Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee: Year In Review 2012 | Elizabeth II | Britannica.com Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent On Feb. 6, 2012, Queen Elizabeth II reached the 60th anniversary of her accession to the British throne, a milestone that was followed in June (to coincide with her June 2, 1953, coronation) by four days of national celebration, including two days’ public holiday, to formally commemorate her Diamond Jubilee. Despite wet weather in London—and an infection that caused the queen’s 90-year-old husband, Prince Philip, to be admitted to the hospital and miss an open-air concert held outside Buckingham Palace (the queen’s main residence in London) and a special service of thanksgiving that was held in St. Paul’s Cathedral—the occasion attracted huge interest throughout the country and, polls showed, reinforced the queen’s already high popularity.

The man-powered portion of the 1,000-boat river pageant flotilla, led by the £1 million … David Jones—Press Association/AP On June 5, 2012, the final day of festivities surrounding Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, the … Toby Melville—Reuters/Landov This official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in her coronation robes was taken in 1953 by Sir Cecil … V&A Images/Alamy Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and Catherine, duchess of Cambridge, visit Leicester, Eng., on March … Andy Rain—EPA/Landov Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born to Albert, duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, on April 21, 1926. She became heir presumptive in December 1936 when her father ascended to the throne as King George VI after the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII . She was in Kenya with her husband, Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh , when news arrived on Feb. 6, 1952, that her 56-year-old father had died.

She returned to Britain to be greeted by Winston Churchill , her first prime minister. The elderly war leader and the young queen presided over a Britain that still ruled an empire abroad but was economically enfeebled at home. In a country that was scarred and bankrupted by war and subject to food rationing, few people had cars or television sets or had ever traveled by air, and nonwhite faces were rare. Over the following six decades, Britain changed almost beyond recognition, yet the queen provided a rock of stability that most people told pollsters they welcomed. Elizabeth II and coronation guests, June 2, 1953. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Walter Bagehot , the influential 19th-century constitutional theorist, famously said of Britain’s monarchy: “We must not let in daylight upon magic.” One remarkable achievement of Elizabeth II’s 60 years as queen was that she managed to let in just enough daylight to satisfy an era of expanding democracy, increasing scrutiny, and declining deference—but not so much that she lost the loyalty of her people in the United Kingdom or the 15 other Commonwealth countries of which she was head of state in 2012.

Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies To say that Elizabeth has become the latest in a long line of popular monarchs, however, would be wrong. The monarchical institution had frequently been rocked by scandal and was prone to mockery. Its modern positive reputation was established as recently as World War II, when the royal family remained in London during the Blitz, and Elizabeth, as an 18-year-old, joined the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a driver and mechanic. By the time she became queen at age 25, she was already the mother of two children ( Charles and Anne), and her strong-willed husband was admired for having served in Britain’s Royal Navy with courage and distinction during the war. During her reign sons Andrew and Edward were born. In some respects Elizabeth made the monarchy less formal and remote. In 1958, for example, she ceased attending the annual Queen Charlotte’s Ball, where some 150 17- or 18-year-old girls from Britain’s richest families had traditionally presented themselves to the monarch.

She sent her children to school (albeit exclusive private schools), ending the practice of royal children’s being educated at home by private tutors (as she had been). She also allowed television cameras limited access to her palaces and, through them, provided to the general public glimpses of her daily life and leisure interests, the most prominent of which was horse racing. Elizabeth II with (from left) Princess Anne, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew, and Prince Charles. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. An Odyssey of Grecian Literature Some facets of modernization were unplanned. Prior to the 1960s royal divorces were virtually unheard of, but during Elizabeth’s reign the marriages of her sister, Princess Margaret, and three of her four children broke down (Edward’s did not), spectacularly and very publicly. (Her own notably successful marriage—she and Philip celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Nov.

20, 2012—was a marked exception.) When Prince Charles, her eldest son and heir apparent, divorced in 1996 after 15 years of marriage, most Britons sided with Diana , his former wife, who had endeared herself to millions with her beauty, apparent vulnerability, and seemingly endless supply of empathy for victims of circumstance, especially AIDS patients and individuals who had been injured by land mines. Diana’s death in a car crash in 1997 provoked a rare misjudgment by the queen, who initially remained ensconced at her remote Balmoral estate in the Scottish highlands; Prime Minister Tony Blair had to “advise” (in effect, instruct) her to return to London to lead the country’s grieving. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest This was a unique example of the public’s coming to know what passed between the queen and one of her prime ministers. Over the centuries the relationship between monarch and prime minister had changed utterly. By the time Elizabeth ascended to the throne, the United Kingdom had become a “constitutional monarchy.” Laws were passed and the armed forces served in the queen’s name, but political decisions were made by ministers and by Parliament.

