Well, we've finally made it... the FORTY-FIRST installment of "Kings and Queens of England." I can't believe I've done 40 of these already... I'm gonna be sad to see them go. But, we must soldier on!
Speaking of people who "soldier on," today, we have the Queen herself, the unflappable and stalwart Queen Elizabeth II. Current ruler of England, Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, she rounds out our series.
On to the Queen!
- Born in 1926, she is the eldest child of Prince Albert and Princess Elizabeth. She was named Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor.
- She was very close to her grandfather, George V. When he was dying, it is said that his spirits always rose when he saw little "Lillibet." He was very proud of her, stating that she, hopefully, would someday be queen. (George V being a prophet again...)
- Even as a small child, she exhibited a sense of responsibility, seriousness, and studiousness well beyond her years. Churchill, her tutors, and many others commented on this. Though she was a typically happy and energetic young girl, taking passion in horsemanship and raising dogs, she also became very serious when adult topics were brought up. This made her quite unlike her younger sister, Margaret, who was much more of a hellion.
- Their father, George VI, called Elizabeth his "Pride," and Margaret his "Joy." Margaret was always the center of attention. Elizabeth often sat quietly on the sidelines. Margaret was a bit of a spoiled brat, Elizabeth was usually extremely well behaved. This suited Elizabeth just fine. She preferred to not be the focus of all the attention.
- As a daughter of a second son, there was little chance that she would become queen. However, after the death of her grandfather and the abdication of her uncle, her father suddenly became king. This threw everything into a new light. If the king had a son, she would have been passed over, but alas, it was not to be. She was the heir presumptive, and would be raised as such. Her younger sister said to her, upon their father's accession, "Does that mean you're going to be queen? Poor you."
- Elizabeth and her sister were not allowed to learn with other children, although the suggestion had come up. Instead, like all other royals, they were taught by governesses. Elizabeth was a very keen student, earning top marks and impressing all her governesses. Still, she was lonely. So, a new chapter of the "Girl Guides" was created, just for her to have playmates. They met in Buckingham, and the princesses enjoyed these arranged play-dates immensely.
- She was a young teen when WWII broke out. She and her sister were moved to Balmoral Castle, then Sandringham. By the age of 14, she had been brought back to stay with the king and queen in London. She worked hard to be seen by other children, but there were few left in London. So, she was allowed to give a radio broadcast specifically acknowledging the contribution and sacrifices that children had made during the war. To many young British, princess Elizabeth was something of an older sister.
- Near the end of the war, the 18 year old Elizabeth joined the army to serve her country. She trained as a mechanic and a driver, and many were shocked to see photos of the heir presumptive princess, greasy hands and all, working on the engine of a military truck. She saw no active service, of course, but she certainly earned points in the minds of many.
- When victory day came, Elizabeth and Margaret secretly went out to celebrate with the crowds. Luckily, they were not recognized, and had a great time dancing and singing arm and arm with their subjects.
- Though serious and demure, in reality, the young girl had fallen deeply in love. At 13 years old, she met Phillip, prince of Greece and Denmark. He was not a good match at all. He wasn't English born, although he lived in England, he was nearly penniless, and his sisters had married Nazis. He was derogatorily called "The Hun" by some of the press when their engagement was announced a few years later. Still, Elizabeth was deeply in love, and Phillip was willing to renounce his foreign titles, and even change his name to "Mountbatten," (His mother's family name,) to be with her. He was also willing to take on HER name, rather than being the Prince of Wales. All of this was acceptable to Parliament, and plans went forward.
- The couple were married in 1947. They had to use ration cards to get the material for her dress. Phillip's sisters were not allowed to attend, nor was the former king of England, Edward VIII. All in all, it was a subdued ceremony. It is said that Phillip calls her "Cabbage" as a pet name.
- The couple soon had a son, Charles, and a daughter, Anne. They spent time moving from home to home and making public appearances. Elizabeth was a happy mother, and was photographed extensively with her children, doing normal things such as having picnics, riding bicycles, and the like. The royal family became media darlings.
