Queen Elizabeth and her 12 Prime Ministers | History of government Queen Elizabeth and her 12 Prime Ministers — No 10 guest historian series , Prime Ministers and No. 10 , The Monarchy On her 21st birthday in 1947 Princess Elizabeth broadcast from Cape Town in South Africa: I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great Imperial country to which we all belong…God help me to make good my vow and God bless all of you who are willing to share it. The Queen’s relationship with her 12 Prime Ministers (eight Conservative and four Labour) over the past 60 years demonstrates how she has fulfilled that vow. Churchill was a formidable presence for the young Queen, who remained in awe of the great war leader. At their first audience, Churchill told the Queen he could advise her from a lifetime of experience, but the time would come when she would advise Prime Ministers younger than herself from a similar standpoint. So it has proved. The first of the 12 Prime Ministers younger than the Queen was John Major . Tony Blair and David Cameron were not even born when she acceded to the throne.

The central assertion about the rights of a constitutional monarch, as defined by Walter Bagehot in 1867, remains as true as ever: ‘the sovereign has under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights – the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn.’ The Queen has exercised all three rights. An early example was the issue of live television coverage of the Coronation in June 1953. Churchill opposed it, and, initially, the Queen was also doubtful. Eventually, the Queen’s view that the benefits would outweigh the disadvantages prevailed. Asked by an old court favourite whether Churchill was attempting to mentor her, as Melbourne had mentored the young Queen Victoria , she replied, ‘Not at all, I find him very obstinate.’ Nevertheless, she learned much from the old warrior. The weekly audience between monarch and Prime Minister remained a fixed point of contact. At these audiences, the Queen found her second Prime Minister, Anthony Eden , a sympathetic listener to her concerns. Dominating their early meetings was discussion of Princess Margaret’s possible marriage to the divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend. The Suez crisis in 1956 led to much speculation about the Queen’s views and what she knew of unfolding events.

Eden believed that informing the Queen was of supreme importance and all the Suez papers were sent to her, the first time she was to be shown secret government papers. Their relationship was one of impeccable constitutional propriety and confidences were maintained. The Queen was able to draw on these experiences at later audiences with Margaret Thatcher during the Falklands War. The Queen has two prerogatives, to choose, or now to confirm, a new Prime Minister in office and to grant a dissolution of Parliament, triggering a general election. The first prerogative was exercised in 1957 and in 1963 when the leadership of the Conservative party became vacant between general elections. After taking advice from senior Conservatives, the Queen invited Harold Macmillan to become her third Prime Minister, a process repeated in October 1963 when Sir Alec Douglas-Home was appointed. At first, the Queen did not find Macmillan easy to deal with. He was unsure whether the Prime Minister’s annual visit to Balmoral was a social occasion, with ‘talking shop’ relegated to the margins, or a Highlands version of his weekly audiences at Buckingham Palace. However, it was not long before they were on the same wavelength.

Indeed, the Queen soon came to rely on Macmillan to offer wise counsel, both while in office and after his retirement in 1963. They discussed issues including the inauguration of the memorial to President Kennedy at Runnymede in 1965, and the 250th anniversary of 10 Downing Street in 1985. Crucially, the Queen also sought his advice following the uncertain General Election outcomes of February and October 1974, when he advised on historical precedents. When Macmillan resigned in October 1963, accusations were made that the Queen had colluded with his supposed blocking of the Deputy Prime Minister, Rab Butler, as his successor, leading to the controversial appointment of Alec Douglas-Home as the new Prime Minister. In fact, the Queen had distanced herself from the process, both physically – by staying out of London, at Windsor Castle – and personally – ensuring that her Assistant Private Secretary Sir Edward Ford was the conduit between the Palace and the Prime Minister’s Office. The Palace made it clear that the choice of a new leader should be for the Conservative Party alone, a process known as ‘You Choose, We Send For’.

Far from colluding, the Queen maintained the monarchy’s political impartiality, waiting for a name to be brought to her. Subsequent events eroded the Queen’s prerogative. From July 1965 onwards, the Conservative Party elected its leader, as the Labour Party had done since 1922. Today it would be highly unusual if the Queen invited anyone to become Prime Minister who was not the acknowledged leader of the party commanding a majority in the House of Commons. Outgoing Prime Ministers in mid-term have made things easier for the Queen by staying-on until their party has elected a successor, including Harold Wilson in 1976 and Margaret Thatcher in 1990. When Sir Alec Douglas-Home became Prime Minister in October 1963, for the first time the Queen had a Prime Minister whom she already knew as a friend, Home having been a childhood friend of the Queen Mother . She was now in the unusual situation of having to formalise a relationship that had always been informal.

When Home went to Balmoral for his first Prime Ministerial visit, he heard for the first time the sound of the Queen’s official bagpiper before breakfast, an experience he would not have had on his previous visits as a family friend. Over the years, Home often helped the Queen to name royal horses. After hearing the Balmoral bagpiper, Home suggested the names ‘Blessed Relief’ [by] ‘Bagpipes’ [out of] ‘Earshot’ for her three new foals! James Callaghan observed that that the Queen provided friendliness, not friendship to her Prime Ministers. Wilson and Callaghan, her first two Labour Prime Ministers, both got on famously with the Queen. Wilson enjoyed the informality of helping with the washing-up after the Balmoral barbecues, unlike Thatcher for whom these weekends interrupted work. Wilson noted that the Queen respected those who had served in the armed forces, which made her relationship with Callaghan, who had been in the Royal Navy , so relaxed. The relationship with Edward Heath was not always easy, as his world-view differed sharply from that of the Queen. European integration was Heath’s vision. The Queen, however, saw her role as Head of the Commonwealth to be of supreme importance.