Yet there were two ways in which the queen exerted influence. First, she had close contact with each of the 13 British prime ministers who held office over the past 60 years, from Churchill to David Cameron . Most Tuesdays throughout her reign, the prime minister of the day visited her at Buckingham Palace , her London residence, for a private audience. Other ministers saw her at less-regular intervals. These discussions could be candid, because they were never leaked. By convention (the U.K. has never had a written constitution, with the exception of a few years in the 1650s when it was briefly a republic), the monarch has the right and duty to advise and warn the prime minister about the controversies of the day. The more years Elizabeth remained on the throne, the more she was able to draw upon her own life experiences. Without revealing any confidences, successive prime ministers testified to the value of the queen’s advice. Trending Topics Eyjafjallajökull volcano Second, there was one area in which the queen’s personal commitment was clear throughout her reign. She was a champion of the Commonwealth and of its principles of democracy and racial equality.

In 1952 there were only 8 members, but by 2012 it had expanded to 53. Almost all of the additional 45 countries were former British colonies that had become independent during Elizabeth’s reign. The process was not without pain; South Africa’s white rulers withdrew their country from the Commonwealth in 1961 rather than surrender their apartheid system of racial segregation. The queen made clear her support for majority rule, and her great personal pleasure was evident when Nelson Mandela made his first state visit to the U.K. as South Africa’s president in 1996, two years after his newly democratic country had rejoined the Commonwealth. Even though most Commonwealth countries chose to become republics after independence, the position of the queen as head of the Commonwealth was rarely questioned and never challenged. Queen Elizabeth II signing the Canada Act in Ottawa, Can., as Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau … Ron Polint—Canadian Press/AP The queen managed to fend off charges that the very idea of a hereditary monarchy was an anachronism by acknowledging, and never challenging, the decisions of her governments—in the U.K. or the other 15 Commonwealth countries that kept her as their head of state.

Some people felt offended that they were “subjects” of the queen rather than “citizens” of a republic. Nevertheless, by steering clear of political controversy and by maintaining a punishing work schedule both at home and abroad well into her 80s, Elizabeth retained levels of public affection that the most popular politician could only envy. She also demonstrated both adaptability and sensitivity to public concerns when in the 1990s she agreed to reform the Civil List and pay more of the monarchy’s expenses out of her own funds. Throughout her reign Elizabeth traveled extensively, both within the Commonwealth and to foreign countries. Soon after her coronation she and Philip embarked on a six-month tour that included a visit to Australia and New Zealand, making her the first reigning British monarch to visit those Commonwealth countries. In 2011 she made a historic visit to Ireland, the first by a British monarch since 1911 when her grandfather, King George V , toured the island, which was at that time still part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Irish Pres. Mary McAleese (left) greets Queen Elizabeth II of the U.K.

in Dublin on May 17, 2011, … John Stillwell—EPA/Landov Whether the monarchy would continue in the same way after Elizabeth’s death remained an open question. She had enjoyed two big advantages. First, she became queen when she was young, with the public image of an unblemished princess, wife, and mother. Second, she ascended to the throne at a time when the U.K.’s national leaders were seldom interviewed and never cross-examined by the media. She was able to remain aloof from public debate throughout her reign by continuing to perform her duties in a consistent manner and by rarely taking a public stand on partisan political issues. Should Prince Charles succeed her, he would become king in very different circumstances: as a man whose adult life had been closely and critically scrutinized—notably his divorce from Diana and his subsequent remarriage in 2005 to Camilla Parker Bowles —and who had engaged in a variety of public controversies, especially concerning architecture and the environment.

Opinion polls found that many Britons would prefer the crown to skip a generation upon the queen’s death—Charles was 63 at the time of his mother’s Diamond Jubilee—and pass to Charles’s elder son, Prince William , whose marriage in 2011 to Catherine Middleton was celebrated throughout the country and beyond. The significant factor was not that this would happen but that the future of the monarchy and the character of the throne were subject to controversies of a type that Elizabeth had never been expected to face six decades earlier. Over the past 60 years, the queen navigated an era of massive upheaval with remarkable success, but hers was a very personal achievement. Elizabeth II was a product of her times, her particular upbringing, and her character. She had led Britain’s monarchy safely into the 21st century, but she could not necessarily guarantee its invulnerability in the future. Article Contributors 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 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. 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.