- In the early '50s, it was clear that the king was dying. Elizabeth handled this with typical dignity and responsibility, and stood in for her father on his world tours. During one of these tours, in 1952, she received the news: her father was dead, and she was to return to England to become queen.
- The death of her father shattered her, but she kept her charm and grace, refusing to let people see her grieving. Her sister, on the other hand, sank into a deep depression.
- Some people were worried that Phillip would become king, changing the House of Windsor to the House of Mountbatten, or worse, the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg! Parliament saw to it, however, that Windsor stayed Windsor. Their children would be given the name "Windsor," their mother's maiden name. Phillip would be the "Queen Consort," not the king, though he retained the "Duke of Edinburgh" title. Phillip complained that he was the only person in England who couldn't give his name to his children, but he acquiesced.
- Elizabeth's first crisis involved her sister. Margaret, now 23, was going off the deep end. She partied all night, she saw men without discretion, she was a regular at some of London's dodgiest nightclubs. Elizabeth did not try to reign in her sister, who she (rightly) saw as going through a grieving process and spreading her wings. However, when Margaret got engaged to a 39 year old man, who was twice divorced with two sons of his own, Elizabeth had to put her foot down.
- Elizabeth could have told her sister that she must stop seeing this man, Peter Townsend. Instead, Elizabeth proved that she was a shrewd negotiator. She simply told Margaret, "Give it a year, then come back. If you still want to marry him, then I shall give you permission." Needless to say, Margaret and Peter were all the news. The Parliament was outraged. The Church of England was outraged. The people generally sided with their "Party Princess." Parliament told Margaret that she would have to renounce her titles to marry Peter. Margaret realized how much she disliked politics, and broke it off with Peter. Elizabeth had been right, and she came out of this looking like the 'good guy.' Margaret would go on to marry a much more acceptable man, divorce in the '70s, and never remarried.
- She now had to oversee the evolving role of England in the Commonwealth. Most of her early rule involved the queen travelling from nation to nation, establishing herself as the mother of the Commonwealth. She was well received in most countries, and there was even talk of France joining the Commonwealth, but instead, France founded the EEC, which would become the European Union.
- Parliament colluded with France to invade Egypt in an unsuccessful bid to gain control of the Suez Canal. Elizabeth was outwardly against the move, but did not try to stand in their way. When it all failed, Prime minister Eden was blamed, not the queen. Eden resigned in shame.
- Prime minister Eden had resigned. Technically, the queen still had to appoint a new leader. Rather than demand, Elizabeth asked to be counseled by the former PMs, Eden, Churchill, and such, along with Parliamentary leaders. This move endeared her to Parliament, as well as the wealthy of Britain. They recommended MacMillan, and the queen appointed him.
- However, some didn't like this. Some accused the queen of crony politics, and Parliament of backroom deals. This movement didn't gain much traction at first, but criticism of the queen had begun, nonetheless. In the effort to please everyone, Elizabeth had nevertheless managed to make people angry. To rectify this, Elizabeth gave up one of her remaining powers, that of appointing PMs. Parliament was given the ability to vote in their PMs, without the queen's consent.
- Though she had no real power, she took her duties seriously. She went on tour after tour, into some of the most dangerous parts of her realm, and other countries. She gave off an aura of dignity and proper behavior, earning her the respect of other countries such as the USA, Japan, and India. PM Macmillan said she "Disliked being treated as a movie star, she has the heart and stomach of a man... she loves her duty, and means to be queen."
- In 1966, a landslide in Aberfan destroyed a grade school and killed hundreds of children. Elizabeth was slow to address the disaster, which earned her severe scorn from many people. In her bid to stay regal and calm, she was now seen as being aloof and uncaring. She DID manage to get out to Aberfan, openly weeping at the sight of the little bodies and weeping mothers. She was able to salvage some of her popularity, but the idea that she was "out of touch" and "aloof" has plagued her even into the present.
- She devoted herself to her dogs. She was and still is a huge fan of Corgis, even going so far as to breed a whole new type of Corgi, the "Dorgi," which is a Corgi/Dachshund mix. When one of her footmen gave one of her corgis a bit of whiskey, she fired him.
