Elizabeth II: Difference between revisions
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'''Elizabeth II''' (born 21st April<ref>April often being a poor month for good weather, the Queen's birthday is officially celebrated in June. See the [[British monarchy]]'s official page: '[http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4820.asp One Queen, Two Birthdays]'.</ref> 1926) is the current [[Head of State]] and [[monarch]] of the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], and [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England]]. She is also Head of State of several Commonwealth countries, including [[Canada]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], serving over 129 million people in these '[[Commonwealth realms]]' as their [[sovereign]]. In none of these offices does she hold any real political power: as Head of State, the monarch's role is largely ceremonial as in all constitutional monarchies. Nevertheless, there remain doubts in some quarters about specific discretions, such as choosing a prime minister, which are not necessarily constrained by precedent or constitutional limitations. | '''Elizabeth II''' (born 21st April<ref>April often being a poor month for good weather, the Queen's birthday is officially celebrated in June. See the [[British monarchy]]'s official page: '[http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4820.asp One Queen, Two Birthdays]'.</ref> 1926) is the current [[Head of State]] and [[monarch]] of the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], and [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England]]. She is also Head of State of several Commonwealth countries, including [[Canada]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], serving over 129 million people in these '[[Commonwealth realms]]' as their [[sovereign]]. In none of these offices does she hold any real political power: as Head of State, the monarch's role is largely ceremonial as in all constitutional monarchies. Nevertheless, there remain doubts in some quarters about specific discretions, such as choosing a prime minister, which are not necessarily constrained by precedent or constitutional limitations. | ||
The Queen married [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Philip Mountbatten]], now [[Duke of Edinburgh]], in 1947, and ascended to the throne in 1952 following the death of | The Queen married [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Philip Mountbatten]], now [[Duke of Edinburgh]], in 1947, and ascended to the throne in 1952 while she was in [[Kenya]] and following the death of [[George VI]], her father. [[Charles, Prince of Wales]], the eldest of the Queen's four children, is expected to succeed her. Elizabeth's [[hobby|hobbies]] include watching [[horse racing]], breeding [[thoroughbred]]s, [[dog]] walking and [[country dancing]].<ref>''The Royal Family'': '[http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page5550.asp Her Majesty the Queen]'. Official website.</ref> | ||
==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
Revision as of 04:36, 1 September 2007
Elizabeth II (born 21st April[1] 1926) is the current Head of State and monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. She is also Head of State of several Commonwealth countries, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, serving over 129 million people in these 'Commonwealth realms' as their sovereign. In none of these offices does she hold any real political power: as Head of State, the monarch's role is largely ceremonial as in all constitutional monarchies. Nevertheless, there remain doubts in some quarters about specific discretions, such as choosing a prime minister, which are not necessarily constrained by precedent or constitutional limitations.
The Queen married Philip Mountbatten, now Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947, and ascended to the throne in 1952 while she was in Kenya and following the death of George VI, her father. Charles, Prince of Wales, the eldest of the Queen's four children, is expected to succeed her. Elizabeth's hobbies include watching horse racing, breeding thoroughbreds, dog walking and country dancing.[2]
Early life
Accession to the throne
Reign of Elizabeth
Footnotes
- ↑ April often being a poor month for good weather, the Queen's birthday is officially celebrated in June. See the British monarchy's official page: 'One Queen, Two Birthdays'.
- ↑ The Royal Family: 'Her Majesty the Queen'. Official website.
References
Further reading
- Ben Pimlott. The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II (1998) online search and excerpt from amazon.com
- Robert Lacey. Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II (2003) online search and excerpt from amazon.com
- William Shawcross. Queen and Country: The Fifty-Year Reign of Elizabeth II (2002) online search and excerpt from amazon.com