Elisabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elisabeth , born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary the April 21st 1926, is since the February 6th 1952 Reine of sixteen States independent and chief of the the Commonwealth. Historically, the royal family has a real role only with the the United Kingdom.

In addition to the United Kingdom, it is also queen of the Canada, of the Australia, the New Zealand, the Jamaica, the Barbados, the the Bahamas, the Grenade, the New Guinea-News-Guinea, the the Solomon Islands, the Tuvalu, St Lucia, Saint-Vincent-and them Grenadian, Antigua-and-Barbuda, the Belize and Saint-Christophe-and-Niévès, where it is represented by general governors. The sixteen countries of which it is the queen are indicated under the name of Royaume of the Commonwealth, and their total population is of 128 million nationals.

Elisabeth is also chief of the the Commonwealth, Amirauté, supreme governor of the Church of England, Seigneur of Man and the Supreme leader of Fiji. As a Head of State, it is also the Chef of the armies in each one of its kingdoms.

In 2006, it is classified like the 46 {{E}} the most powerful woman in the world by the magazine Forbes. In 2007, it is classified 23e.

Titles

Though usually called “the Queen Elizabeth”, it has a different title for each State S of which it is the sovereign one. ; The United Kingdom:

“Elisabeth, by the grace of God, queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith” (1953-present).

; Canada:

“Elizabeth, by the grace of God, queen of the United Kingdom, Canada and its other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith” (1953-present). The Canadian government uses the English orthography Elizabeth in the official texts in language française.

; Australia:

“Elisabeth, by the grace of God, queen of Australia and her other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1953-present).

; :

“Elisabeth, by the grace of God, queen of New Zealand and her other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith” (1953-present).

; :

“Elisabeth, by the grace of God, queen of Jamaica and her other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1962-present).

; Barbados:

“Elisabeth, by the grace of God, queen of Barbados and her other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1966-present).

; The Bahamas:

“Elisabeth, by the grace of God, queen of the Bahamas and her other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1973-present).

; Grenade:

“Elisabeth, by the grace of God, queen of the United Kingdom, the Grenade and its other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1974-present).

; :

“Elisabeth, queen of New Guinea-News-Guinea and her other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1975-present).

; :

“Elisabeth, queen of the Solomon Islands, and its other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1978-present).

; Tuvalu:

“Elisabeth, queen of Tuvalu, and its other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1978-present).

; St Lucia:

“Elisabeth, queen of St Lucia, and its other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1979-present).

; Saint-Vincent-and them Grenadian:

“Elisabeth, queen of Saint-Vincent-and them Grenadian, and its other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1979-present).

; Antigua-and-Barbuda:

“Elisabeth, queen of Antigua-and-Barbuda, and its other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1981-present).

; Belize:

“Elisabeth, queen of the Belize, and its other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1981-present).

; :

“Elisabeth, queen of Saint-Christophe-and-Niévès, and its other kingdoms and territories, chief of the Commonwealth” (1983-present).

Elisabeth II is also Supreme leader of the Îles Fiji , title purely honorary. She was Reine of the Fiji until 1987, when monarchy was abolished following a coup d'etat, and that the country became a republic. The Grand the Council of the Chiefs recognizes nevertheless the statute of suprémacie symbolic system to him, and the bust of Elisabeth II appears on the tickets of Fijian dollars.

Family

She is born with London, oldest daughter of the king Georges {{VI}} (then duke of York) and of his wife Elisabeth. His/her younger sister is the princess Margaret. The November 20th 1947 it marries Philippe Mountbatten (before prince of Greece and Denmark before giving up these titles after having obtained the British citizenship). It reaches the throne following the death of her father the February 6th 1952, and is crowned the June 2nd 1953.

His/her father the king Georges VII was family member of the Saxony-Cobourg and Gotha, a branch of the Maison of Wettin, which gave quantity of European sovereigns. It is the king Georges {{V}}, his/her grandfather, who, in 1917 during the First World War, changes this name considered to be a little too German by that of Maison of Windsor, of the name of the castle of which he is owner close to London. Back-small-girl of Edouard {{VII}}, it is thus the back-back-small-girl of the queen Victoria. Prince Philip Mountbatten is itself the back-back-small-wire, in maternal line, of the Victoria queen. Because of her maternal ascent, the Queen Elizabeth is the sovereign one having the most British blood since Tudors and Stuarts. One must note that it is in particular prochement related with the royal families always reigning of Norway, of Sweden, the Denmark, Spain and Belgium and the families having reigned on the Germany, the Greece, the Romania, the Bulgaria and the Yugoslavia.

Elisabeth and her husband have four children and seven grandchildren:

Charles Philippe Arthur Georges, Prince de Galles, born the November 14th 1948, which marries the July 29th 1981 '' Lady '' Diana Frances Spencer (1961 - 1997), divorces it the August 28th 1996; he marries in second weddings Camilla Parker Bowles the April 9th 2005. Of his first wife, it has two wire:

Prince William of Wales, born the June 21st 1982,
Prince Henry of Wales (called “Harry”) born the September 15th 1984;

Anne Elisabeth Alice Louise, royal Princess, born the August 15th 1950, which marries the November 14th 1973 the captain Mark Anthony Peter Philips (born in 1948) and the April 28th 1992 divorces it; she marries then the December 12th 1992 the commander Timothy Laurence. She had two children of its first marriage:

Peter Philips born the November 15th 1977,
Zara Philips born the May 15th 1981;

Andre Albert Christian Edouard (“Andrew”), duke of York, born the February 19th 1960, which marries the July 23rd 1986 Sarah Margaret Ferguson (born in 1959) and the May 30th 1996 divorces it; it has two girls:

Beatrice of York born the August 8th 1988,
Eugenie of York born the March 23rd 1990;

Edouard Antoine Richard Louis, count of Wessex, born the March 10th 1964, which marries the June 19th 1999 Sophie Rhys-Jones (born in 1965). They have a girl:

Louise Windsor born the November 8th 2003.

Two of its grandchildren, Peter and Zara Philips do not carry a title of nobility; their parents refused any title of courtesy offered by Elisabeth.

In 2002, Elisabeth marks her Jubilé of gold celebrating its 50 years of reign.

Effigy

As sovereign of the United Kingdom, the effigy of Elisabeth is reproduced on the banknotes and the British postage stamps; as a queen of Canada, it is reproduced on the coins and the ticket of 20 Canadian dollars.

For the postage stamps with its effigy, to see standard '' Wilding '' of 1952 to 1967 and standard '' Machin '' since 1967.

See too

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