- Two more children came along, Andrew and Edward. The queen was and is a noted photographer, and the public was generally pleased to see huge photo collections of the private lives of Elizabeth, Phillip, Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. Many believe she took up photography because SHE wanted to dictate how her family was seen, not paparazzi and studio photographers.
- Like Edward VII and her own mother, Elizabeth dedicated her life to charities. She is very involved in animal rights, especially dogs and horses. She is one of the world's top charitable givers, (having been number one for many years,) and the people of England and the world were generally pleased with her. Criticism of Elizabeth often quickly came under fire... that was... of course... until the late 70s.
- In 1977, she celebrated her silver jubilee. Although slightly tarnished by her sister's divorce hitting the tabloids, Elizabeth was riding high and well loved. In 1978, she allowed Romania's Caucescu and his wife to visit, which brought her criticism. She later said she was pressured into doing it, though she felt the two had "blood on their hands." The Canadian Prime minister Pierre Trudeau made headlines for acting like a complete tit in her presence. He mockingly did a pirouette behind her back for the cameras, and slid down the banisters in Buckingham palace, before removing the royal symbols from his office back in Canada. The queen said she was "Disappointed." Later, Trudeau would regret his antics, stating that the queen turned out to be the best informed (about Canada) British politician he had met.
- Also in the 1970s, she was invited to the department of science and technology to try a brand new invention... "E-Mail." She became one of the first people in the world to send an email. This seems to have sparked a love of technology in the queen. She has stayed as current as possible when it comes to understanding new tech, even going so far as helping to design the royal website, working with an iPad, and yes, programming her own VCR back in the 80s.
- As the 1980s rolled in, the queen's popularity was strong, but cracks were starting to form. She was praised for her dignity and control of her horse when someone shot blanks at her in 1981. She was once again in full composure when a madman broke into her bedroom and sat at the foot of her bed. She engaged him in light conversation along with a maid until the guards were able to remove him from the royal bedroom. Her son, Andrew, fought in the Falklands war, and she did not hinder him from active service.
- A popular tabloid, "The Sun," dedicated itself to writing sensationalist stories about the royal family, whether or not they were true. Though many ignored these tales as silly diversions, they were taken as fact by others. Soon, the entire royal family was under a microscope. Everything they did became big news around the world. The pressure started to mount.
- One of the biggest rumors was that the Queen was backing Margaret Thatcher, then the PM. Thatcher had come under fire for her refusal to drop sanctions on South Africa's apartheid government, her seemingly heartless treatment of striking miners, and many other outrages. The queen was generally NOT on Thatcher's side most of the time, but that didn't matter to the tabloids. Dragging the queen's name through the mud was just as fun in the 1980s as mocking George IV or Edward II had been in the past. The queen, for her part, ignored most of the awful rumors going around about her... so the tabloids went after the next best target... her kids.
- Charles had married lady Diana Spencer, a descendant of John Churchill and the Stuart family. The marriage was extremely popular, as Diana was seen as a sort of "Common Girl," even though she was from a noble family. Though Charles was 13 years her elder, the two made for a cute couple, and they had two sons, William and Henry. However, the marriage was largely loveless. Charles had a mistress, his first girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, (A descendant of Alice Keppel, Edward VII's favorite mistress,) and they didn't stop seeing each other even after his marriage.
- The royal finances were coming under fire, as well. The royals paid no income tax, unlike the rest of the nation. Many tabloids jumped on this, and started questioning just how much money the queen really did have... and were promptly told that the queen's finances were none of their business. Protected by law, the queen has no obligation to make her wealth level known to the people. So, the tabloids just gave wild estimations as to her worth, painting her as a shady businesswoman and despicably underhanded.
- In 1987, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, his wife Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, and Prince Edward all starred in a slapstick comedy game show, "The Grand Knockout Tournament," with such luminary stars as Sheena Easton, Kevin Kline, John Cleese, and Meatloaf. Needless to say, though amusing, it garnered a LOT of criticism from the media. The royals shouldn't be looking goofy on such a show... parodies and satires came in like a flood.
- Andrew was having his own problems. His wife, Sarah, was cracking under the intense scrutiny. Anne, as well, was having issues with her husband. It all came to a head in 1992.