For this reason she lamented the loss, in 1997, of the Royal Yacht Britannia (a decision wrongly ascribed to Tony Blair, but in fact inherited from the Major government), which had enabled her to visit the smaller, more remote Commonwealth countries. Much attention has been paid to the Queen’s first prerogative, the right to appoint a Prime Minister, but little to the second, the dissolution of Parliaments. So far in the Queen’s reign there have been 15 such dissolutions, the two, indecisive elections in 1974 being potentially the most difficult. Returning from Australia in February 1974, the Queen’s role proved invaluable in a volatile and uncertain political climate. However, the recent Fixed Term Act , setting a statutory, five-year parliament, has in effect removed that prerogative, except in the most unlikely of circumstances. In 1952 when she came to the throne, the Queen could choose the Prime Minister, and could grant, or not grant, a dissolution of parliament. Now, in effect, she can do neither.

The party commanding a majority in the House of Commons presents its accepted leader to the Queen after a General Election or a change of party leadership in the governing party. The next General Election is already determined for May 2015, unless two-thirds of the Commons decides otherwise. These changes do not weaken the Queen’s ‘dignified’ position; on the contrary they remove her entirely from the political arena. David Cameron is the youngest of the Queen’s Prime Ministers . His most important dealing with the Queen so far in his Premiership is one of the most significant in a thousand years of monarchy: the proposed change in the law regarding primogeniture, which will enable any future daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to become Queen before any younger brothers, a change agreed by the Queen, the Prime Minister and the Commonwealth Prime Ministers . The evolution of a modern monarchy continues. Queen Elizabeth II and her 12 Prime Ministers - CNN.com Facebook Twitter Instagram LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 21: Queen Elizabeth II walks up the staircase in 10 Downing Stree with Prime Minister David Cameron before having lunch together to mark the Duke of Edinburgh's 90th birthdayon June 21, 2011 in London, England.

The Camerons have invited the Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen to Downing Street to celebrate The Duke's 90th birthday. (Photo by Stefan Rosseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Queen Elizabeth II's 12 prime ministers By Bianca Britton, CNN Updated 2:51 PM ET, Thu July 14, 2016 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. London (CNN) During her 64-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II has been served by 12 prime ministers. Many relationships were formed -- from Winston Churchill, to "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher -- and some proved more difficult than others. While most of their political and personal conversations are kept strictly confidential, memoirs and historic interactions provide an insight into their relationships. So as Theresa May becomes Britain's next Prime Minister -- and Her Majesty's 13th -- take a look back at those who have served her. WINSTON CHURCHILL 1951-1955 Princess Elizabeth greeting Winston Churchill At Guildhall on March 23, 1950. The Queen was said to be in awe of her first prime minister, Winston Churchill.

Once when asked which PM she enjoyed meeting with most, she replied: "Winston of course, because it's always such fun." Read More ANTHONY EDEN 1955-1957 The Queen shaking hands with the Conservative British Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden, in May 1956. Her Majesty found her second prime minister to be a sympathetic listener and their relationship was one of constitutional propriety. The largest political event to occur during Eden's time was the Suez crisis. During this time, he believed it was of supreme importance to keep the Queen informed, so he shared all of the Suez papers with her -- the first time she had ever been shown secret government documents. HAROLD MACMILLAN 1957-1963 Harold Macmillan gives a speech at the inauguration ceremony of a memorial to John F Kennedy. The Queen originally found Macmillan difficult to deal with, but they eventually warmed to each other. Her Majesty relied on Macmillan for his wise counsel -- both while in office and after his retirement in 1963.

ALEC DOUGLAS-HOME 1963-1964 The Queen meets former Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home and Lady Home at County Hall in London, November, 11 1964. The Queen was well acquainted with Douglas-Home as he had been a childhood friend of the Queen Mother. So Her Majesty worked hard to re-establish her informal relationship with him. Over the year he was in office, Douglas-Home helped the monarch name several royal horses. HAROLD WILSON 1964-1970, 1974-1976 British Prime Minister Harold Wilson shaking hands with the Queen outside 10 Downing Street, following his resignation, London, March 24, 1976. Wilson, who came from a lower-middle-class background, became the Queen's first Labour Party prime minister. Wilson often broke away from meeting traditions, and enjoyed helping with the washing-up after barbecues at Balmoral -- one of the Queen's residences. The Queen, however, warmed to Wilson's informal presence and even invited him to stay for drinks after their first meeting, which was not commonplace.

EDWARD HEATH 1970-1974 The Queen with British Prime Minister Edward Heath at Heathrow Airport, London, January 28, 1974. Her Majesty and Heath's relationship was a difficult one, particularly because their views differed immensely. While the Queen saw her role as Head of the Commonwealth to be of extreme importance, Heath favored European integration. JAMES CALLAGHAN 1976-1979 British Prime Minister James Callaghan with the Queen on his arrival at Windsor Castle. Callaghan got on famously with the Queen, but noted she offered him "friendliness, but not friendship." In an interview with the BBC's David Frost , Callaghan spoke about the moment he asked for her Majesty's opinion as he couldn't make up his mind. He said the Queen looked at him "with a twinkle in her eye" and said "that's what you're paid for." MARGARET THATCHER 1979-1990 The Queen chats with Margaret Thatcher at the National Portrait Gallery in London May 4, 2000. While Thatcher and the Queen were the closest in age, Thatcher kept their encounters strictly professional, formal and famously stiff.

