Lots has been written about Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable life, reign and times, though in our Book of the Month for December 2022 – Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait – Gyles Brandreth tells the story from his perspective as someone who knew her husband well, and had met her, talked with her and kept a record of those conversations.

Whilst we clearly didn’t know Elizabeth as personally as Gyles did, here we explore some of the lesser-known facts about her that may surprise you.

Her birthplace is now a fancy Cantonese restaurant

The Queen’s birthplace – a London townhouse at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair (the home of her maternal grandparents) – is now a world-famous Cantonese restaurant called Hakkasan.

Her first horse was called Peggy

The Queen’s first horse was a Shetland pony called Peggy, given to her by her grandfather King George V when she was aged 4. She rode horses ever since.

King George VI and Princess Elizabeth in 1937

Image Credit: Anonymous, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

She became a homeowner aged 6

The Queen was gifted a miniature thatched Wendy-house cottage by the people of Wales on her 6th birthday. It was named Y Bwthyn Bach, which means ‘little cottage’, and was placed in the grounds of Royal Lodge in Windsor. The house was modelled on a typical Welsh cottage and contained a miniature radio, china set, portrait of the Queen’s mother, books, pots, pans, brooms and a working telephone, all made to scale.

The Queen could speak fluent French

After her father became King in 1936, Princess Elizabeth began studying constitutional history and law. She also studied French, German and music while educated at home by her tutor and governess, Marion Crawford. In later years, when visiting France, the Queen would always speak in French.

She volunteered as a truck driver and mechanic during World War Two

Despite the risks, Elizabeth joined the women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a truck driver and mechanic in 1945, when aged 18 years old. This made her the first female member of the royal family to serve in the military. Until her death, she was also the only living head of state who had officially served in World War Two.

Princess (later Queen) Elizabeth of Great Britain doing technical repair work during her World War Two military service, 1944.

Image Credit: World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

Her diamond tiara snapped on the morning of her wedding

Whilst it’s well-known that the then-Princess Elizabeth bought the material for her wedding dress with ration coupons (and a 200-coupon supplement from the government) due to post-war austerity measures, less well-known is that her diamond tiara snapped on the morning of her wedding in 1947 as it was being secured to her veil.

With only two hours to go, the tiara was rushed to the royal jewellery house workshop (Garrard) under police escort, where it was quickly welded back together. The tiara contained a halo of diamond-studded spikes, and had been created in 1919 for Elizabeth’s grandmother Queen Mary.

4 out of 5 UK residents weren’t alive when the Queen ascended the throne

Before her death, most British people hadn’t known another monarch besides Queen Elizabeth II: according to data shared by the UK Office of National Statistics in 2017, 81% of UK residents weren’t alive when she ascended the throne upon the death of her father in 1952.

Queen Elizabeth II wearing her Coronation robes and regalia, June 1953

Image Credit: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

She technically owned all the dolphins in the UK

As monarch, in addition to owning all of the country’s dolphins, the Queen also owned all the sturgeon and whales due to a still-valid statute from the reign of King Edward II in 1324. This states that, “Also the King shall have … whales and sturgeons taken in the sea or elsewhere within the realm”. Most aquatic creatures are technically labelled ‘fishes royal’ and are claimed on behalf of the Crown.

In the 12th century, the British monarchy also laid claim to “all mute swans” in the country, which back then were considered a delicacy and eaten at feasts. The Queen also owned an elephant, two giant turtles, a jaguar and a pair of sloths – though these were all presents from other countries, and were all sent to be cared for at London Zoo.

The Queen owned over 30 Corgis and invented a new breed of dog

Elizabeth’s father brought home the royal family’s first corgi in 1933. On her 18th birthday, Elizabeth was gifted her own corgi named Susan. Many of her subsequent corgis descended directly from Susan, with the Queen owning over 30 corgis across her life, which were apparently all very well controlled and obedient.

One of the Queen’s corgis once mated with a dachshund (‘Pippin’) that belonged to Princess Margaret, thus creating the ‘dorgi’ dog.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip sit beside one of the royal corgis. Balmoral, 1976.

Image Credit: Anwar Hussein / Alamy Stock Photo

The Queen first sent an email back in 1976

The Queen posted her first ever tweet to the @RoyalFamily account in October 2014, and published her first Instagram post in 2019.