- In a year that the queen would call her "Annus Horriblis," Andrew and Fergie separated, Anne divorced her husband, Diana and Charles formally separated, someone in Germany threw eggs at her, Parliament declared that she would from now on pay income tax, Windsor castle caught on fire, and the people refused to pay taxes to restore it. She looked forward to getting 1992 behind her by giving her traditional Christmas speech.. but then the Sun printed her speech 2 days before she gave it. She rounded on the Sun, suing them for breach of privacy and copyright. Though this lawsuit ws successful, the queen came away looking petty.
- Though she suffered these slings and arrows, she was still popular. But the country was starting to wonder why they needed to keep paying for a royal family that couldn't seem to keep any of their relationships going well. The most stable marriage was, of course, Elizabeth and Phillip, but Phillip was even damaging that with his big mouth. He routinely made racist and ignorant comments in public, so much so that reporters would follow him a round, just to see what he'd say... and they'd ask him racially charged questions on purpose in the hope that he'd put his foot in his mouth.
- In 1995, the marriage of Charles and Diana, that fairy tale that had captivated the world, was clearly over. Charles was openly seeing his mistress, and Diana was publicly seen with her new boyfriend. Elizabeth demanded they get a divorce, which they did. However, the very next year, Diana was killed in a car crash in France. The people of the UK, who mostly sympathized with Diana, seeing Charles as a cold, uncaring husband, went into deep mourning... and the queen made a huge misstep.
- Rather than publicly mourning with her people, the queen and the royal family retreated to Balmoral. This seemingly uncaring stance enraged the people, who blamed the Queen out of grief and anger. Clearly, she was the heartless mother in law who PUSHED Diana out of the family. Clearly, she didn't care how much people loved Diana, she wouldn't even say a word about it! The few pictures and videos of her show her as being rather ambivalent about the whole thing. The people demanded the queen mourn...
- We'll never really know how she felt about Diana and her death, but 5 days later, in an effort to defuse the situation, the queen went on TV the day before Diana's funeral, to speak, on a live broadcast, how she felt. She handled herself well, speaking with respect about Diana, and her love for her grandsons, William and Harry, who she noted were in need of care and love during this time. The people ate it up, and much of the hatred for the queen dissipated. (Charles would not get off the hook so easily, though.)
- For the next 10 years, Elizabeth soldiered on, doing what she could to reign in her children, dance the razor blade of popularity, and keep the royal family relevant. In 2002, she was dealt another horrible blow. Her mother, long her tough and feisty companion, the woman who had helped her father overcome his stammer, died. Margaret, her sister, died soon after, a victim of years of excess. This, all in the face of Elizabeth's golden jubilee. Many thought it would be a glum ceremony, if indeed she agreed to it at all. However, it went off well, and huge festivities swept the UK for three days. Elizabeth had soldiered on again.
- In 2011, she made history again by officially recognizing the Free Republic of Ireland by giving them a state visit. This went well, and talks are currently ongoing about the relationship between the two states.
- In 2012, her Diamond jubilee also went well, though she still remained under intense press scrutiny. Although she had been healthy all her life, it was noted that she was beginning to slow down noticeably. Australia called her tour there the "Farewell Tour," as she most likely will not be back again to do one of her famous walkabouts.
- Still, she is still going strong. She opened the 2012 Olympic games with her usual seriousness, (even being mocked for her seeming lack of interest and aloofness... as usual,) she still works hard with her charities, but it has been noted that Charles is standing in for her more and more these days.
- Now, at the age of 89, she has passed Victoria to become the longest reigning British monarch in history. How much longer will she reign? How will Charles fare as the next king? Will he even become king? (He's no spring chicken after all...)
I guess we'll find out, eventually. The English Monarchy has been through a lot... ups, downs, wars, murders, lust, and betrayals... but unlike most of the world's monarchies, it has not gone the way of the dodo... there are many who see the British royals as a relic of a bygone age, but I like to think they serve a purpose for the whole world... they're a unique link to the past, a kind of "Mum and Dad" we can all look up to, joke about, and love, in our own way. They're endlessly fascinating, sometimes awful, sometimes awesome.
