Princess Elizabeth succeeded her father King George VI to become Queen of the United Kingdom on 6th February 1952. She is the third longest reigning British monarch, after Queen Victoria, who ruled from 1837-1901.
Titles
The Queen holds many titles and positions. She is the sovereign over 16 nations in total, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Barbados and Belize, to name but a few. She is Supreme Governor of the Church of England, a compromise from the masculine "Supreme Head" that was held under Henry VIII during the latter half of his reign. The Queen is also Commander-in-chief of the British armed forces.
Duties
When the Queen was just 21 years of age and still heiress apparent, she made her first public speech. She said: "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 family to which we all belong". At her coronation five years later, the Queen took a Coronation Oath that she firmly believed in then and still does to this day. The political authority of British monarchs was weakened during King Charles I's reign and has never been the same since. He believed in the "Divine Right of Kings" and therefore saw himself as accountable only to God and not the common people. This made him very unpopular with the people, who saw him as out of touch with the needs of the nation. Civil war broke out and the king was defeated, leading to his execution in 1649. The next 11 years were the only years in British history where the country was not run by a monarch. Since the seventeenth century, British kings and queens have given way to parliament in the running of the country.
Political views
Titles
The Queen holds many titles and positions. She is the sovereign over 16 nations in total, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Barbados and Belize, to name but a few. She is Supreme Governor of the Church of England, a compromise from the masculine "Supreme Head" that was held under Henry VIII during the latter half of his reign. The Queen is also Commander-in-chief of the British armed forces.
Duties
When the Queen was just 21 years of age and still heiress apparent, she made her first public speech. She said: "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 family to which we all belong". At her coronation five years later, the Queen took a Coronation Oath that she firmly believed in then and still does to this day. The political authority of British monarchs was weakened during King Charles I's reign and has never been the same since. He believed in the "Divine Right of Kings" and therefore saw himself as accountable only to God and not the common people. This made him very unpopular with the people, who saw him as out of touch with the needs of the nation. Civil war broke out and the king was defeated, leading to his execution in 1649. The next 11 years were the only years in British history where the country was not run by a monarch. Since the seventeenth century, British kings and queens have given way to parliament in the running of the country.
Political views
- Queen Elizabeth II is the third longest reigning monarch after Queen Victoria
- The Queen is a constitutional monarch with limited powers
- The Queen carries out a mostly ceremonial role
Comments
Thanks, everyone!
Sophie
Sophie, I always learn something from your articles. Thanks for your excellent contributions. :-)
Thanks for the encouragement, Charlie.
Sophie
Another well done piece, Sophie. I'm so glad you are writing here again.
I agree with Jalah. This article has taught me a lot and I'm sure a lot of other Americans will agree.
I learned a lot from this article. Informative and well written.
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