The "Iron Lady," as she became known, reportedly had a tense relationship with the monarch during their traditional weekly meetings. Thatcher also viewed her annual visits to the royal home in Balmoral as interrupting her work. But despite this, Thatcher is said to have been incredibly respectful of the Queen and eventually became her longest serving prime minister. JOHN MAJOR 1990-1997 The Queen speaks with former Prime Minister John Major on March 12, 2012 in London. John Major and the Queen provided mutual support for one another during his leadership. They shared many crises together -- him the Gulf War and economic downturns, her a fire at Windsor Castle and the marital problems of her son Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife, Diana. TONY BLAIR 1997-2007 The Queen receives British Prime Minister Tony Blair May 6, 2005, at Buckingham Palace. Blair regarded the UK's relationship with the monarchy an antiquated institution, and was determined to modernize it.

In his book "A Journey," he mocked the annual tradition of visiting the Queen at the royal home in Balmoral, recalling "the vivid combination of the intriguing, the surreal, and the utterly freaky. The whole culture of it was totally alien, of course, not that the royals weren't very welcoming." Meanwhile, the Queen reportedly regarded Blair's relationship with U.S. President George W. Bush as too friendly. GORDON BROWN 2007-2010 Prime Minister Gordon Brown meets the Queen in March 2010. While it's believed the Queen and Brown shared a close relationship, it wasn't enough to secure him an invite to Prince William's wedding. Her Majesty, however, occasionally lightheartedly imitated his Scottish accent. DAVID CAMERON 2010-2016 Prime Minister David Cameron bows as he greets the Queen in London on March 3, 2015. While it's too soon to understand the true relationship between David Cameron and the Queen, it appears to have been a warm one. He's not only the youngest of the Queen's prime ministers, but they're also related.

He is the direct descendent of King William IV, making him the Queen's fifth cousin, twice removed. The Queen’s Prime Ministers - Biography.com History & Culture The Queen’s Prime Ministers A look at over half a century of meetings between Elizabeth II and the men (and woman) who headed the British government. Avatar: Social count: 339 A look at over half a century of meetings between Elizabeth II and the men (and woman) who headed the British government. 339 0 Winston Churchill was the first of 12 prime ministers who have met with Queen Elizabeth II since she took the throne in 1953. (Photo: Fox Photos/ Getty Images ) One of the Queen of England’s main duties is meeting with the British Prime Minister on a weekly basis. Elizabeth II , second only to Victoria in longevity on the throne, has held these regular confabs with twelve PMs ranging from the magisterial cold warrior Winston Churchill to the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher to the current office holder David Cameron . The conversations which cover both the political and the personal are strictly confidential and there is no record kept.

But playwright Peter Morgan has provided a window into these secret gabfests with his play The Audience , starring Helen Mirren as the Queen now on Broadway (Mirren also played Elizabeth in the film The Queen for which Morgan wrote the screenplay.) Helen Mirren plays Queen Elizabeth II flanked by her prime ministers in "The Audience" on Broadway. Though the conversations have never been revealed, the connections between the monarch and her ministers can be discerned from memoirs and histories. Here is a look at some of those historic relationships: Winston Churchill Winston Churchill, a father figure to Queen Elizabeth II, shared a passion for horses, racing and polo with her. (Photo: Carl Mydans/The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images ) The Queen had a special fondness for her first prime minister, Winston Churchill , the giant of a statesman whom many felt saved the country thanks to his determined leadership during the darkest days of World War II. Churchill had a warm friendship with Elizabeth’s parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother (portrayed by Colin Firth and Helena Bonham-Carter in The King’s Speech) and represented the British people’s fighting spirit and glorious past.

His coalition government had gone through a humiliating defeat at the end of the war and was briefly succeeded by the Labour Party, headed by Clement Atlee. He returned to the Prime Ministership in 1951 and Elizabeth was coronated in 1953 at age of 27. Decades later, when asked which PM she enjoyed meeting with the most, the sovereign replied “Winston of course, because it was always such fun.” One of the household staff confirmed this, reporting that “I could not hear what they talked about, but it was, more often than not, punctuated with peals of laughter, and Winston generally came out wiping his eyes.” Their favorite topic of conversation was a shared passion for horses, racing, and polo. Anthony Eden Prime Minister Anthony Eden, who had big shoes to fill following Churchill, had a warm relationship with the Queen. When Churchill’s Foreign Secretary took over for the ailing Cold Warrior in 1955, Anthony Eden was still handsome and dashing, but his health was damaged by a surgeon’s error during a gallstone operation in 1953. He enjoyed a warm relationship with Elizabeth.

An aide confided, “He was very sensible that he was following the towering figure of Churchill who had felt towards her as if she were his granddaughter and spoke to her like that. He was very conscious that the Queen might think him [Eden] a lesser figure in that post but the Queen treated him so well that he didn’t feel like that…He always spoke of her with warm affection.” His tenure was marked by the devastating Suez crisis in which British forces, along with those of Israel and France, were forced to withdraw from Egypt. Harold Macmillan Harold Macmillan had a reverence for the monarchy and shared a love of political gossip with the Queen. (Photo: Vivienne (Florence Mellish Entwistle) [ OGL ], via Wikimedia Commons ) Despite a naturally dour manner, the next Prime Minister Harold Macmillan energetically pushed past the Suez affair and sought to reconfirm Britain’s stature as a great nation. He had a friendlier relation with the Queen than the nervous Eden. Like Churchill, Macmillan had an American mother and a reverence for the monarchy. Their meetings were respectful, but they shared a love of political gossip which Macmillan happily provided.

