Queen Elizabeth II Death: 10 Interesting Facts About The Late British Monarch
Elizabeth II became Queen at the age of 25 when her father, King George VI, died at the age of 56 after failing to recover from a lung operation.
New Delhi: The Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday, September 8, at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. She was 96 years old.
Queen Elizabeth II was the oldest and the longest-reigning monarch in Britain's history as she had recently celebrated her 70 years on the throne this year. Renowned for her commitment and sense of responsibility toward the country, the Queen had spent the majority of her life in public. Still, there are many things about The Queen that are lesser known.
Some Interesting Facts About Queen Elizabeth II:
1. She became Queen at the age of 25 when her father, King George VI, died at the age of 56 after failing to recover from a lung operation.
2. She was the only person in Britain without a driver's licence and never required a passport for international travel. She travelled to over 120 countries on six continents, making her the most travelled monarch in history.
3. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were distant cousins. They were both Queen Victoria's great-great-grandchildren. They were married for more than 70 years until Philip died in 2021 at the age of 99.
4. Princess Elizabeth enlisted in the women's division of the British Army during World War II because she wanted to contribute to the war effort. She was the first female royal family member to serve in the military on a full-time, active basis. She received training as a military truck driver and mechanic before being elevated to the position of honorary Junior Commander.
5. The Queen celebrated two birthdays! Although it was publicly observed on the second Saturday in June, when it was warmer, her actual birthday was April 21st. This custom was established by Edward VII, the Queen's great-grandfather, who was born in the chilly month of November.
6. She was the queen, but she also paid taxes — at least since 1992. When the queen's weekend residence, Windsor Castle, was destroyed by fire in 1992, the public revolted against paying millions of pounds for repairs. She voluntarily agreed to pay tax on her personal income to cover 70% of the cost of restoration work, and she also decided to open her home at Buckingham Palace to the public for the first time in order to raise additional funds through admission fees.
7. Queen Elizabeth had to return donations from women all over the UK after purchasing the material for her wedding gown with ration coupons.
8. The Queen sent the first royal email 42 years ago, long before any of us! She was at a telecommunications research centre, and her email address was "HME2" (Her Majesty, Elizabeth II). She also made her first Instagram post in 2019. The Instagram handle is known as ‘The Royal Family.'
9. Elizabeth II learned how to shoot a gun with Winston Churchill's Tommy Gun during her training to fight Nazis. She was only 14 years old at the time.
10. 15 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom served Queen Elizabeth II. The list includes Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
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