Youth
Elizabeth was born on April 21st 1926, the oldest daughter of Duke Albert of York, a younger son of Britain’s King George V. This meant that, while the young Elizabeth was in the line of succession, she had only a small chance of becoming queen. All this changed in 1936, when the new king Edward VIII abdicated in order to freely marry, and Elizabeth’s father became George VI. Elizabeth was now the direct heir to the throne, as long as a brother wasn’t born. The Queen’s education was unconventional, which has led her to being labelled uneducated. In reality she was taught trade items: state papers, constitutional matters etc. When, in 1950, Elizabeth’s governess Marion Crawford published a book on the princesses’ life, she was cut out totally by her previously fond charges for breaking the code of confidentiality. Yet the book remains a useful source, and talks of a warm, cautious but fun child loved by her family and isolated from the rest of the world.During World War 2, Elizabeth was kept mostly apart from her parents for security reasons. She worked in the ATS, the Auxiliary Territorial Services, servicing and driving vehicles. Afterwards, in 1947, she was engaged to Philip Mountbatten, formerly Prince Philip of Greece; it was Elizabeth’s choice and she had to convince an uncertain family. The ceremony took place on November 20th 1947; it was the first time the mass of her subjects could see a coronation thanks to TV coverage from inside. Their first child, Charles, followed almost exactly a year later. Both events were greeted cheerfully by a nation using Elizabeth to rebuild hope for the future after the way years.
The Young Queen
George VI’s health was fading in 1951, and Elizabeth stood in for him. She was still able to travel abroad for state occasions, but in early 1952, while in Kenya, the king died. Elizabeth returned immediately for Britain, and was rarely in the public eye for the next three months. However, during the summer she moved home to Buckingham palace and assumed the full responsibilities of the monarch; she was crowned on June 2nd 1953.Life and Role
Elizabeth has travelled widely, and her visits have included the first made to Australia and New Zealand by a reigning British monarch, the first to India for fifty years, as well as firsts in South American, Ireland and the Persian Gulf. Although opponents are quick to deride the queen for these trips, she and her husband use them to promote British interest and business. In many ways, they are the modern equivalents of the tours of England and the continent that medieval English monarchs made, to show themselves to subjects and improve the ties (and finances) between them. Meeting people like this, putting the warmth of her country forward even in otherwise cold times, requires a certain personal skill and touch which Elizabeth has amply demonstrated, and all state visits and receptions are organised in concert with the government for a range of reasons. They are rarely simply holidays or parties.Elizabeth represents the British state – laws and government, its people – and is the head of both the government and the military, although in practice decisions are made at the next step down the chain: elected politicians and appointed commanders. The monarch in Britain is a position of great significance, but little practical power, and that power has decreased over her reign. However, Elizabeth pays close attention to the government. Elizabeth meets her Prime Minister weekly, in talks which remain private: the two can confidentially discuss anything, although as far as we know the PM is normally the one doing the unburdening, while she listens and adds her experience.
