An A–Z of Queen Elizabeth II
As Her Majesty marks 70 years on the throne, we take an alphabetical look back at the story of her life and reign
The Queen’s Platinum Party at the Palace, on 4 June, will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and supported across the entire BBC network. Visit bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0bk26mx for more information.
A is for… ANNUS HORRIBILIS
“1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure… it has turned out to be an ‘Annus Horribilis’,” said the Queen, now famously, in a speech marking her 40th year on the throne. Indeed, 1992 had proved difficult for the royal family, with the breakdown of Prince Charles’ and Prince Andrew’s marriages, Princess Anne’s divorce, and a fire at Windsor Castle high on the list of unfortunate events.
B is for… BIRTHDAYS
Thanks to the unpredictability of the British weather, the Queen celebrates two birthdays every year: the day she was born (21 April) and the second Saturday in June. The two-birthday tradition began with George II in 1748 – his November birthday was deemed to be too cold for al fresco celebrations, so he decided to attach his birthday celebrations to the Trooping the Colour ceremonial parade held in the summer.
C is for… CORONATION CHICKEN
‘Poulet Reine Elizabeth’ – better known as coronation chicken – was dreamt up in 1953 by florist Constance Spry and cordon bleu chef Rosemary Hume. The dish is said to have been inspired by the ‘Jubilee Chicken’ recipe that was created in 1935 for George V’s Silver Jubilee, but, in an era of postwar rationing, coronation chicken is unlikely to have been on the menu of many street parties in 1953.
D is for… DOGS
The Queen’s love of dogs, specifically the corgi breed, is well-known; she has owned more than 30 corgis since her accession. Perhaps her closest canine friend, though, was Susan, the Pembroke Welsh corgi who was given to the-then Princess Elizabeth on her 18th birthday.
The pup even took part in her wedding to Prince Philip – riding in the state coach (hidden under a blanket) and travelling with the royal couple on their honeymoon.
E is for… EMAIL
In March 1976, the Queen made history when she became the author of the first royal email. Distributed using ARPANET – a forerunner of the internet – from the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment in Malvern, Worcestershire, the message announced the development of a new programming language. It was sent from the Queen’s – rather predictably named – personal email account: HME2.
F is for… FATHER
When Princess Elizabeth was born in 1926, her father was still Prince Albert, Duke of York, but in 1936, life changed dramatically when Albert took the throne as George VI, meaning that Elizabeth was now heir apparent.
Elizabeth’s preparation for queenship began almost immediately and father and daughter developed a close bond as he trained his eldest child for her future role as monarch.
G is for… GIFTS
Queen Elizabeth II has received countless gifts throughout her reign – some precious, others… more unusual. Several live animals have been presented to the Queen, including a young Nile crocodile from the People of Berending on the Gambia River and two Aldabra giant tortoises from the Government and People of the Seychelles.
H is for… HATS
The Queen is known for her vibrantly coloured coats with matching headgear, but just how many hats does the royal wardrobe contain? While the exact number is not confirmed, Her Majesty is rumoured to have donned more than 5,000 hats over the duration of her reign.
I is for… INTRUDER
Several intruders have been apprehended in the grounds of royal residences over the years, but none have made it as far as Michael Fagan, who, in 1982, broke into Buckingham Palace and found his way to the Queen’s bedroom.
Since trespass was then a civil offence, Fagan was only tried for burglary (having helped himself to half a bottle of wine), and spent several months at a psychiatric hospital.
J is for… JUBILEE
This year, the Queen marks her Platinum Jubilee, becoming the first British monarch to celebrate 70 years on the throne. She will follow in the footsteps of other famous monarchs who have celebrated milestones in their reigns, including Edward III (r1327–77), who is said to have celebrated his Golden Jubilee with a magnificent procession from the Tower of London.
K is for… KENYA
It was during a stay at Treetops Hotel in Nyeri, Kenya, on 6 February 1952, that Princess Elizabeth learned that her father, George VI, had died. She and Prince Philip had been enjoying a short break in the African country during the first leg of a Commonwealth tour, but flew home immediately, landing in London the next day.
L is for… LYNDON B JOHNSON
Fourteen US presidents have come and gone over the past 70 years, but only one failed to meet the Queen face to face. Despite corresponding by letter between March 1964 and July 1967, neither Queen Elizabeth II nor President Lyndon B Johnson issued invitations for the other to visit.
M is for… MOTHERHOOD
Assuming the throne with two small children – Prince Charles (3) and Princess Anne (18 months) – meant juggling monarchy with motherhood from the off, and long periods of time away from family while touring. Two more children (Prince Andrew and Prince Edward) followed in 1960 and 1964 respectively, ensuring the continuity of the Windsor line.