As Princess Elizabeth, the Queen made her first public speech on 13 October 1940, with a radio address to the children of the Commonwealth, many of them living away from home due to war. Her first televised Christmas Broadcast was in 1957.

Since 1989 the Queen wore only one shade of nail polish

The Queen reportedly wore the same nail polish since 1989 – Essie’s classic pale pearly pink shade ‘Ballet Slippers’. The nail varnish is surprisingly cheap, retailing for around £8.

She had many hobbies

These included horse riding and pigeon racing. Apparently the Queen also took an interest in football – and is rumoured to have been an Arsenal supporter.

Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 2008.

Image Credit: Steve Parsons / PA Images / Alamy

It is claimed she could imitate the sound of a Concorde jet landing

The Queen was known to have a great sense of humour, yet less well-known is that she apparently also had a talent for mimicry. According to the Queen’s chaplain Bishop Michael Mann, “the queen imitating the Concorde landing is one of the funniest things you could see.”

Her drink of choice was gin

The Queen was said to enjoy gin mixed with Dubonnet (a fortified wine) and a slice of lemon on the rocks every day before lunch. She sometimes drank wine with lunch, sometimes  later a dry martini and also reportedly had a glass of champagne every evening.

However, in her later years the Queen was advised by doctors to give up her alcoholic drinks in favour of water and juice.

During her reign, the Queen is said to have carried out more than 21,000 engagements

She also sat for over 200 official portraits, sent around 50,000 Christmas cards and travelled to more than 115 countries. (She visited Canada 22 times and France 13 times – more than any other country in Europe, possibly due to her fluency in French.)

The Queen’s wreath paid tribute to Prince Philip

The wreath that sat on top of the Queen’s coffin was made from some of her favourite flowers including sweet peas, picked from the Balmoral Estate. This was thought to be a tribute to Prince Philip as after he died in April 2021, the Queen had also picked out sweet peas for his funeral wreath. Sweet peas are often associated with the idea of goodbyes.

To mark their diamond wedding anniversary on 20 November 2007, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh re-visited Broadlands where in November 1947 they spent their wedding night.

Image Credit: Alamy: Tim Graham/PA Wire - Image ID: GAEHJW

Flights were cancelled over London to ensure quiet during the Queen’s funeral

On the day of the Queen’s funeral (Monday 19 September 2022), flights that were due to pass over central London were cancelled to ensure the skies were silent, as a mark of respect.

Gyles Brandreth is a British author, presenter and former politician, with a reputation as an accomplished raconteur and public speaker. His book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait is our Book of the Month for December 2022. It is published by Penguin Michael Joseph, and available to buy now.

With little tangible political power or influence remaining, the House of Windsor has adapted to stay relevant in a changing world: a powerful combination of tradition and change has led to its remarkable popularity and survival despite assorted setbacks.

Here are the five Windsor monarchs in order.

1. George V (r. 1910-1936)

George V and Tsar Nicholas II together in Berlin, in 1913.

Image Credit: Royal Collections Trust via Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

A monarch whose reign spanned major change across Europe, George V renamed the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the House of Windsor in 1917 as a result of anti-German sentiment. George was born in 1865, the second son of Edward, Prince of Wales. Much of his youth was spent at sea, and he later joined the Royal Navy, only leaving in 1892, after his older brother, Prince Albert, died of pneumonia.

Once George became directly in line to the throne, his life changed somewhat. He married Princess Mary of Teck, and they had six children together. George also received further titles, including Duke of York, had extra tutoring and education, and began to take on more serious public duties.

George and Mary were crowned in 1911, and later the same year, the pair visited India for the Delhi Durbar, where they were also officially presented as Emperor and Empress of India – George was the only monarch to actually visit India during the Raj.

The First World War was arguably the defining event of George’s reign, and the Royal Family were deeply concerned about anti-German sentiment. To help appease the public, the King renamed the British Royal house and asked his relatives to relinquish any German sounding names or titles, suspending British peerages titles for any pro-German relatives and even refusing asylum to his cousin, Tsar Nicholas II, and his family following their deposition in 1917.