He called her “a great support, because she is the one person you can talk to.” Harold Wilson Harold Wilson was Queen Elizabeth II's first prime minister from a lower-middle-class background and gave her a window into the world of her subjects. (Photo: Vivienne (Florence Mellish Entwistle) [ OGL ], via Wikimedia Commons ) Labour leader Wilson attained the office after having defeated Macmillan’s successor Conservative Sir Alec Douglas-Home, the 14th Earl of Home who renounced his peerage to serve in the House of Commons, and held the office of PM for only one year. Wilson was Elizabeth’s first prime minister from a lower-middle-class background. Despite his shining record at Oxford, he retained his Yorkshire accent and enthusiastically followed his local soccer club. He was close to the Queen in age, enjoyed women’s company and respected their intelligence. For their first meeting, he brought along his family, who waited in the antechambers. Traditionally, the PM arrives alone. In spite of some initial awkwardness, Elizabeth warmed to Wilson’s informal manner and she took the unusual extra step of inviting him to stay for drinks after the meeting.

He offered a chance for the monarch to stay in touch with her subjects that the previous high-born PMs could not. James Callaghan James "Sunny Jim" Callaghan said of the Queen: “What one gets is friendliness but not friendship.” Nicknamed “Sunny Jim” and standing at six foot one, James Callaghan was the tallest of the Queen’s prime ministers. His meetings with the Queen were a brief interlude of calm in the midst of political turmoil. Numerous strikes crippled the country and later brought down Callaghan’s Labour government. He had a relaxed relationship with the Queen. She even once threw away protocol and placed a flower in his buttonhole during a stroll at Buckingham Palace. But he realized she had the same outgoing manner with all of her prime ministers—the one exception being Churchill who was a father figure. “What one gets is friendliness but not friendship,” Callaghan said. Margaret Thatcher Margaret Thatcher was strictly professional, formal and somewhat frosty during her weekly meetings with Queen Elizabeth II.

(Photo: Chris Collins of the Margaret Thatcher Foundation (Margaret Thatcher Foundation) [ GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons ) You might think that the chats between the Queen and the nation’s first female Prime Minister would be a touch more relaxed than those of Margaret Thatcher ’s male counterparts. But there was very little, if any, “girl talk” with the Iron Lady who kept the encounters strictly professional, formal and somewhat frosty. Whereas Elizabeth and Callaghan enjoyed debating the issues of the day, Thatcher had a tendency to lecture. “The Queen found that irritating,” a general close to the monarch confided. A royal relative once compared the two leaders. The comforting Queen was like the mother to Great Britain while the strict Thatcher was the headmistress who made sure you obeyed her rules. In office from 1979 to 1990, she turned out to be Elizabeth’s longest serving PM. John Major John Major and the Queen coped with crises together including the Gulf War, economic downturns, and Prince Charles's scandalous estrangement from his wife Diana. (Photo: PFC TRACEY L.

HALL-LEAHY, USA [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons ) Thatcher’s Conservative successor John Major proved to be a calming influence on the Queen as she was dealing with the scandalous estrangement and possible divorce of her son Charles , the Prince of Wales and his wife Diana . The audiences were like mutual support sessions as Major was coping with crises of his own including the Gulf War and economic downturns. Tony Blair Tony Blair had a royal tiff with the Queen after he referred to the late Princess Diana as "the People's Princess," but they found common ground when the Queen addressed the nation following Diana's death. After the Conservatives were swept away in 1997, Labour leader Tony Blair was determined to lead Great Britain into the 21st century and to modernize what he regarded as antiquated institutions such as the government’s relationship with the monarchy. In his frank memoirs, he gently mocked such traditions as the expected visit to the royal home Balmoral: “a vivid combination of the intriguing, the surreal, and the utterly freaky.

The whole culture of it was totally alien, of course, not that the royals weren’t very welcoming.” A further cooling of royal relations occurred when Princess Diana died in a car crash and Blair referred to her as “the People’s Princess.” The Queen regarded this characterization as potentially alienating her from her subjects and turning Diana into an icon of popularity. But Elizabeth won Blair’s respect when she addressed the nation and publicly joined in their grief. Gordon Brown Gordon Brown enjoyed a close relationship with the Queen who occasionally imitated his Scottish accent. Blair resigned in 2007 due to his unpopular support of the Iraq War. His Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown took over the reigns of government. Brown’s rough-hewn manner contrasted with Blair’s smoothness and he had enjoyed a close relationship with the Queen who occasionally jokingly imitated his Scottish accent. The banking crisis of 2010 led to his ouster. David Cameron The Queen first saw David Cameron when he appeared as a child with her son Prince Edward in a school production at Eton. The current PM marks a return to tradition.

The Queen had first seen the future Conservative leader David Cameron when he appeared at age eight with her son, Prince Edward , in a school production of Toad of Toad Hall at Eton. His coalition government with the Liberals has called for greater financial independence for the Royal Family and he enjoyed a warm relationship with the Queen who happens to be his fifth cousin, twice removed. Tags The Queen And Her 12 Prime Ministers, From Churchill To Cameron | The Huffington Post The Queen And Her 12 Prime Ministers, From Churchill To Cameron 01/06/2012 14:03 | Updated 01 June 2012 Huffington Post UK As Britain sails into the much anticipated Diamond Jubilee weekend , David Cameron has been praising her Majesty's "Great British Sense". Over her 60-year reign, there have been no fewer than 12 prime ministers, who have all sought her advice on matters, traditionally on a weekly basis. The HuffPost looks back over the last 60 years and the prime ministers who have served under her.

