Main points
- Elizabeth II became queen after the abdication of her uncle Edward VIII and reigned for the longest time in British history.
- The Queen died in 2022 from bone marrow cancer, leaving behind a significant legacy in politics and culture.
Queen Elizabeth II / Photo by Marie Claire and The Royal Family
Today, April 21, the late Queen Elizabeth II would have turned 100. Sadly, she did not live to see the milestone by just a few years. Old age and illness claimed her life.
Before her death in 2022, Her Majesty managed to complete all important matters and even appointed a new Prime Minister. On the Queen's birthday , Channel 24 recalls the most interesting facts from her biography that may surprise everyone.
- She was the first child born to Albert, Duke of York, and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Her mother was five months pregnant when she was involved in a car accident. She miraculously avoided a miscarriage.
- Elizabeth II would never have become Queen if her uncle Edward VIII had not abdicated due to his love affair with a divorced woman. From that moment on, her father ascended the throne, and Elizabeth became the heiress “by assumption.” If she and her sister Margaret had had another brother, even a younger one, he would have had the right to the crown.
- When the monarch died in 1952, Elizabeth and Philip were in Kenya. It was one of the rare occasions when a monarch succeeded to the throne while outside the United Kingdom. A year later, Elizabeth II was crowned. The Queen gave permission for the ceremony to be broadcast worldwide.
- Elizabeth II opened Buckingham Palace to the public , and her government was led for the first time by a woman, Margaret Thatcher. The late Queen saw the departure of 15 British prime ministers, 16 US presidents, and 7 Popes during her reign.
- The 1990s were a real challenge for the royal family and for Elizabeth II herself. In 1992, the Queen's son, the Duke of York, separated from his wife Sarah, and later Princess Anne announced her divorce from her husband of 19 years. Moreover, it was then that it became known that Charles and Princess Diana were unhappy in their married life. During this period, a fire also broke out at the Queen's beloved Windsor Castle .
- In 2011, she went on an official visit to Ireland. It was a powerful political signal that Elizabeth transmitted in her speech, speaking about the importance of reconciliation and tolerance.
- The Queen even starred in a James Bond film on the eve of the 2012 Olympics.
James Bond and The Queen: watch the video online
- In 2015, Her Majesty officially became Britain's longest-reigning monarch in history. Her great-grandmother Victoria was on the throne for 63 years and 216 days.
- In 2022, Elizabeth II celebrated her 70th anniversary on the throne .
- The Daily Mail published an excerpt from the Queen's butler's book in 2025. From there it became known that she died of bone marrow cancer . She was diagnosed a few months after the death of Prince Philip in 2021. Doctors gave her time until Christmas, but she begged the doctors to extend her life until her platinum jubilee. And so it happened.
Recall that Elizabeth II is buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. The farewell took place on September 19, 2022.