As European monarchies fell as a result of revolution, war, and political regime change, King George became increasingly concerned about the threat of socialism, which he equated with republicanism. In an attempt to combat royal aloofness, and to engage more with ‘normal people’, the King cultivated positive relations with the Labour Party, and made attempts to cross class lines in a way not seen before.

Even in the early 1930s, it’s said George was worried about the growing power of Nazi Germany, advising ambassadors to be wary and speaking plainly about his concerns of another war on the horizon. After contracting septicaemia in 1928, the King’s health never fully recovered, and he died in 1936 following lethal injections of morphine and cocaine from his doctor.

2. Edward VIII (r. Jan-Dec 1936)

King Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson on holiday in Yugoslavia, 1936.

Image Credit: National Media Museum via Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

The oldest son of King George V and Mary of Teck, Edward gained a reputation for being something of a playboy in his youth. Handsome, youthful, and popular, his series of scandalous sexual liaisons worried his father who believed Edward would ‘ruin himself’ without his paternal influence.

On his father’s death in 1936, Edward ascended the throne to become King Edward VIII. Some were wary of his approach to kingship, and what was perceived to be his interference in politics: by this point, it was long established that it was not the monarch’s role to be too heavily involved in the day to day running of the country.

Behind the scenes, Edward’s long-standing affair with Wallis Simpson was causing a constitutional crisis. The new king was completely besotted with the divorced American Mrs Simpson, who was in the process of having her second marriage divorced by 1936. As Head of the Church in England, Edward could not marry a divorcee, and a morganatic (civil) marriage was blocked by the government.

In December 1936, the news of Edward’s infatuation with Wallis hit the British press for the first time, and he abdicated shortly afterwards, declaring

“I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.”

He and Wallis lived out the rest of their lives in Paris, as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

3. George VI (r. 1936-1952)

King George VI of England in coronation robes, 1937.

Image Credit: World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

The second son of King George V and Mary of Teck, and the younger brother of King Edward VIII, George – known as ‘Bertie’ to his family as his first name was Albert – never expected to become king. Albert served in the RAF and the Royal Navy during the First World War, and was mentioned in despatches for his role in the Battle of Jutland (1916).

In 1923, Albert married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon: some viewed this as a controversially modern choice given she was not of royal birth. The pair had two children, Elizabeth (Lilibet) and Margaret. Following his brother’s abdication, Albert became king, assuming the name George as monarch: the relationship between the brothers was somewhat strained by the events of 1936, and George forbade his brother from using the title ‘His Royal Highness’, believing he had forfeited his claim to it on his abdication.

By 1937, it was becoming increasingly clear that Hitler’s Germany was a threat to peace in Europe. Constitutionally bound to support the Prime Minister, it’s unclear what the King thought of the alarming situation. In early 1939, the King and Queen embarked on a royal visit to America in the hope of preventing their isolationist tendencies and keeping relations between the nations warm.

The Royal Family remained in London (officially, at least) throughout the Second World War, where they suffered the same depravations and rationing as the rest of the country, albeit in more luxurious conditions. The House of Windsor’s popularity was bolstered during the war, and the Queen in particular had huge support for her behaviour. Post-war, King George oversaw the start of the disbanding of empire (including the end of the Raj) and the changing role of the Commonwealth.

Following bouts of ill health exacerbated by the stress of the war and a lifelong addiction to cigarettes, King George’s health began to decline from 1949. Princess Elizabeth and her new husband, Philip, began to take on more duties as a result. The removal of his entire left lung in 1951 left the King incapacitated, and he died the following year from a coronary thrombosis.

4. Elizabeth II (r. 1952-2022)

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip sit beside one of the royal corgis. Balmoral, 1976.

Image Credit: Anwar Hussein / Alamy Stock Photo

Born in 1926 in London, Elizabeth was the oldest daughter of the future King George VI, and became heir presumptive in 1936, on her uncle’s abdication and father’s accession. During the Second World War, Elizabeth carried out her first official solo duties, was appointed a Councillor of State, and took up a role within the Auxiliary Territorial Service following her 18th birthday.

In 1947, Elizabeth married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, who she had met years previously, aged just 13. Almost exactly a year later, in 1948, she gave birth to a son and heir, Prince Charles: the couple had four children in total.