Speaking of people who "soldier on," today, we have the Queen herself, the unflappable and stalwart Queen Elizabeth II. Current ruler of England, Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, she rounds out our series.
On to the Queen!
- Born in 1926, she is the eldest child of Prince Albert and Princess Elizabeth. She was named Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor.
- She was very close to her grandfather, George V. When he was dying, it is said that his spirits always rose when he saw little "Lillibet." He was very proud of her, stating that she, hopefully, would someday be queen. (George V being a prophet again...)
- Even as a small child, she exhibited a sense of responsibility, seriousness, and studiousness well beyond her years. Churchill, her tutors, and many others commented on this. Though she was a typically happy and energetic young girl, taking passion in horsemanship and raising dogs, she also became very serious when adult topics were brought up. This made her quite unlike her younger sister, Margaret, who was much more of a hellion.
- Their father, George VI, called Elizabeth his "Pride," and Margaret his "Joy." Margaret was always the center of attention. Elizabeth often sat quietly on the sidelines. Margaret was a bit of a spoiled brat, Elizabeth was usually extremely well behaved. This suited Elizabeth just fine. She preferred to not be the focus of all the attention.
- As a daughter of a second son, there was little chance that she would become queen. However, after the death of her grandfather and the abdication of her uncle, her father suddenly became king. This threw everything into a new light. If the king had a son, she would have been passed over, but alas, it was not to be. She was the heir presumptive, and would be raised as such. Her younger sister said to her, upon their father's accession, "Does that mean you're going to be queen? Poor you."
- Elizabeth and her sister were not allowed to learn with other children, although the suggestion had come up. Instead, like all other royals, they were taught by governesses. Elizabeth was a very keen student, earning top marks and impressing all her governesses. Still, she was lonely. So, a new chapter of the "Girl Guides" was created, just for her to have playmates. They met in Buckingham, and the princesses enjoyed these arranged play-dates immensely.
- She was a young teen when WWII broke out. She and her sister were moved to Balmoral Castle, then Sandringham. By the age of 14, she had been brought back to stay with the king and queen in London. She worked hard to be seen by other children, but there were few left in London. So, she was allowed to give a radio broadcast specifically acknowledging the contribution and sacrifices that children had made during the war. To many young British, princess Elizabeth was something of an older sister.
- Near the end of the war, the 18 year old Elizabeth joined the army to serve her country. She trained as a mechanic and a driver, and many were shocked to see photos of the heir presumptive princess, greasy hands and all, working on the engine of a military truck. She saw no active service, of course, but she certainly earned points in the minds of many.
- When victory day came, Elizabeth and Margaret secretly went out to celebrate with the crowds. Luckily, they were not recognized, and had a great time dancing and singing arm and arm with their subjects.
- Though serious and demure, in reality, the young girl had fallen deeply in love. At 13 years old, she met Phillip, prince of Greece and Denmark. He was not a good match at all. He wasn't English born, although he lived in England, he was nearly penniless, and his sisters had married Nazis. He was derogatorily called "The Hun" by some of the press when their engagement was announced a few years later. Still, Elizabeth was deeply in love, and Phillip was willing to renounce his foreign titles, and even change his name to "Mountbatten," (His mother's family name,) to be with her. He was also willing to take on HER name, rather than being the Prince of Wales. All of this was acceptable to Parliament, and plans went forward.
- The couple were married in 1947. They had to use ration cards to get the material for her dress. Phillip's sisters were not allowed to attend, nor was the former king of England, Edward VIII. All in all, it was a subdued ceremony. It is said that Phillip calls her "Cabbage" as a pet name.
- The couple soon had a son, Charles, and a daughter, Anne. They spent time moving from home to home and making public appearances. Elizabeth was a happy mother, and was photographed extensively with her children, doing normal things such as having picnics, riding bicycles, and the like. The royal family became media darlings.
- In the early '50s, it was clear that the king was dying. Elizabeth handled this with typical dignity and responsibility, and stood in for her father on his world tours. During one of these tours, in 1952, she received the news: her father was dead, and she was to return to England to become queen.