The Queen And Her PMs The Queen And Her PMs 1 86 Surprising Facts About Queen Elizabeth II - Diamond Jubilee: Queen Elizabeth II of England - TIME 86 Surprising Facts About Queen Elizabeth II By Anoosh ChakelianWednesday, May 23, 2012 Sean Dempsey / Reuters 1. She speaks fluent French and often uses the language for audiences and state visits. She does not require an interpreter. 2. The Queen has received over 3.5 million items of correspondence during her reign. 3. Since 1952, she has conferred over 404,500 honors and awards. 4. Elizabeth has personally held 610 investitures. An investiture is the ceremony in which an honor is bestowed on someone for their good services; the recognitions are published twice a year, in the Queen's Birthday Honors and New Year's Honors lists. 5. Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's 40th monarch since William the Conqueror was crowned. (Get TIME's new book The Royal Family: The House of Windsor, Past, Present and Future) 6.

In 2002, at 76, Elizabeth became the oldest monarch to celebrate a Golden Jubilee. The youngest was James I (James VI of Scotland), at age 51. 7. About 1.5 million people have attended garden parties at Buckingham Palace or the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland since Elizabeth has been on the throne. 8.

Over the course of her reign, she has given regular Tuesday-evening audiences to 12 British Prime Ministers: Winston Churchill, 195155; Sir Anthony Eden, 195557; Harold Macmillan, 195763; Sir Alec Douglas-Home, 196364; Harold Wilson, 196470 and 197476; Edward Heath, 197074; James Callaghan, 197679; Margaret Thatcher, 197990; John Major, 199097; Tony Blair, 19972007; Gordon Brown, 20072010; and David Cameron, 2010-present. 9. There have been 12 U.S. Presidents during her reign. 10. Tony Blair is the first Prime Minister to have been born during her reign. He was born in early May 1953, a month before her coronation. 11.

The Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, introduced small, informal luncheon parties at Buckingham Palace to meet distinguished people from all professions, trades and vocations. The first was held on May 11, 1956, and the tradition continues to this day. There are usually six to eight guests and two members of the royal household in attendance. 12. Elizabeth is patron of more than 600 charities and organizations. 13. In the past 60 years, the Queen has undertaken 261 official overseas visits, including 96 state visits, to 116 different countries. 14. In 2005, she claimed ownership of 88 cygnets (young swans) on the River Thames. They are looked after by a swan marker. The first royal swan keeper was appointed around the 12th century. 15. Technically, the Queen still owns the sturgeons, whales and dolphins in the waters around the U.K. A statute from 1324, during the reign of King Edward II, states, "Also the King shall have ...

whales and sturgeons taken in the sea or elsewhere within the realm." This statute is still valid today, and sturgeons, porpoises, whales and dolphins are recognized as "fishes royal": when they are captured within 3 miles (about 5 km) of U.K. shores or wash ashore, they may be claimed on behalf of the Crown. Generally, when brought into port, a sturgeon is sold in the usual way, and the purchaser, as a gesture of loyalty, requests the honor of its being accepted by Elizabeth. (PHOTOS: Extraordinary Images of the Queen from the National Portrait Gallery) 16. In the summer of 2005, she opened the first children's trail in the Buckingham Palace garden for its seasonal opening. 17. The Queen joined Facebook in November 2010, with a page called the British Monarchy, which features royal news, photos, videos and speeches. However, it is not possible to poke the royal family. She joined Twitter in July 2009, with teams at Buckingham Palace tweeting daily updates. None of the royals themselves tweet.

The page follows only one other Twitter account: Clarence House, the royal home of the Prince of Wales. 18. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Queen's first televised festive address, a YouTube channel for the royal family, called the Royal Channel, was launched in December 2007. At the time, the palace hoped it would make her annual speech "more accessible to younger people and those in other countries." 19. Elizabeth was the first British monarch to celebrate her diamond wedding anniversary. 20. The Queen is the only person in Britain who can drive without a license or number plate on her state car. 21. Many of Elizabeth's official tours were undertaken on the royal yacht Britannia. It was launched by the Queen on April 16, 1953, and was commissioned for service on Jan. 7, 1954. It was decommissioned in December 1997. During that time, Britannia traveled more than 1 million miles (1.6 million km) on royal and official duties. 22.

Britannia was first used by Elizabeth when she embarked from Tobruk, Libya, with the Duke of Edinburgh on May 1, 1954, for the final stage of their Commonwealth tour returning to the Pool of London. The last time Elizabeth was onboard for an official visit was on Aug. 9, 1997, for a visit to Arran, Scotland. 23. Elizabeth has visited Australia 16 times, Canada 22 times, Jamaica six times and New Zealand 10 times. 24. Since her accession to the throne in 1952, she has visited Edinburgh nearly every year, taking up residence in the Palace of Holyroodhouse during Holyrood Week, when the Queen and her husband undertake a variety of engagements in Scotland to celebrate the country's heritage. 25. During her reign, the Queen has received many unusual gifts, including a variety of live animals. The more unusual ones have been placed in the care of the London Zoo  among them jaguars and sloths from Brazil and two black beavers from Canada. There have also been gifts of pineapples, eggs, a box of snail shells, a grove of maple trees and 15 lb.