Whilst in Kenya in 1952, King George VI died, and Elizabeth immediately returned to London as Queen Elizabeth II: she was crowned in June the following year, having announced the royal house would continue to be known as Windsor, rather than taking a name based on Philip’s family or ducal title.

Queen Elizabeth was the longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch in British history: her 70 year reign spanned the decolonisation of Africa, the Cold War, and devolution in the United Kingdom amongst many other sizeable political events.

Notoriously guarded and reluctant to give personal opinions on anything, the Queen took her political impartiality as reigning monarch seriously: under her reign the House of Windsor cemented the constitutional nature of British monarchy, and kept themselves relevant and popular by allowing themselves to become national figureheads – particularly during times of difficulty and crisis.

Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022. Following her state funeral in Westminster Abbey, her coffin was then transported to Windsor and carried up the Long Walk at Windsor Castle in a ceremonial procession. A committal service was then held in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, followed by a private internment service attended by senior members of the royal family. She was then buried along with Prince Philip, alongside her father King George VI, mother and sister in The King George VI Memorial chapel.

5. Charles III (r. 2022 – present)

King Charles III following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, 19 September 2022

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When the Queen died, the throne passed immediately to Charles, the former Prince of Wales. King Charles III still has his coronation to come, which will take place in Westminster Abbey, as have previous coronations for the past 900 years – Charles will be the 40th monarch to be crowned there.

Charles Philip Arthur George was born on 14 November 1948 in Buckingham Palace, and is the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, having held that title since he was aged 3. Aged 73, he is also the oldest person to assume the British throne.

Charles was educated at Cheam and Gordonstoun. After going to the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Air Force and Navy. He was created Prince of Wales in 1958, and his investiture took place in 1969. In 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer, with whom he had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. In 1996, he and Diana divorced after both had extra-marital affairs. Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris the following year. In 2005, Charles married his long-time partner, Camilla Parker Bowles.

As the Prince of Wales, Charles undertook official duties on behalf of Elizabeth II. He also founded the Prince’s Trust in 1976, sponsored the Prince’s Charities, and is a member of over 400 other charities and organisations. He has advocated for the conservation of historic buildings and the importance of architecture. Charles has also written many books and is a keen environmentalist, supporting organic farming and the prevention of climate change during his time as the manager of the Duchy of Cornwall estates.

Charles is planning a slimmed-down monarchy and has also spoken of his wish to continue his mother’s legacy.

Here are key figures that Queen Elizabeth met over the years, from Winston Churchill to Indira Gandhi, Mikhail Gorbachev to Donald J. Trump.

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill, 1941 (left) / Winston Churchill with Queen Elizabeth II (right)

Image Credit: Yousuf Karsh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (left) / Official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (right)

Winston Churchill served as the Queen’s first Prime Minister from 1951 to 1955. They both met for the first time when Elizabeth (then princess) was two years old. The Queen wrote a personal handwritten letter to Churchill when he decided to retire from his role as Prime Minister.

Josip Broz Tito 

Josip Broz Tito – President of the SFR Yugoslavia, picture taken 1961 (right) / The Queen walking with Tito, 1971 (left)

Image Credit: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (right) / Stevan Kragujević, CC BY-SA 3.0 RS , via Wikimedia Commons (left)

On 16 March 1953, the Yugoslavian leader Josip Broz Tito visited Buckingham Palace – the first time following the end of World War Two that a communist leader travelled to a Western country.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The US President and the First Lady accompany the British royal family on a visit to the National Presbyterian Church, 1957

Image Credit: National Presbyterian Church, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower was sworn into office as the President of the United States of America. He became the first US leader who met the Queen during her reign. Elizabeth II had made acquaintance with President Truman when she was still a princess in 1951.

John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy

The Kennedys with The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 1961

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John F. Kennedy served as the 35th President of the United States from 1961 until his death in 1963. He and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy (later Onassis) visited Buckingham Palace in June of 1961. 

Kwame Nkrumah

Ghana’s president Kwame Nkrumah with Queen Elizabeth II, 1961

Image Credit: World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

The Queen has kept a close relationship with the countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, mostly comprised of former British colonies. One of these is the West African state of Ghana, which gained its independence in 1957. Elizabeth II decided to visit the country in 1961, which famously culminated in a dance between her and the President of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah.