- The death of her father shattered her, but she kept her charm and grace, refusing to let people see her grieving. Her sister, on the other hand, sank into a deep depression.
- Some people were worried that Phillip would become king, changing the House of Windsor to the House of Mountbatten, or worse, the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg! Parliament saw to it, however, that Windsor stayed Windsor. Their children would be given the name "Windsor," their mother's maiden name. Phillip would be the "Queen Consort," not the king, though he retained the "Duke of Edinburgh" title. Phillip complained that he was the only person in England who couldn't give his name to his children, but he acquiesced.
- Elizabeth's first crisis involved her sister. Margaret, now 23, was going off the deep end. She partied all night, she saw men without discretion, she was a regular at some of London's dodgiest nightclubs. Elizabeth did not try to reign in her sister, who she (rightly) saw as going through a grieving process and spreading her wings. However, when Margaret got engaged to a 39 year old man, who was twice divorced with two sons of his own, Elizabeth had to put her foot down.
- Elizabeth could have told her sister that she must stop seeing this man, Peter Townsend. Instead, Elizabeth proved that she was a shrewd negotiator. She simply told Margaret, "Give it a year, then come back. If you still want to marry him, then I shall give you permission." Needless to say, Margaret and Peter were all the news. The Parliament was outraged. The Church of England was outraged. The people generally sided with their "Party Princess." Parliament told Margaret that she would have to renounce her titles to marry Peter. Margaret realized how much she disliked politics, and broke it off with Peter. Elizabeth had been right, and she came out of this looking like the 'good guy.' Margaret would go on to marry a much more acceptable man, divorce in the '70s, and never remarried.
- She now had to oversee the evolving role of England in the Commonwealth. Most of her early rule involved the queen travelling from nation to nation, establishing herself as the mother of the Commonwealth. She was well received in most countries, and there was even talk of France joining the Commonwealth, but instead, France founded the EEC, which would become the European Union.
- Parliament colluded with France to invade Egypt in an unsuccessful bid to gain control of the Suez Canal. Elizabeth was outwardly against the move, but did not try to stand in their way. When it all failed, Prime minister Eden was blamed, not the queen. Eden resigned in shame.
- Prime minister Eden had resigned. Technically, the queen still had to appoint a new leader. Rather than demand, Elizabeth asked to be counseled by the former PMs, Eden, Churchill, and such, along with Parliamentary leaders. This move endeared her to Parliament, as well as the wealthy of Britain. They recommended MacMillan, and the queen appointed him.
- However, some didn't like this. Some accused the queen of crony politics, and Parliament of backroom deals. This movement didn't gain much traction at first, but criticism of the queen had begun, nonetheless. In the effort to please everyone, Elizabeth had nevertheless managed to make people angry. To rectify this, Elizabeth gave up one of her remaining powers, that of appointing PMs. Parliament was given the ability to vote in their PMs, without the queen's consent.
- Though she had no real power, she took her duties seriously. She went on tour after tour, into some of the most dangerous parts of her realm, and other countries. She gave off an aura of dignity and proper behavior, earning her the respect of other countries such as the USA, Japan, and India. PM Macmillan said she "Disliked being treated as a movie star, she has the heart and stomach of a man... she loves her duty, and means to be queen."
- In 1966, a landslide in Aberfan destroyed a grade school and killed hundreds of children. Elizabeth was slow to address the disaster, which earned her severe scorn from many people. In her bid to stay regal and calm, she was now seen as being aloof and uncaring. She DID manage to get out to Aberfan, openly weeping at the sight of the little bodies and weeping mothers. She was able to salvage some of her popularity, but the idea that she was "out of touch" and "aloof" has plagued her even into the present.
- She devoted herself to her dogs. She was and still is a huge fan of Corgis, even going so far as to breed a whole new type of Corgi, the "Dorgi," which is a Corgi/Dachshund mix. When one of her footmen gave one of her corgis a bit of whiskey, she fired him.
