ministers are Winston Churchill, Harold Macmillan and Harold Wilson. Her least favorite prime minister is of course Margaret Thatcher. She has a good relationship with the current Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is the first prime minister born after she succeeded to the throne.

The Queen only makes public her position on issues that may affect the unification of Britain. She once expressed her support for the continued unification of England and Scotland, which angered some Scottish nationalists. Her praise of the Belfast Agreement in Northern Ireland also aroused opposition from many federalists.

Members of the royal family at the funeral of the Queen's mother, from left: Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Duke of York.

Although other members of the royal family often cause a lot of controversy, especially the marriage problems experienced by the Queen's children in the1980s and1990s, the Queen herself is less controversial and basically respected by the British people. Although she is more relaxed than before, she is still very formal in public. Because she is unwilling to express her feelings in public, it is impossible for the British public to have deeper feelings for her.

Elizabeth II has never been unpopular, at least not more unpopular than during the reign of Queen Victoria. The only time that caused public dissatisfaction was after the death of Princess Diana in 1997, the Queen and other members of the royal family did not participate in public mourning activities. This has caused criticism from many tabloids, usually the prince's office, which makes the British feel that the royal family is ruthless and inhuman.

Many people think that the Queen doesn't like Diana very much, and that she is destructive to the royal family. Finally, under great public pressure, when the princess's coffin passed Buckingham Palace, all members of the royal family had to bow to it. The Queen also expressed her condolences for Diana's death in the form of a rare live television broadcast. This change of Elizabeth II may be the result of lobbying by the Queen's mother and Blair.

After 1997, Elizabeth II regained her previously respected image as head of state. In 2002, the whole country celebrated the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne. That year, she traveled all over Britain, paid state visits to several Commonwealth countries and participated in many parades and concerts. In June, thousands of people gathered outside Buckingham Palace for an activity called "Palace Party", and many musicians from all over Britain gathered here to perform. Sadly, the queen's mother died in the celebration.

After the death of her mother and sister, she became very close to the children. She has a particularly harmonious relationship with her daughter-in-law the Duchess of Wessex. However, she and her son Prince Charles seldom meet. Although she does not support the relationship between the Crown Prince and Camilla, she has hinted many times recently that she has been able to accept Camilla. On the other hand, she has a close relationship with her grandchildren, especially Prince William and zara phillips.

In 2003, the Queen, who had been in good health, underwent three operations. In June 5438+10, she underwent surgery to remove the fractured cartilage of her right knee, and in February 65438+February, she underwent similar surgery on her left knee to repair the organ damage on her face. At one time, some people speculated that it was caused by skin cancer, but Buckingham Palace said that the Queen was fine.

A series of recent operations have made people worry that the 78-year-old Queen Elizabeth is overworked and should take more rest. Although the Queen is 80 years old, she has publicly indicated that she has no intention of abdicating. Many people close to Elizabeth said that the Queen could not abdicate alone. But she agreed to let her children take on more state affairs. She also began to reduce the number of overseas visits (generally speaking, she makes two state visits and two Commonwealth countries visits every year). But like her mother, she won't stop working until her body can't bear it.

In recent years, the public found that Queen Elizabeth showed more emotions in public. Although she kept the solemn image of the monarch most of the time, at the memorial service for the victims of the 9 1 1 incident in Westminster, she began to smile and cry in public.

Political role

/kloc-In the 1950s, Elizabeth II took a group photo with the prime ministers of Commonwealth countries, and Churchill was on the left of the Queen.

In Britain, the Queen is an important part of the legislative process. She is isomorphic with the House of Lords and the House of Commons, forming the whole legislature. But in fact, the queen's power is only symbolic. The Queen can legally approve or veto a bill, but since 1707, no British monarch has ever vetoed a bill. At the opening of the new parliament every year, the Queen will make speeches as usual, outlining the legislative agenda of that year, but these speeches are written by her ministers.

The queen also has a symbolic role in the executive branch. The British government is called "Her Majesty's Government". Technically speaking, the Queen is responsible for appointing ministers. But in fact, the Queen cannot appoint or remove ministers and officials; The post of Prime Minister is generally held by the majority leader of the House of Commons, and then the Prime Minister "suggests" the Queen to appoint other cabinet members. Besides, the British government is not responsible for the Queen. It must be accountable to the House of Commons, that is, indirectly to the British voters. The Queen also participates in the country's judicial system, the courts act in her name, and the government also prosecutes on behalf of the Queen.