Hassanal Bolkiah

Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei, 2021 (left) / State visit of Queen Elizabeth II in Brunei on 1 March 1972. Queen Elizabeth II is walking in the first row of the procession with the Sultan of Brunei on her left side (right)

Image Credit: Quirinale.it, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons (left) / AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (right)

The Sultan of Brunei is one of the few absolute monarchs in the world. Hassanal Bolkiah met the Queen during her state visit to Brunei in 1972.

Indira Gandhi

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh with India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at the President’s Palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. 17 November 1983

Image Credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Indira Gandhi served as India’s 3rd Prime Minister from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the 1st Prime Minister of India and the wife of Feroze Gandhi (no relation to Mahatma Gandhi). 

She met Queen Elizabeth II in 1969, during a visit to the UK. The Queen visited India herself on three occasions: in 1961, 1983 and in 1997. 

Ronald Reagan

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip stand with President and Mrs. Reagan during a state dinner. The Queen was on a tour of the West Coast of the United States.

Image Credit: U.S. Military, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

US President Ronald Reagan and the Queen shared a love for horses, with both of them riding together during Her Majesty’s visit in 1983. Elizabeth II made the US President laugh with a joke about the Californian weather during a dinner.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev visiting The Queen at Windsor Castle. 7 April 1989

Image Credit: Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo

Mikhail Gorbachev was the last leader of the USSR, overseeing the programs of glasnost and perestroika. His time as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union oversaw the fall of the Berlin Wall and the warming up of relations with the West. 

The Queen met Gorbachev and his wife in Windsor Castle during his visit to the United Kingdom in 1989. He also engaged in talks with the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

François Mitterrand

Queen Elizabeth II speaks with French President Francois Mitterrand during a dinner at the Guildhall on 4 June 1994. The dinner was one of a series of events marking the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Image Credit: Kevin Lamarque of REUTERS / Alamy

François Mitterrand was one of the French presidents who enjoyed the most contact with the Queen. It is said that they got on very well and that the Queen enjoyed talking with him. Between 1981 and 1995, they met on several occasions, most notably at the creation of the European Union in 1992, and at the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994.

Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin shaking hands with Prince Philip. Lyudmila Putina, Tony Blair, and Elizabeth II are in the background.

Image Credit: kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elizabeth II met Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2003 during his state visit to the United Kingdom. He allegedly broke Royal protocol by being 15 minutes late for his meeting with the Queen.

George W. Bush

President George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth II in WWashington, D.C. 7 May 2007

Image Credit: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

The Queen met the 43rd US president for the first time in 2001 during his visit to London. George W. Bush led the US during some of its most turbulent times following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

This picture shows the Queen’s visit to the United States in 2007 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestowne. President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush hosted Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in the White House.

Donald J. Trump

Former President Donald J. Trump and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 13 July 2018

Image Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The 45th US president paid an official visit to the United Kingdom in July 2018, where he was greeted by the Queen. It was Donald J. Trump’s first time meeting the British head of state. As pictured, while at Windsor Castle, Trump broke royal protocol by walking in front of the Queen as they inspected the Guard of Honour.

Joe Biden

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden pose for an official photo with Queen Elizabeth II in the Grand Corridor of Windsor Castle. 2021

Image Credit: The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President Joe Biden and his wife Jill had tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle in June 2021 following the G7 summit in Cornwall. The visit came just two months after the death of the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip.

Here are 10 facts about her life leading up to becoming Queen.

1. Her ascent to the throne was unexpected but seamless

Like Victoria before her, Elizabeth was far from first-in-line to the crown when she was born, and received the throne aged 27.

She was born in 1926, the eldest daughter of Prince Albert, the Duke of York, who, as the king’s second son, was never expected to inherit the throne. However, the course of Elizabeth’s life changed forever when her uncle Edward VIII shocked the nation by abdicating the throne in 1936, meaning Elizabeth’s mild-mannered and shy father Albert unexpectedly found himself King and Emperor of the world’s largest empire.

Elizabeth was something of a family celebrity by the time of the accession of her father.  She was well-known as George V’s favourite before he had died, and for her air of mature seriousness, which many commented upon.