- Two more children came along, Andrew and Edward. The queen was and is a noted photographer, and the public was generally pleased to see huge photo collections of the private lives of Elizabeth, Phillip, Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. Many believe she took up photography because SHE wanted to dictate how her family was seen, not paparazzi and studio photographers.
- Like Edward VII and her own mother, Elizabeth dedicated her life to charities. She is very involved in animal rights, especially dogs and horses. She is one of the world's top charitable givers, (having been number one for many years,) and the people of England and the world were generally pleased with her. Criticism of Elizabeth often quickly came under fire... that was... of course... until the late 70s.
- In 1977, she celebrated her silver jubilee. Although slightly tarnished by her sister's divorce hitting the tabloids, Elizabeth was riding high and well loved. In 1978, she allowed Romania's Caucescu and his wife to visit, which brought her criticism. She later said she was pressured into doing it, though she felt the two had "blood on their hands." The Canadian Prime minister Pierre Trudeau made headlines for acting like a complete tit in her presence. He mockingly did a pirouette behind her back for the cameras, and slid down the banisters in Buckingham palace, before removing the royal symbols from his office back in Canada. The queen said she was "Disappointed." Later, Trudeau would regret his antics, stating that the queen turned out to be the best informed (about Canada) British politician he had met.
- Also in the 1970s, she was invited to the department of science and technology to try a brand new invention... "E-Mail." She became one of the first people in the world to send an email. This seems to have sparked a love of technology in the queen. She has stayed as current as possible when it comes to understanding new tech, even going so far as helping to design the royal website, working with an iPad, and yes, programming her own VCR back in the 80s.
- As the 1980s rolled in, the queen's popularity was strong, but cracks were starting to form. She was praised for her dignity and control of her horse when someone shot blanks at her in 1981. She was once again in full composure when a madman broke into her bedroom and sat at the foot of her bed. She engaged him in light conversation along with a maid until the guards were able to remove him from the royal bedroom. Her son, Andrew, fought in the Falklands war, and she did not hinder him from active service.
- A popular tabloid, "The Sun," dedicated itself to writing sensationalist stories about the royal family, whether or not they were true. Though many ignored these tales as silly diversions, they were taken as fact by others. Soon, the entire royal family was under a microscope. Everything they did became big news around the world. The pressure started to mount.
- One of the biggest rumors was that the Queen was backing Margaret Thatcher, then the PM. Thatcher had come under fire for her refusal to drop sanctions on South Africa's apartheid government, her seemingly heartless treatment of striking miners, and many other outrages. The queen was generally NOT on Thatcher's side most of the time, but that didn't matter to the tabloids. Dragging the queen's name through the mud was just as fun in the 1980s as mocking George IV or Edward II had been in the past. The queen, for her part, ignored most of the awful rumors going around about her... so the tabloids went after the next best target... her kids.
- Charles had married lady Diana Spencer, a descendant of John Churchill and the Stuart family. The marriage was extremely popular, as Diana was seen as a sort of "Common Girl," even though she was from a noble family. Though Charles was 13 years her elder, the two made for a cute couple, and they had two sons, William and Henry. However, the marriage was largely loveless. Charles had a mistress, his first girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, (A descendant of Alice Keppel, Edward VII's favorite mistress,) and they didn't stop seeing each other even after his marriage.
- The royal finances were coming under fire, as well. The royals paid no income tax, unlike the rest of the nation. Many tabloids jumped on this, and started questioning just how much money the queen really did have... and were promptly told that the queen's finances were none of their business. Protected by law, the queen has no obligation to make her wealth level known to the people. So, the tabloids just gave wild estimations as to her worth, painting her as a shady businesswoman and despicably underhanded.
- In 1987, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, his wife Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, and Prince Edward all starred in a slapstick comedy game show, "The Grand Knockout Tournament," with such luminary stars as Sheena Easton, Kevin Kline, John Cleese, and Meatloaf. Needless to say, though amusing, it garnered a LOT of criticism from the media. The royals shouldn't be looking goofy on such a show... parodies and satires came in like a flood.
- Andrew was having his own problems. His wife, Sarah, was cracking under the intense scrutiny. Anne, as well, was having issues with her husband. It all came to a head in 1992.
