Queen Elizabeth II’s Evolution From Princess To Longest-Reigning Monarch On Record

Jan 22, 2021 by apost team

Queen Elizabeth II, the current monarch of the British royal family, has reigned for nearly seven decades. Come February 6th, 2021, it would mark the 69th year since she became the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth nations. Even before she ascended to the throne at the young age of 27, all eyes were on her as royalists waited with anticipation and speculated what she would be like as a ruler. Read on as we take a look back at some of the most significant moments throughout the Queen’s life.

The Queen was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21st, 1926, and is the eldest daughter of King George VI and Elizabeth, Duchess of York. She is 94 years old (and still going strong) and has lived an incredible life that deserves to be celebrated. At birth, she was not first in the line of succession, but after her uncle abdicated the throne and her father became King, she became next in line. Currently, her son Prince Charles is next in line for the throne, followed by his firstborn, the Queen’s grandson Prince William, and then his firstborn, the Queen’s great-grandson Prince George.

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As a little girl, the Queen was affectionately addressed as “Lillibet,” by her loved ones.  After her father King George VI died in February 1952, Elizabeth was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth at just 27 years old on June 2nd, 1953.

She has then gone by several names when she became Queen: Her Majesty, Elizabeth II, or simply the Queen. But according to Town & Country, she goes by one other name, Gan-Gan, a name which only her eight great-grandchildren are allowed to call her. (She is also expected to be a great-grandmother for the ninth and tenth time this year.)

Here she is at 20 years old, taking the salute during a march-past of Auxiliary Territorial Service cadets at the Imperial Services College in Windsor, UK. She had joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she trained as a mechanic, becoming the first female member of the Royal Family to join the Armed Services as a full-time active member.

The Queen holds the Guinness World Record for featuring on the most number of currencies. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the monarch appears on the coinage of more than 35 different countries. The second and third places do not even come close to that number with her ancestors Queen Victoria and King George V having appeared on the currencies of 21 and 19 countries respectively.

The Queen has appeared on the coinage of these countries: Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, East Africa, East Caribbean States, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Kiribati, Malaya British Borneo, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Rhodesia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Africa, St. Helena, Tokelau, Tristan da Cunha, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, and the UK.

Elizabeth met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark and the two got married on November 20, 1947, in Westminster Abbey. The following year Elizabeth gave birth to Prince Charles, their first child. They have four children in total—Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.

Unlike many royal marriages that are arranged matches, this marriage is based entirely on love. According to Reader's Digest, Elizabeth and Philip first met at the wedding of Philip’s cousin in 1934, when she was 8 and Philip was 13. They met again when she was 13 and Philip was 18, and the young Elizabeth found him to be very attractive indeed.

During World War II, Philip was deployed overseas, but he and Elizabeth regularly exchanged letters. He returned to England in 1946 and proposed, and she said yes. However, due to royal family rules, they had to hide their engagement for several months until Elizabeth turned 21.

At age 94, Queen Elizabeth II is one of the longest-living royals. The Queen’s remarkable vigor has caused quite the buzz in our cyberspace. As Bored Panda describes it, she is “the epitome of stability,” and has become the star in various Internet memes joking about her being an immortal.

She may be an icon online, but she is not actually the oldest member of the British royal family alive today. That title goes to her husband. Prince Philip, who will turn 100 years old in June of this year, currently stands at third place for the longest-living British royal ever, having surpassed in 2019 the late Princess Alice of Albany who died at the age of 97. He is the longest-living male and is also the oldest of the British royal family members alive today. His wife is the second oldest living royal, and sixth longest-living overall. 

The Duke of Edinburgh had quite a fan club in his heyday. When he married the Queen in 1947, women nationwide were swooned by his classically good looks. He was six feet tall, blonde, and had piercing blue eyes. He could always summon a smile out of his wife by using his wit. It is rare to see a photo of the Queen not smiling while in the presence of Prince Philip. Here she is carrying her baby, Prince Edward. After keeping a low-profile for so many years, Prince Edward has fully assumed his royal duties and even took over some of his father's duties in 2017. This is due to his father's inability to carry out some responsibilities due to his age.

Here she is flashing a megawatt smile as she leaves Schloss Augustusburg in Bruhl, Germany, after attending a State Reception. She paired the shining crown with the Jubilee Necklace and a diamond bow brooch that featured a pearl drop. Queen Elizabeth II had inherited the piece from Queen Mary. The jewels complimented her soft curled updo. 

According to USA Today, the Queen has hosted a whopping 152 state visits since her ascension to the throne back in 1952 and has met with 11 out of 12 sitting U.S. presidents. 

Here the Queen is pictured with her husband as they attended the State Opening of Parliament during the Queen's Silver Jubilee Tour in Wellington, New Zealand. The Silver Jubilee marked Her Majesty’s 25th year of accession to the throne. The tour spanned three months and the couple visited a total of 36 countries together, according to Wikipedia.

During her Diamond Jubilee held in 2012, the Queen acknowledged the effect that their relationship had had on her, saying Philip had been her "constant strength and guide." Their marriage happens to be the longest of any British sovereign as they have been married for 72 years so far. The Queen is still more than fond of her husband, in an emotional tribute on their golden wedding anniversary she revealed: 

"He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years."

To their family, they are relationship goals. "I'd love to know their secret," William said in a BBC documentary about the Queen’s life as per Good Housekeeping. "I think it's fantastic and I've regularly asked them both how they've managed it because they are the most lovely couple.”

Here the Queen is pictured on New Year’s Day in 1969 with a 20-year-old Prince Charles standing behind her at Windsor Castle.

Although Prince Charles holds numerous titles, his most well-known moniker is likely to be The Prince of Wales. As stated on the official royal website, while not an inherited title, the title 'Prince of Wales' is bestowed from the throne by sovereign power to the oldest male child of the reigning British monarch. As Queen Elizabeth II’s oldest son, he received that title from his mother. The Queen bequeathed the title to him over half a century ago in 1958, though his investiture was not held until July 1st, 1969 when he was 20 years old, reports HistoryExtra.

Charles has worn this title ever since. When Charles ascends to the throne as king when Queen Elizabeth II dies, the title of Prince of Wales will be conferred upon his own oldest son, Prince William. William will then pass the title to his own oldest son, Prince George, should William assume the throne. That tradition will continue as new monarchs are crowned in future generations.

If you enjoyed this story about the Queen, be sure to let us know in the comments what surprised you about her the most and pass it along to your loved ones to get their take on it as well!