BBC - iWonder - Queen Elizabeth II: Britain’s longest reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II: Britain’s longest reigning monarch 21 April 1926 Presented byProfessor Kate WilliamsRoyal historian Constant Queen As the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II has seen Britain change dramatically over the years. Yet she has remained a constant presence in the lives of the people of the UK and Commonwealth. Duty and family are very important to her. As a child during the Second World War she inspired the nation. The lessons she learned during these formative years helped her ensure the Royal Family remains a symbol of tradition in the 21st Century. 21 April 1926 You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Andrew Marr discusses Princess Elizabeth's family and early life. The Diamond Queen (BBC One, 2012). Princess Elizabeth was born in 1926. Her father Albert – Bertie to family – was George V's second eldest son and did not expect one day to be king. Elizabeth's mother and father took their royal duties seriously. Though loving parents, they kept with the tradition of not taking their children on royal tours.

They left the baby Elizabeth behind when they embarked on a six-month tour of Australia. It was duty first for the young Royal Family. [She’s] a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant. Winston Churchill, 1928 A growing family Princess Elizabeth and her mother, Queen Elizabeth, with baby Princess Margaret. Elizabeth was four when her sister Margaret was born. The family lived at 145 Piccadilly and the two girls were educated at home. The young Princess Elizabeth – called Lilibet by her family – often visited her grandfather King George V at his home, Buckingham Palace. They were close, and on one occasion the press attributed George's recovery from a serious illness to spirit-raising visits from his young granddaughter. [she’s] a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved. Margaret Rhodes, Elizabeth’s cousin 1936 The Year of Three Kings You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Andrew Marr explains how Princess Elizabeth became heir to the throne in 1936. The Diamond Queen (BBC One, 2012).

Elizabeth's life changed forever when King George V died to be succeeded to the throne by her uncle Edward who then abdicated shortly afterwards. Elizabeth's father became King George VI, and the young princess first in line to the throne. The family had to move from their home in Piccadilly to Buckingham Palace. George V had disapproved of his eldest son Edward, and hoped that Elizabeth would one day be Queen. George VI has been described as a reluctant king. The day before he accepted the throne he wrote in his diary "I broke down and sobbed like a child." I pray to God that my eldest son [Edward] will never marry and have children, and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne. King George V confiding to a courtier in 1935. 13 October 1940 Elizabeth's broadcast to the children You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Princess Elizabeth delivers her first radio speech at age 14. BBC Radio (1940). During World War Two Princess Elizabeth did her part to boost public morale. In 1940 she made a broadcast to Britain's children.

Taking on solemn duties at an early age had a profound effect on her. She made public appearances on her own, representing her father the King. She also served in the auxiliary territorial service, a role she was keen to take up in order to make a contribution to the war effort. During the war years she was also in correspondence with a young naval officer, Philip of Denmark and Greece. Celebrating VE Day amongst the people Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret mingled anonymously with crowds outside Buckingham Palace. On the day the war ended in Europe, Elizabeth and her sister Margaret mingled anonymously with the crowds outside the palace. Elizabeth convinced her parents to let her and Margaret join the VE day celebrations. Elizabeth was wary of being recognised but later said it was one of the most memorable nights of her life. This was a rare moment when she was able to join the public – her subjects to be – which would eventually be impossible for her. World War Two cemented cemented two principles the Queen would support for the rest of her reign: a commitment to the Commonwealth, and the importance of remembrance. I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.

Queen Elizabeth II, reflecting on VE day in a BBC interview in 1985 1947 Elizabeth's first tour abroad Princess Elizabeth playing deck games on board a Royal Navy ship. On her 21st birthday Elizabeth went on an official tour of South Africa, delivering a speech dedicating herself to the service of the Commonwealth. Elizabeth's father King George VI was suffering from poor health. Elizabeth continued to take on royal duties, and over the next few years she played a greater public role as her father's health declined. She had her own private secretary and was given access to Foreign Office telegrams, which arrived in boxes dedicated to her and read daily parliamentary reports. I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to … the service of our great imperial family. Princess Elizabeth in her speech in South Africa, 1947 20 November 1947 A royal wedding You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. The Queen marries Prince Philip in Westminster Abbey. How Princess Elizabeth met her Prince (BBC One, 2006). Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten were married at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947.

She wore a dress she'd paid for with ration tokens. Although Elizabeth and Philip were in love, the young princess’s husband was a controversial choice. He was foreign born, with no financial standing and no kingdom. He had sisters married to Nazis, who were not invited to the wedding. Philip gave up his Greek and Danish titles and changed his religion to marry Elizabeth. Now married for over 65 years, the Queen has had the longest marriage of any UK monarch. [The wedding is] a flash of colour on the hard road we have to travel. Winston Churchill, responding to suggestions that the postwar wedding should be austere. 1948 Elizabeth becomes Queen You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. The broadcast made by the BBC on the King's death. An Unforgettable Coronation (BBC One, 2003). King George VI had been in poor health for years. For some time Elizabeth's secretary had been carrying accession papers for use when the King died. The King passed away while Elizabeth was touring Kenya. The young princess became Queen while visiting a treetop hotel. One of her aides told Prince Philip the news.