2. Elizabeth was forced to grow up quickly when Europe was convulsed by war in 1939

With German air-raids anticipated from the outset of the war and many children already being evacuated to the countryside, some senior councillors called for Elizabeth to be moved to Canada. But her mother and namesake stood firm, declaring that the whole royal family would stay as a symbol of national unity and endurance.

3. Her first solo action was the issuing of a confident radio broadcast on the BBC’s ‘Children’s Hour’

The Queen-in-waiting took on the morale-boosting responsibilities of the royal family much earlier than she might have expected. Her first solo action was the issuing of a confident radio broadcast on the BBC’s Children’s Hour, which sympathised with other evacuees (she had been moved to the less-than-secure Windsor Castle) and ended with the words “all will be well.”

This mature display was evidently a success, for her roles grew in regularity and importance as the war continued and its tide began to turn.

4. After turning 18 in 1944 she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service

During this time, Elizabeth trained as a driver and mechanic, eager to show that everyone was doing their bit towards the war effort.

HRH Princess Elizabeth in Auxiliary Territorial Service uniform, 1945.

5. Elizabeth and her sister Margaret famously joined London’s celebrating crowds anonymously on VE Day

The war in Europe ended on 8 May 1945 – VE (Victory in Europe) Day. Millions of people rejoiced in the news that Germany had surrendered, with relief that the strain of war was finally over. In towns and cities across the world, people marked the victory with street parties, dancing and singing.

That night, Princess Elizabeth and her sister Margaret were given permission by their father to leave Buckingham Palace and go incognito to join the crowds of ordinary people on the streets of London.

The princesses Elizabeth (left) and Margaret (right) flank their parents, the King and Queen before heading to the streets of London to join the party.

Now the extraordinary circumstances of her teenage years had calmed down, Elizabeth must have expected a long and mostly harmonious apprenticeship and preparation for her role as Queen. After all, her father was not yet 50 years old. But it was not to be.

6. In 1947 Elizabeth married Prince Phillip of Greece and Denmark

Her choice was controversial at the time; Phillip was foreign-born and had no concrete standing amongst Europe’s nobility. Philip became a British subject on 28 February 1947 in preparation for the marriage, renouncing his right to the Greek and Danish thrones and taking his mother’s surname, Mountbatten.

The charm that had first attracted Elizabeth – combined with a  fine military record during the war – won most people round by the time of the marriage.

Phillip was frustrated at having to give up his promising naval career in order to perform the ceremonial role of consort, but he has remained by his wife’s side ever since, only retiring, aged 96, in August 2017.

7. By 1951, Elizabeth began to take up the burden of  King George VI’s royal tours

By 1951, the decline in King George VI’s health could no longer been hidden, so Elizabeth and her new husband Philip took on many royal tours. Elizabeth’s youth and vigour helped to revive a country still coming to terms with the devastation of World War Two and the process of losing a once-great empire.

Indeed the couple were staying in Kenya when news arrived of her father’s death on 6 February 1952, making Elizabeth the first Sovereign in over 200 years to accede while abroad. The royal party headed home immediately, with their lives changed unalterably overnight.

8. Choosing her regnal name

When it came to selecting her regnal name, the new queen, remembering her illustrious predecessor Elizabeth I, chose to remain “Elizabeth of course.”

9. Her coronation had to wait for over a year

Meteorologists fussed about finding the perfect conditions for the new phenomenon of a televised coronation – an idea of Phillip’s. They eventually settled on 2 June as it had historically enjoyed a higher chance of sunshine than any other day of the calendar year.

Predictably, the weather was foul all day and bitterly cold for the time of year. But the televised spectacle was an enormous success regardless of the weather.

The Queen was crowned in Westminster Abbey, the setting for every Coronation since 1066, with her son, Prince Charles the first child to witness his mother’s coronation as Sovereign.

10. The Coronation of 1953 was the first ever to be televised

It was watched by 27 million people in the UK alone (out of the 36 million population), and millions more around the world. For most people, it was the first time they had watched an event on television. Millions also listened on the radio.

Coronation Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh, 1953.

Elizabeth’s reign was not straightforward. Almost from the off she had to deal with family troubles as well as the symptoms of Britain’s terminal imperial decline.

Nevertheless her adept handling of the great events throughout her reign ensured that, despite a few hiccups and occasional republican mutterings, her popularity remained high.