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| Sunday, 30 April 2006 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Elizabeth II: Queen of the Commonwealth Realms Although Sri Lanka is not ruled by kings and queens any more, there are many countries where royal monarchy still exists. England is one such country. England, along with many countries around the world, celebrated the 80th birthday of their queen, Elizabeth II, recently. The official celebrations lasted for three days, while many other functions are scheduled throughout the year.
Elizabeth II is Queen of 16 independent nations known as the Commonwealth Realms. She also holds the positions of Head of the Commonwealth, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Lord of Mann and Duke of Lancaster. She is currently the second-longest-serving Head of State in the world, after King Bhumibol of Thailand. Her reign of over half a century has seen ten different prime ministers in the United Kingdom, and numerous prime ministers in the other Commonwealth Realms, of which she is or was Head of State. Childhood... Princess Elizabeth was born at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London on April 21, 1926. Her father was The Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI). Her mother was then the Duchess of York. The young Princess Elizabeth was educated at home, as was her younger sister, Princess Margaret, under the supervision of her mother. In 1945, Princess Elizabeth convinced her father that she should be allowed to contribute directly to the war effort. She joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), where she was known as No 230873 Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor, and was trained as a driver. This training was the first time she had been taught together with other students. It is said that she greatly enjoyed this experience, which led her to send her own children to school, rather than have them educated at home. She was the first and so far the only female member of the royal family to actually serve in the military, though other royal women have been given honorary ranks. During the V-E Day celebrations in London, she and her sister dressed in ordinary clothing and slipped into the crowd secretly, to celebrate with everyone, without being recognised. *** The Queen's role As nations have developed economically and in literacy, Queen Elizabeth has witnessed a gradual transformation of the British Empire into its modern successor, the Commonwealth,over the past 50 years. She has worked hard to maintain links with former British possessions, and in some cases, such as South Africa, she has played an important role in retaining or restoring good relations. **** Future In early 2006, reports began to surface that the Queen plans to significantly reduce her official duties as she approaches her 80th birthday, though she has made it clear that she has no intention of abdicating (give up the throne). If the Queen lives until 2008, she will become the oldest reigning monarch in both British and the Commonwealth Realms' history, surpassing King George III and Queen Victoria, both of whom died before the age of 82. Should she still be reigning on September 9, 2015, at the age of 89, her reign will surpass that of Queen Victoria and she will become the longest reigning monarch in British history. If she lives that long, and the Prince of Wales does as well, he would be the oldest to succeed the throne, passing William IV, who was 64. **** How she became the Queen... Princess Elizabeth made her first official visit overseas in 1947, when she accompanied her parents to South Africa. On her 21st birthday, she made a broadcast to the British Commonwealth and Empire, pledging to devote her life to the service of the people of the Commonwealth and Empire.
Princess Elizabeth married the Duke of Edinburgh on November 20, 1947. She has three sons, Charles, Andrew and Edward, and a daughter, Anne. King George's health declined during 1951 and Elizabeth frequently stood in for him at public events. She visited Greece, Italy and Malta (where Philip was then stationed) during the year. In January 1952 Elizabeth and Philip set out for a tour of Australia and New Zealand. They had reached Kenya when word arrived of the death of her father, on February 6, 1952, from lung cancer. At the moment she became aware she was now queen, she was in a Treetop hotel; a unique circumstance for any such event. She was the first British monarch since the Act of Union in 1801 to be out of the country at the moment of succession, and also the first in modern times not to know the exact time of her accession (because George VI had died in his sleep at an unknown time). The Treetops Hotel, where she "went up a princess and came down a queen", is now a very popular tourist retreat in Kenya. Elizabeth's coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. After the coronation,Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip moved to Buckingham Palace in central London. She also spends time at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and at Sandringham House in Norfolk. *** Interesting facts * The Queen has never given press interviews, and her views on political issues are largely unknown except to those few Heads of Governments who have private conversations with her. * She is also regarded privately as an excellent mimic ( a person who can imitate others). * Rather conservative in dress, she is well-known for her solid-colour overcoats and decorative hats, which allow her to be seen easily in a crowd. * Although she attends many cultural events as part of her public role, in her private life, she is said to have little interest in culture or the arts. * Her main leisure interests include horse racing, photography, and
dogs, especially her Pembroke Welsh Corgis. |
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