But the queen cannot be sued or accused as a head of state, nor can she be sued as an individual (although the monarch can be sued as a legal entity). But in English law, the queen is a natural person and must obey the law like everyone else. But it is uncertain whether the queen can be prosecuted when she breaks the law. /kloc-During the British Revolution in the 7th century, the Parliament accused Charles I of treason, but the whole process was declared illegal after charles ii came to power.

It is very formal and serious that the Prime Minister must meet the Queen every week. For the prime minister, meeting the Queen may be more important than accepting questions from the House of Commons, because the prime minister's report to the Queen is often more detailed and frank. Even the prime minister who opposes the monarchy attaches great importance to meeting the queen.

The Queen also often meets with the Scottish Chief Minister. Holyroodhouse, the royal palace where the Scottish monarch once lived, has also been reused. Now a member of the royal family usually lives here (often the Prince of Wales). The Queen also refers to the report of the Welsh Assembly.

Although the Queen is not allowed to directly interfere in politics, she has been a close friend of all the prime ministers since Churchill for many years, and her good relationship with world leaders makes every opinion she expresses be carefully considered by the prime ministers.

ancestors

Elizabeth II's ancestors were all British monarchs, dating back to the Wessex dynasty in the 7th century. She is also related to the Scottish royal family, dating back to the 9th century. She is also related to the oldest Danish royal family in Europe, and her great-grandmother Queen Alexander is a princess of Denmark. She is also related to most royal families in Europe. Her cousins include King Harold V of Norway, King Juan Carlos I of Spain and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, while King Albert II of Belgium is her cousin. In addition, she is related to the previous Greek royal family, Romanian royal family, German royal family and Russian royal family.

The Queen has never been interviewed by the media, so few people know her political position and views except a few foreign heads of state who have talked with her. It is reported that the Queen doesn't have many friends, and she prefers to keep horses and keep Welsh Kejiquan company. The queen's dress is very conservative, and she likes monochrome coats and different hats. She rarely changes her appearance, for example, her hair style rarely changes after she ascended the throne. Her personal image is alienated from the public, so she is often satirized by cartoonists and imitators.

Although the Queen often attends various cultural activities, it is said that she is not interested in art in her private time and would rather spend the whole evening playing puzzles than engaging in other artistic activities. Her indifference to music and painting has attracted criticism from many literary critics, who described the Queen as a "monarch without aesthetic feeling".

The queen is very formal in diplomatic occasions, and there are many manners when meeting her. Although some traditional rituals (such as bowing) have been abolished when meeting the British monarch, any intimate communication, such as touching, is not allowed. Therefore, when former Australian Prime Minister Keating visited Australia, he gently hugged the Queen's waist. Although he personally argued that this was a sign of respect for the elderly, he was also accused by the royalists of "disrespecting the Queen".

However, it is reported privately that the Queen likes some "indecent" humor very much, and her maids often "report" the new gossip in the palace to her. The queen in private is very approachable and really cares about the attendants who work for her.

Almost every prime minister who worked with her spoke highly of the Queen. Since her accession to the throne, she has spent an average of three hours a day dealing with state affairs and reading documents sent by various departments and the Prime Minister's Office. Because of this, she can give many useful suggestions to Prime Minister Blair.

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Descendants of the queen

The Queen's Children and the Third Generation:

Charles Philip Arthur George (born in1948165438+10/4), Prince of Wales, on July 29th, 198 1 year.

Prince William (born on February1June, 982)

Prince Harry (born in1September, 984)

Anne Elizabeth Alice Lewis (1950, 15 was born in August), Princess Wang, 1973 married Mark Anthony Peter Phillips in February, and1divorced on April 28th, 992.

Peter phillips (born in 1977)

Zara Phillips (born in May 198 1 day).

Andrew albert christian edward (born in February 1960), Duke of York, married Sarah Margaret Ferguson on July 23rd 1986 and divorced on May 30th 1996.

Beatrice Elizabeth Mary (born1August 8, 988)

Princess Ogini (born on1March 23, 990)

Edward antony richard louis (born on March 1964), Earl of Wessex, married Sophie Liz Jones on June 1999.

Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar (born on June 8, 2003).

Note that the Queen's two grandchildren, peter phillips and Zara Phillips, have no royal titles, which is very rare in British history. This is because the British royal title is inherited from her father, and Princess Anne's ex-husband mark phillips is a commoner, so his children are all commoners.