(7 kg) of prawns. 26. Elizabeth has sent more than 175,000 telegrams to centenarians in the U.K. and the Commonwealth. 27. She has sent more than 540,000 telegrams to couples in the U.K. and the Commonwealth celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary. 28. Her real birthday is April 21, but it is celebrated officially in June. 29. She has attended 35 Royal Variety Performances. 30. In an average year, the Queen hosts more than 50,000 people at banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and garden parties at Buckingham Palace. 31. There have been six Roman Catholic Popes during the Queen's reign (Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II and Benedict XVI). 32. She has launched 23 ships in her lifetime. The first was the H.M.S. Vanguard, which she launched as Princess Elizabeth on Nov. 30, 1944, in Clydebank, Scotland. Her first launch as Queen was of the Britannia, also from Clydebank. 33.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have sent over 37,500 Christmas cards during her reign. 34. She has given out approximately 90,000 Christmas puddings to staff, continuing the custom of King George V and King George VI. In addition, the Queen gives her entire staff gifts at Christmastime. 35. Every year she sends Christmas trees to Westminster Abbey, Wellington Barracks, St. Paul's Cathedral in London, St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Crathie Kirk and local schools and churches in the Sandringham area of England. (PHOTOS: Highlights of Queen Elizabeth's 60 Years on the Throne) 36. Elizabeth learned to drive in 1945, when she joined the women's branch of the British army. Both she and Winston Churchill's daughter were members of the group, which was called the Auxiliary Territorial Service. 37. She was a Girl Guide (1937), a Scouting movement for girls and a Sea Ranger (1943), a section of the Girl Guides focused on sailing. 38.

As Princess Elizabeth, she traveled in the London Underground subway system for the first time in May 1939, accompanied by her governess Marion Crawford and her sister Princess Margaret. 39. The Queen is a keen photographer and enjoys taking pictures of her family. The Duke of York is also a photography buff and has taken a number of photographs of Elizabeth, including an official photograph for Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee in 2002. 40. The Queen was born in a private home at 17 Bruton St., London, on April 21, 1926. (The house was owned by the Queen's first cousins.) She was baptized on May 29, 1926, in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace and was confirmed on March 28, 1942, in the private chapel at Windsor Castle. 41. With the birth of Prince Andrew in 1960, Elizabeth became the first reigning sovereign to have a child since Queen Victoria, who had her youngest child, Princess Beatrice, in 1857. 42. Elizabeth has 30 godchildren. 43.

The first soccer match the Queen attended was the 1953 FA Cup final. 44. She has taken the royal salute from her Household Cavalry  mounted troops known as horse guards  in every Trooping the Color ceremony since the start of her reign, with the exception of 1955, when a national rail strike forced the cancellation of the parade. Trooping the Color is a ceremony performed by British and Commonwealth regiments to celebrate the Queen's official birthday. 45. The Queen has sat for 129 official portraits during her reign, two of which were with the Duke of Edinburgh. The most recent portrait was by Isobel Peachey and was unveiled in September 2010. Elizabeth was just 7 years old when she sat for her first portrait in 1933, which was commissioned by her mother and painted by the Hungarian artist Philip Alexius de Laszlo. 46. In 2003, she sat for her first and only hologram portrait, which is made up of more than 10,000 images of the Queen layered over one another, giving it a 3-D effect. 47.

The first royal walkabout took place during the Queen's visit with Prince Philip to Australia and New Zealand in 1970. The practice was introduced to allow them to meet a greater number of people, not just officials and dignitaries. 48. In 1969, the first television film about the family life of the royals was made; it was shown on the eve of the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales. 49. An important innovation during her reign was the opening in 1962 of a new gallery at Buckingham Palace to display items from the royal collection. The brainchild of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen's Gallery occupied the palace's bomb-damaged private chapel. It was the first time that parts of the palace had been opened to the general public. 50. The only time the Queen has had to interrupt an overseas tour was in 1974, during a tour of Australia and Indonesia. She was called back from Australia when a general election was announced suddenly. The Duke of Edinburgh continued the program in Australia, and Elizabeth rejoined the tour in Indonesia. 51.

She has opened Parliament every year except 1959 and 1963, when she was expecting her children Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively. 52. She went on her first state visit as Princess Elizabeth to South Africa with her mother and father, then King and Queen, from February to May 1947. The tour included Zimbabwe, Bechuanaland, Swaziland and Basutoland (now Lesotho). The Princess celebrated her 21st birthday in Cape Town. Her first state visit as Queen was to Kenya: her father King George VI died, and she acceded the throne during the tour, which had to be abandoned. 53. Her first Commonwealth tour began on Nov. 24, 1953, and included visits to Bermuda, Jamaica, Panama, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, the Cocos Islands, Ceylon, Aden, Uganda, Libya, Malta and Gibraltar. The total distance covered was 43,618 miles (70,196 km). 54. In 1986, the Queen became the first British monarch to visit China. 55.

She has made a Christmas broadcast to the Commonwealth every year of her reign except 1969, when a repeat of the film Royal Family was shown and a written message from the Queen issued. In 1953, she made her first Christmas broadcast from overseas, broadcasting live from New Zealand. Her first televised broadcast was in 1957, made live. Her first prerecorded broadcast took place in 1960, allowing transmission around the world. 56. She sent a message of congratulations to Apollo 11 astronauts for the first moon landing on July 21, 1969. The message was microfilmed and deposited on the moon in a metal container. 57. The Queen has met at Buckingham Palace the first man in space, Russian major Yuri Gagarin; the first woman in space, Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova; and the first men on the moon, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, as well as their Apollo 11 colleague Michael Collins. 58. She sent her first e-mail in 1976, from a British army base. 59.