Philip looked "as if the world had been dropped on him." Philip then told the new Queen of her father's death. The next day Elizabeth requested no photographs be taken, though one journalist said he could feel her sadness as she passed and waved to them. International stateswoman You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. 20 years after World War Two, the Queen pledged support for West Berlin and received rapturous applause. The Queen in Germany (BBC One, 2006). By 1965, the Queen had reigned for over a decade and made frequent overseas visits. She had also given birth to two further sons: Edward and Andrew. At home and abroad, the Queen had to maintain political neutrality, but she was making her own mark on the role of monarch. She made a number of historic visits, including the first to Berlin of a British monarch since before World War One. She also delivered a speech at the United Nations in New York, representing the UK and the Commonwealth. Ensuring the unity of the Commonwealth has been an enduring passion for her. God save the Queen, she ain’t no human being.

God Save the Queen, the Sex Pistols 1981 Queen under threat The Queen, riding side saddle on her horse Burmese during Trooping the Colour, moments before the attack. A man fired six shots at the Queen while she was riding down The Mall. The shots turned out to be blanks. Though shaken, the Queen retained control over her horse. The man, Marcus Serjeant, was tried and sentenced to five years in prison under the treason act. This attack came the month before Charles and Diana's wedding, so royal security was stepped up in preparation. The following year, another man broke into the Queen's bedroom in a startling breach of security at Buckingham Palace. She has indeed 'the heart and stomach of a man'... She loves her duty and means to be a Queen. Harold MacMillan, prime minister 1957-63 Around this time… Elizabeth's annus horribilis You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Andrew Marr looks at the events that made 1992 a bad year for the Queen. The Queen at 80 (BBC One, 2006).

The Queen called 1992 her Annus horribilis ‒ horrible year ‒ in a speech made after a series of unpleasant events. The marriages of two of her children, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, broke down. A best-selling book was published detailing Princess Diana's unhappiness and collapsing marriage. There was also a large and damaging fire at Windsor Castle, the Queen’s private home. Public support for the Royal Family dipped, though the Queen remained dignified and constant figure. Princess Diana dies You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. John Simpson reports on the return of the Queen to Buckingham Palace after Diana's death. BBC News (BBC One, 1997). Princess Diana died in an accident in 1997. Amid the mourning, the Queen faced a critical dilemma. Initially, the Royal Family grieved privately. However, the public reaction to Diana's death led to accusations the Queen was unresponsive and out of touch with the public mood. A Daily Express headline declared, ‘Show Us You Care.’ That evening, the Queen made a broadcast paying tribute to Diana as an "exceptional and gifted human being".

The swell of anger had shocked the Queen and she admitted there were "lessons to be drawn from her life and the extraordinary public reaction to her death". Death of her mother and sister You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Golden Jubilee party at the Palace. The Royal Year with Jennie Bond (BBC One, 2002). Fifty years after her father's death, both the Queen's mother and sister died within two months of each other. However, popular support for the Queen was increasing after the difficult 1990s. Throughout her reign, the Queen represented continuity and surety, though she accepted the monarchy must attempt to renew itself. She undertook a 40,000-mile tour of the Commonwealth. She said her own "association with the Commonwealth has taught me that the most important contact between nations is usually contact between its peoples." Change has become a constant, managing it has become an expanding discipline. Queen Elizabeth II, Golden Jubilee speech to the Houses of Parliament, 2002 2012 The Olympics and a Diamond Jubilee You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Andrew Marr summarises the Queen's Diamond year.

A Diamond Queen (BBC One, 2012). In a year of celebration the Queen joined the Olympic opening ceremony, appearing in a James Bond spoof in her first acting role. In the same year she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, only the second achieved by a British monarch. She did not travel the world for this celebration. Instead her children and grandchildren made trips on her behalf. The Queen chose to tour the UK over several months. In 2012 her approval rating hit 90% – the highest it had been since she came to the throne in 1952. Elizabeth II becomes Britain’s longest reigning monarch The Queen attending a ceremony for ANZAC day at the cenotaph in 2015. On 9 September 2015 Elizabeth II overtook Victoria to become Britain’s longest reigning monarch. By this point she had been Queen to twelve Prime Ministers, and still met David Cameron weekly to receive reports on his government and to offer her counsel and advice. In 2013, the law was changed so the monarch’s eldest born child has the right to the throne, rather than the eldest boy.

It is fitting that this occurred during the rule of Elizabeth II, our longest reigning and perhaps most successful monarch in history.

Question: Who was British Prime Minister at the time of the accession of Elizabeth II?
Answer: WINSTON CHURCHILL