N is for… NICKNAMES
Despite her dignified demeanour, the Queen is said to have a number of nicknames within the royal family, including ‘Gary’ (bestowed by a young Prince William who had confused the word with ‘Granny’). Princess Charlotte is said to use ‘Gan-Gan’, while the late Prince Philip often called his wife ‘Cabbage’ – perhaps from the French term of endearment, mon petit chou (my little cabbage).
O is for… OBEY
When the future Elizabeth II married Philip Mountbatten in 1947, eyebrows were raised over the choice of wedding vows. The word ‘obey’ had been removed from the Church of England service in 1928, two years after women were permitted to own property on the same terms as men, but Princess Elizabeth chose to include the word in her vows, promising to “love, cherish, and to obey” her new husband.
P is for… PRINCE PHILIP
The Queen and Prince Philip enjoyed a 73-year marriage before his death in April 2021. The pair were introduced in 1934, and met again five years later at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth when Elizabeth was 13 and Philip was 18. It was here, reportedly, that Elizabeth fell in love with her future husband, a man she described on their golden wedding anniversary as being her “strength and stay”.
Q is for… QUALIFICATIONS
Conventional schooling is a fairly recent choice for the British royal family, with Prince Charles the first heir to the throne to have received a formal education and attain a university degree. Both the Queen and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, were home-schooled by a governess, with the young Elizabeth also receiving lessons in constitutional history after she became heir to the throne.
R is for… RADIO BROADCAST
The future Queen made her first public address on 13 October 1940, aged 14. Joined by Princess Margaret, the speech was broadcast at the start of Children’s Hour on the BBC World Service, and was aimed at children who had been evacuated from Britain to America, Canada and elsewhere.
You can listen to the recording via the BBC Archive: bbc.co.uk/archive/childrens-hour–princess-elizabeth/z7wm92p
S is for… SWANS
The Crown has claimed ownership of mute swans (a particular species of swan) since the 12th century, when monarchs liked to tuck into the white waterbird at feasts. A ‘Swan Upping’ ceremony, led by the Queen’s Swan Marker, takes place in the third week of July each year on a particular stretch of the River Thames, and any swans found are checked over – for health reasons, rather than as a potential meal.
T is for… TOURS
During her long reign, Elizabeth II has travelled more than a million miles (1,032,513 to be precise) and visited 117 different countries, despite never owning a passport. In 2015, having flown the equivalent of 42 times around the globe since her accession, the Queen finally hung up her boarding pass and retired from overseas travel, making a trip to Malta her last foreign tour.
U is for… UNCLE EDWARD
At her birth in 1926, baby Elizabeth was third in line to the throne, behind her uncle Edward (later Edward VIII) and her father (later George VI), and seemingly destined to be pushed down the line of succession by the births of brothers and male cousins. But on Edward VIII’s abdication in 1936 her future took a new direction and her path to queenship began.
V is for… VE DAY
In 1985, the Queen confessed in a BBC interview that, on 8 May 1945, she had secretly joined in the public celebrations that had followed the announcement that the war in Europe had ended. Dressed in her Auxiliary Territorial Service uniform (see below), she and Princess Margaret snuck out of the palace and joined the celebrating crowds on London’s streets, all without being recognised.
W is for… WORLD WAR II
Aged 13 when WWII broke out, Princess Elizabeth was evacuated to Windsor Castle with her nine-year-old sister, Princess Margaret. As the conflict progressed, Elizabeth joined in with the war effort, tending her allotments as part of the Dig for Victory campaign and eventually joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She is the first female royal to have joined the armed services as a full-time active member.
X is for… X-RAYS
From tea towels to teapots, royal memorabilia is a massive business, but not all collectibles have received the royal seal of approval. In 2011, 18 dental X-rays of Elizabeth II’s teeth, together with those of her mother and father – taken between 1942 and 1946 – were withdrawn from an auction in Gloucestershire. Lawyers for the royal family cited a right of privacy for medical records and the lot was pulled from sale.
Y is for… YACHT
Now a popular visitor attraction and events venue in Edinburgh’s Port of Leith, HMY Britannia served the royal family for 44 years, travelling more than a million nautical miles. But in December 1997, the yacht was deemed too expensive to maintain and run, and the huge vessel was decommissioned. The Queen is said to have shed a tear at the ship’s decommissioning ceremony in Portsmouth.
Z is for… ZAMBIA
The Queen is expected to remain politically neutral, but she has, on occasion, been a target for the decisions of her governments. In 1979, during a visit to Zambia, some Zambians waved banners in protest against the UK government’s plans to recognise the controversial political regime of neighbouring Zimbabwe Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), led by Abel Muzorewa.