There have been six Archbishops of Canterbury during her reign: Geoffrey Fisher, Michael Ramsey, Donald Coggan, Robert Runcie, George Carey and Rowan Williams. 60. History was made in 1982 when Pope John Paul II visited Britain; he was the first Pope to do so in 450 years. Elizabeth, titular head of the Church of England, received him at Buckingham Palace. 61. She visited a mosque in the U.K. for the first time in July 2002, in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. f 62. The Queen has attended 56 royal Maundy services (religious services on the day preceding Good Friday to honor the service of elderly people in their communities and the church) in 43 cathedrals during her reign. A total of 6,710 people have received Maundy money, coins minted especially for the occasion, in recognition of their service. Elizabeth has missed only four services  two for official tours and two for the births of Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. 63.

Elizabeth has owned more than 30 corgis during her reign, starting with Susan, who was a present for her 18th birthday in 1944. A good proportion of these have been direct descendants from Susan. Elizabeth currently has five corgis: Emma, Linnet, Monty, Holly and Willow. 64. Elizabeth introduced a new breed of dog known as the dorgi when one of her corgis was mated with a dachshund named Pipkin that belonged to Princess Margaret. Elizabeth currently has four dorgis: Cider, Berry, Candy and Vulcan. As well as corgis and dorgis, the Queen also breeds and trains Labradors and cocker spaniels at Sandringham House. A special Sandringham strain of black Labrador was founded in 1911. 65. She takes a keen interest in horses and racing. Her first pony, a Shetland called Peggy, was given to her by her grandfather King George V when she was 4 years old. Elizabeth continues to ride at Sandringham, Balmoral and Windsor. The Queen also takes interest in horse breeding.

Horses bred at the royal studs over the past 200 years have won virtually every major race in Britain. Elizabeth has about 25 horses in training each season. 66. Her racing colors consist of a purple body with gold braiding, scarlet sleeves and a black velvet cap with gold fringe. 67. She continues the royals' long association with racing pigeons, which began in 1886 when King Leopold II of Belgium made a gift of racing pigeons to the British royal family. In 1990, one of Elizabeth's birds took part in the Pau race, coming first in the Section 5th Open of the important international pigeon race, and was subsequently named Sandringham Lightning. In recognition of her interest in the sport, the Queen was named a patron of a number of racing societies, including the Royal Pigeon Racing Association. 68. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married on Nov. 20, 1947, in Westminster Abbey.

Her wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell and was woven at Winterthur Silks Limited, Dunfermline, in the Canmore factory, with silk that had come from Chinese silkworms at Lullingstone Castle. 69. Her dressmakers over the years have included Sir Hardy Amies, Sir Norman Hartnell, Karl-Ludwig Couture and Maureen Rose. Her milliners have been Frederick Fox, Philip Somerville and Marie O'Regan. 70. Her wedding ring was made from a nugget of Welsh gold that came from the Clogau St. David's mine near Dolgellau. Her official wedding cake was made by McVitie and Price Ltd., using ingredients given as a wedding gift by Australian Girl Guides. 71. The Queen has an extensive collection of jewelry, most of which are crown jewels, some inherited and some gifts, including the largest pink diamond in the world.

Some of her well-known pieces include a brooch of diamonds forming a spray of wattle that was presented by the Australian government in 1954 and a necklace of large square-cut aquamarines and diamonds with earrings, given as a gift in her coronation year by the ambassador of Brazil, which Elizabeth wore on her French state visit in 2004. 72. Elizabeth has laid a wreath at the Cenotaph  Britain's iconic war memorial that commemorates the dead in both world wars  on Remembrance Sunday every year of her reign, except in 1959, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1983 and 1999, when she was either pregnant or overseas on an official visit. 73. She has visited the sets of a number of popular British soap operas, including Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale. 74. In 1997, Buckingham Palace's first official website was launched. 75. In 1998, Elizabeth introduced theme days to promote and celebrate aspects of British culture. The first theme day was City Day, focusing on financial institutions.

Other themes have included Publishing, Broadcasting, Tourism, Emergency Services, Maritime, Music, Young Achievers, British Design and Pioneers. 76. In June 2002, to celebrate her Golden Jubilee, the Queen hosted the first public concerts in the garden of Buckingham Palace. She attended both the classical and pop concerts. The Party at the Palace show was one of the most-watched pop concerts in history, attracting about 200 million viewers from all over the world. 77. She is the first member of the royal family to be awarded a gold disc from the recording industry: 100,000 copies of the Party at the Palace CD, produced by EMI, were sold within its first week of release. 78. She hosted Buckingham Palace's first women-only event, "Women of Achievement," in March 2004. 79. In November 2004, Elizabeth invited the cast of Les Misérables in the West End to perform for then French President Jacques Chirac at Windsor Castle. It was the first time the cast of a West End musical had performed at a royal residence. 80.

As a young girl, Elizabeth acted in a number of pantomimes during World War II, including playing Prince Florizel in Cinderella in 1941. The productions took place every year in the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle. 81. She once demoted a footman for giving her corgis whiskey. 82. She is supposedly the only British monarch in history properly trained to change a spark plug, as she undertook a car-maintenance course during World War II. 83. She collected clothing coupons for her wedding dress, true to the spirit of postwar austerity. 84. The Queen issued a writ against the Sun newspaper after it published the full text of her 1992 broadcast two days before its transmission. She later accepted an apology and a £200,000 donation to charity. 85.

