QQuueeeenn EElliizzaabbeetthh IIII TThhee QQuueeeenn ooff tthhee UUnniitteedd KKiinnggddoomm ooff GGrreeaatt BBrriittaaiinn aanndd NNoorrtthheerrnn IIrreellaanndd 1 Her majesty Queen Elizabeth II Queen Elizabeth II, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor — is the head of the state The United Kingdome of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. She is also the queen of other 15 countries - the Commonwealth of nations (Australia, Аntigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua — New Guinea, St.Vincent and Grenadines, St. Kits and Nevis, St.Lucia, the Solomon Islands, Тuvalu, Jamaica). The Queen is Head of State in the United Kingdom. As a constitutional monarch, Her Majesty does not 'rule' the country, but fulfils important ceremonial and formal roles with respect to Government. She is also Fount of Justice, Head of the Armed Forces and has important relationships with the established Churches of England and Scotland. The Queen's working day The Queen has many different duties to perform every day. Some are public duties, such as ceremonies, receptions and visits within the United Kingdom or abroad. Other duties are carried out away from the cameras, but they are no less important. These include reading letters from the public, official papers and briefing notes; audiences with political ministers or ambassadors; and meetings with her Private Secretaries to discuss daily business and her future diary plans. Even when she is away from London, in residence at Balmoral or Sandringham, she receives official papers nearly every day of every year and remains fully briefed on matters affecting her realms.In front of the camera or away from it, The Queen's duties go on, and no two days in her life are ever the same 2 She is the Symbol of the Monarchy and the country Flags, stamps and coins all represent the Crown in different ways, while symbols such as the Crown Jewels exert a powerful fascination. With the passage of years, the history and meaning of many of these symbols has become obscured. The words of the National Anthem are as follows: God save our gracious Queen! Long live our noble Queen! God save the Queen! Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, God save the Queen. Thy choicest gifts in store On her be pleased to pour, Long may she reign. May she defend our laws, And ever give us cause, To sing with heart and voice, God save the Queen. Greeting The Queen The Queen meets thousands of people each year in the UK and overseas. Before meeting Her Majesty, many people ask how they should behave. The simple answer is that there are no obligatory codes of behaviour - just courtesy. However, many people wish to observe the traditional forms of greeting. For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way. On presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is 'Your Majesty' and subsequently 'Ma'am'. 3 Queen and charities An important part of the work of The Queen is to support and encourage public and voluntary service. One of the ways in which Her Majesty does this is through involvement with charities and other organisations. The Queen has over 600 patronages. These cover every area of the charity and voluntary sector, from opportunities for young people, to preservation of wildlife and the environment. Involvement with these organisations helps to recognise their achievements, and helps to recognise the contributions of many different sectors of public life. 4 The Queen's Early Life The Queen was born at 2.40am on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. At the time she stood third in line of succession to the throne after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and her father, The Duke of York. But it was not expected that her father would become King, or that she would become Queen. Her father and mother, also known as the Duke and Duchess of York, divided their time between a home in London and Royal Lodge, the family's home on the grounds of Windsor Great Park. Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret were educated at home by tutors. Their studies included French, mathematics, history and geography. They also took dancing, singing and art lessons. In 1936, the course of Elizabeth's life changed with the death of her grandfather, King George V. Her uncle became King Edward VIII, but he only ruled for six months. King Edward was in love with American divorcee Wallis Simpson, and had to choose between her and the crown. In the end, Edward chose Simpson and Elizabeth's father, Prince Albert, became King George VI . 5 Education Princess Elizabeth was educated at home with Princess Margaret, her younger sister. After her father succeeded to the throne in 1936 and she became heir presumptive, she started to study constitutional history and law as preparation for her future role. She received tuition from her father, as well as sessions with Henry Marten, the Vice- Provost of Eton. She was also instructed in religion by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Princess Elizabeth also learned French from a number of French and Belgian governesses. It is a skill which has stood The Queen in good stead, as she often has cause to use it when speaking to ambassadors and heads of state from French- speaking countries, and when visiting French-speaking areas of Canada. Princess Elizabeth also studied art and music, learned to ride, and became a strong swimmer. She won the Children's Challenge Shield at London's Bath Club when she was thirteen. Princess Elizabeth enrolled as a Girl Guide when she was eleven, and later became a Sea Ranger. In 1940, at the height of the Blitz, the young Princesses were moved for their safety to Windsor Castle, where they spent most of the war years. It was a time of austerity and anxiety for the whole country, including the Royal Family. But at Christmas time there was a period of light relief when the young Princesses put on pantomimes with the children of members of staff for the enjoyment of her family and employees of the Royal Household. 6 Accession and Coronation 6 February 2013 marked the 61st anniversary of The Queen's Accession to the throne. After her marriage in 1947, Princess Elizabeth paid formal visits with The Duke of Edinburgh to France and Greece, and in autumn 1951 they toured Canada. Princess Elizabeth also visited Malta four times while Prince Philip was stationed there on naval duties, and enjoyed the life of a naval wife and young mother. This way of life was not to last long, as her father's health was deteriorating. In 1952, King George VI's illness forced him to abandon his proposed visit to Australia and New Zealand. The Princess, accompanied by Prince Philip, took his place. On Wednesday, 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth received the news of her father's death and her own accession to the throne, while staying in a remote part of Kenya. The tour had to be abandoned, and the young Princess flew back to Britain as Queen. She was greeted by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other officials at the airport. 7 The Coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. It was a solemn ceremony conducted by Dr Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury. Representatives of the peers, the Commons and all the great public interests in Britain, the Prime Ministers and leading citizens of the other Commonwealth countries, and representatives of foreign states were present. Crowds of people viewed the procession all along the route, despite heavy rain. The ceremony was also broadcast on radio around the world and, at The Queen's request, on television for the first time. Television brought home to hundreds of thousands of people around the Commonwealth the splendour and significance of the Coronation in a way never before possible. The Coronation was followed by drives through every part of London, a review of the fleet at Spithead, and visits to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. 8 The Queen's birthdays The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year: her actual birthday on 21 April and her official birthday on a Saturday in June. Official celebrations to mark Sovereigns' birthday have often been held on a day other than the actual birthday, particularly when the actual birthday has not been in the summer. King Edward VII, for example, was born on 9 November, but his official birthday was marked throughout his reign in May or June when there was a greater likelihood of good weather for the Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour. The Queen usually spends her actual birthday privately, but the occasion is marked publicly by gun salutes in central London at midday: a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park, a 21 gun salute in Windsor Great Park and a 62 gun salute at the Tower of London. In 2006, Her Majesty celebrated her 80th Birthday in 2006 with a walkabout in the streets outside of Windsor Castle to meet well-wishers. On her official birthday, Her Majesty is joined by other members of the Royal Family at the spectacular Trooping the Colour parade which moves between Buckingham Palace, The Mall and Horseguards’ Parade. Find out more about Trooping the Colour. 9 Marriage and family The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary on 20 November 2011.