- In a year that the queen would call her "Annus Horriblis," Andrew and Fergie separated, Anne divorced her husband, Diana and Charles formally separated, someone in Germany threw eggs at her, Parliament declared that she would from now on pay income tax, Windsor castle caught on fire, and the people refused to pay taxes to restore it. She looked forward to getting 1992 behind her by giving her traditional Christmas speech.. but then the Sun printed her speech 2 days before she gave it. She rounded on the Sun, suing them for breach of privacy and copyright. Though this lawsuit ws successful, the queen came away looking petty.
- Though she suffered these slings and arrows, she was still popular. But the country was starting to wonder why they needed to keep paying for a royal family that couldn't seem to keep any of their relationships going well. The most stable marriage was, of course, Elizabeth and Phillip, but Phillip was even damaging that with his big mouth. He routinely made racist and ignorant comments in public, so much so that reporters would follow him a round, just to see what he'd say... and they'd ask him racially charged questions on purpose in the hope that he'd put his foot in his mouth.
- In 1995, the marriage of Charles and Diana, that fairy tale that had captivated the world, was clearly over. Charles was openly seeing his mistress, and Diana was publicly seen with her new boyfriend. Elizabeth demanded they get a divorce, which they did. However, the very next year, Diana was killed in a car crash in France. The people of the UK, who mostly sympathized with Diana, seeing Charles as a cold, uncaring husband, went into deep mourning... and the queen made a huge misstep.
- Rather than publicly mourning with her people, the queen and the royal family retreated to Balmoral. This seemingly uncaring stance enraged the people, who blamed the Queen out of grief and anger. Clearly, she was the heartless mother in law who PUSHED Diana out of the family. Clearly, she didn't care how much people loved Diana, she wouldn't even say a word about it! The few pictures and videos of her show her as being rather ambivalent about the whole thing. The people demanded the queen mourn...
- We'll never really know how she felt about Diana and her death, but 5 days later, in an effort to defuse the situation, the queen went on TV the day before Diana's funeral, to speak, on a live broadcast, how she felt. She handled herself well, speaking with respect about Diana, and her love for her grandsons, William and Harry, who she noted were in need of care and love during this time. The people ate it up, and much of the hatred for the queen dissipated. (Charles would not get off the hook so easily, though.)
- For the next 10 years, Elizabeth soldiered on, doing what she could to reign in her children, dance the razor blade of popularity, and keep the royal family relevant. In 2002, she was dealt another horrible blow. Her mother, long her tough and feisty companion, the woman who had helped her father overcome his stammer, died. Margaret, her sister, died soon after, a victim of years of excess. This, all in the face of Elizabeth's golden jubilee. Many thought it would be a glum ceremony, if indeed she agreed to it at all. However, it went off well, and huge festivities swept the UK for three days. Elizabeth had soldiered on again.
- In 2011, she made history again by officially recognizing the Free Republic of Ireland by giving them a state visit. This went well, and talks are currently ongoing about the relationship between the two states.
- In 2012, her Diamond jubilee also went well, though she still remained under intense press scrutiny. Although she had been healthy all her life, it was noted that she was beginning to slow down noticeably. Australia called her tour there the "Farewell Tour," as she most likely will not be back again to do one of her famous walkabouts.
- Still, she is still going strong. She opened the 2012 Olympic games with her usual seriousness, (even being mocked for her seeming lack of interest and aloofness... as usual,) she still works hard with her charities, but it has been noted that Charles is standing in for her more and more these days.
- Now, at the age of 89, she has passed Victoria to become the longest reigning British monarch in history. How much longer will she reign? How will Charles fare as the next king? Will he even become king? (He's no spring chicken after all...)
I guess we'll find out, eventually. The English Monarchy has been through a lot... ups, downs, wars, murders, lust, and betrayals... but unlike most of the world's monarchies, it has not gone the way of the dodo... there are many who see the British royals as a relic of a bygone age, but I like to think they serve a purpose for the whole world... they're a unique link to the past, a kind of "Mum and Dad" we can all look up to, joke about, and love, in our own way. They're endlessly fascinating, sometimes awful, sometimes awesome.