Only three other world heads of state have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee during Elizabeth's reign: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand celebrated 60 years on the throne in 2006; the former Sultan of Johor (now part of Malaysia) celebrated his in 1955; and Emperor Hirohito of Japan celebrated his in 1986. 86. The last and only other British monarch to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897, at the age of 77. At 86, Queen Elizabeth will be the oldest monarch to celebrate this occasion. For more on the royal family, visit: Queen Elizabeth II becomes longest-reigning UK monarch - BBC News Queen Elizabeth II becomes longest-reigning UK monarch 9 September 2015 Close share panel Media caption"A long life can pass by many milestones - my own is no exception" The Queen has thanked well-wishers at home and overseas for their "touching messages of kindness" as she becomes Britain's longest-reigning monarch. Speaking in the Scottish Borders, the 89-year-old monarch said the title was "not one to which I have ever aspired".

At 17:30 BST she had reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes - surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. David Cameron said the service the Queen had given was "truly humbling". Dressed in turquoise with her trusty black handbag at her side, the Queen spoke briefly to the gathered crowds earlier. "Inevitably a long life can pass by many milestones - my own is no exception - but I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness," she said. In the day's main events: The Queen and Prince Philip travelled by steam train from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, where she formally opened the new £294m Scottish Borders Railway They were accompanied by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who praised the Queen's "dedication, wisdom and exemplary sense of public service" In London, a flotilla of historic vessels, leisure cruisers and passenger boats took part in a procession along the Thames and HMS Belfast sounded a four-gun salute The exact moment the Queen became the longest-reigning sovereign is unknown.

Her father, George VI, passed away in the early hours of 6 February 1952, but his time of death is not known. Her Majesty's Milestone Image copyright Buckingham Palace Image caption Newly released official photographs show the Queen with her official red box, containing the day's policy papers, cabinet documents, Foreign Office papers and other letters World leaders the Queen has outlasted Business in the Commons was postponed for half an hour so that MPs, led by Mr Cameron, could pay tribute to the Queen. The prime minster said she had been a "rock of stability" in an era when so much had changed, and her reign had been the "golden thread running through three post-war generations". He said it was "typical of the Queen's selfless sense of service" that she thought today should be a normal day. Acting Labour leader Harriet Harman said it was "no exaggeration" to say the Queen was "admired by billions of people all around the world". Ministers are to present the Queen with a bound copy of cabinet papers from the meeting in 1952 when Sir Winston Churchill's government approved the content of her first Queen's Speech.

In the House of Lords, leader Baroness Stowell said the Queen had served the country with "unerring grace, dignity and decency", adding: "And long may she continue to do so". Image copyright Reuters Analysis: BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt There have been glowing tributes and much talk about the significance of this moment. No such words were uttered by the subject of all the attention. She undertook a run-of-the-mill engagement on a far from run-of-the-mill day. And in her brief remarks - her lengthy reign hasn't lessened her aversion to making speeches - she displayed some classic British understatement. Overtaking her great-great-grandmother wasn't something she'd ever aspired to, she said. She was simply the beneficiary of a long life. In Scotland - and indeed in other parts of the United Kingdom - that life and her reign have been celebrated very publicly. Privately, later, the Queen will mark the moment she enters the record books. Prince Philip will be with her - her husband of 67 years has been the one constant in a reign of sometimes dizzying change.

Image copyright PA Image caption In London, a flotilla of vessels, including Havengore and Gloriana, took part in a procession along the Thames Image copyright PA Image caption Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, the Royal Party were welcomed by a traditional pipe band Image copyright AFP Image caption The Queen and the Duke stopped off at Newtongrange station where she unveiled a plaque Image copyright PA Image caption Children from Busy Bees Nursery turned out to see the Queen in Tweedbank Buckingham Palace has released two official photographs to mark the occasion, taken by Mary McCartney in the Queen's private audience room. This is where she holds weekly audiences with prime ministers of the day, and receives visiting heads of state and government. The Queen is taking her traditional summer break at this time of year at her private Scottish home, Balmoral. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are in Scotland on holiday and are expected to have dinner with the Queen at Balmoral later.

Queens of the modern age Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Elizabeth II has reigned for 63 years and seven months, beating Queen Victoria's record Victoria became queen at 18, while Elizabeth was 25 Elizabeth II rides in the same coach as Victoria did for the annual State Opening of Parliament Both queens were shot at by lone gunmen while out riding near Buckingham Palace Elizabeth loves the private royal estate at Balmoral, which was bought by Victoria Victoria ruled over an empire of 400 million people. Elizabeth is head of state for 138 million people Queen Victoria became queen at the age of 18 and ruled for 63 years, seven months and two days. Queen Elizabeth's reign has included 12 prime ministers, two more than served under Victoria. Media captionDuke of York: "From her perspective it is business as usual" One of those prime ministers, Conservative Sir John Major, rejected any suggestion the Queen had been too passive as head of state: "The monarchy wouldn't be as popular if they were part of politics - they're above and beyond it. "But when the Queen meets her prime minister she has the opportunity to question, to ask, to counsel.

Nobody knows and no prime minister is going to tell you exactly what happens at those meetings. So those who say she's been too passive, how can they possibly know?" 'Genuinely exceptional' The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth and sovereign of 15 Commonwealth realms in addition to the UK, and the organisation's Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, sent his congratulations. "As a symbol of continuity during decades of unprecedented change, and by drawing our people together in their rich diversity, Her Majesty has embodied all that is best in the Commonwealth," he said. "With vision and dedication her example has encouraged successive generations of leaders and citizens to embrace the promise of the future." Media captionGraham Smith: "I don't think that keeping a job for life, for life, is something to get excited about" Anti-monarchist group Republic said the Queen's long reign was a reason for reform not celebration. Chief executive Graham Smith said: "It is now time for the country to look to the future and to choose a successor through free and fair elections, someone who can genuinely represent the nation."

Question: Who was the first British Prime Minister to serve under Queen Elizabeth II?
Answer: Winston Churchill