Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II (born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) is Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In addition to the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II is also Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, where she is represented by Governors-Generals. She is the world's only monarch who is simultaneously Head of State of more than one independent nation. In practice, however, she personally exercises very little political or executive power, especially outside the UK.






Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II


Elizabeth was born on 21 April 1926 in London, the first child of Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (now the Queen Mother). Although her birth generated public interest, there was no reason at the time to believe that she would ever become queen. That was until her uncle Edward VIII abdicated in December 1936. Her father then became King George VI and she having no male siblings, became heir.





Changing a wheel during war service


In 1945, Princess Elizabeth convinced her father that she should be allowed to contribute directly to the war effort. She joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she was trained as a driver. This training was the first time she had been taught together with other students. It is said that she greatly enjoyed this and that this experience led her to send her own children to school rather than have them educated at home. She was the first, and so far only, female member of the royal family to actually serve in the armed forces, though other royal women have been given honorary ranks.

On her 21st birthday she made an international radio broadcast to the British Commonwealth pledging, "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service."

Elizabeth married Prince Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark) on 20 November 1947. The couple are second cousins once removed. They have four children: Prince Charles - now The Prince of Wales; Princess Anne - now The Princess Royal; Prince Andrew - now The Duke of York and Prince Edward - now The Earl of Wessex.





The Queen with Prince Philip


King George VI died on 6 February 1952 while Elizabeth and Philip were in Kenya.
Elizabeth was staying at the Treetops Hotel in Thika, when she was told of her father's death and of her own succession to the throne — a unique circumstance for any such event. She was the first British monarch since the accession of George I to be outside the country at the moment of succession, and also the first in modern times not to know the exact time of her accession (because her father had died in his sleep at an unknown time).
She returned home immediately, and was crowned at Westminster Abbey in June 1953. For more than 50 years, during a period of great change in Britain, the queen has carried out her political duties as head of state, the ceremonial responsibilities of the sovereign and a large annual programme of visits in the United Kingdom as well as numerous foreign tours.

<<-In the White House

<-In Canada


Despite the controversies and scandals surrounding her children and other members of the royal family, she remains a respected head of state. In 2002, Elizabeth celebrated her golden jubilee (50 years on the throne) and in 2006 her 80th birthday.







On May7th 2007, George W.Bush winks at the Queen






The Queen shows her disapproval