10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth
Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth, has died. Here are some little-known facts about her.
1. She celebrated two birthdays
Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926, but official celebrations don't take place until the second Saturday of June — a tradition that was started in 1748 by King George II. He was born in November and because the weather wasn't good for public celebrations, decided to have a second birthday at a better time of the year.
2. She never went to school
This might sound attractive to kids who'd rather stay at home to play all day... But the Queen did have private tutors who taught her constitutional history, law and French. Nevertheless, she has often said she missed having a formal education.
3. She was related to her late husband
The late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, as both were the great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria. Elizabeth reportedly fell for the prince when she was just 13 and the two eventually married in November, 1947. The queen famously used ration coupons she had saved up after the Second World War to buy the material for her wedding dress.
4. She had her personal fashion designer
Norman Hartnell (1901-1979) became the royal family's assigned designer after a series of commissions for the royal family. He famously crafted Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown and her outfit for the coronation. According to Vogue UK, Hartnell created nine versions of the dress and the Queen ultimately settled for one that featured floral emblems for every country in the British dominion.
5. One of the jewels in the crown is a diamond from India
The "Koh-i-noor" diamond, which means "light of the world" in Persian, is an emotional issue for many Indians, who claim the diamond was stolen by British colonialists from the ruler of Punjab. The 108-carat diamond forms a part of Queen Elizabeth II's crown and is on display at the Tower of London.
6. She was the longest-reigning monarch
Elizabeth became Queen on February 6, 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI. She reigned for 70 years, longer than her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who served as monarch for 63 years, from 1837-1901.
7. She doesn't need a passport or driver's license
"As a British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, it is unnecessary for The Queen to possess one," according to the official website of the British royal family. However, all other members, including the late Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, have passports. She is also the only person in the UK to not require a driver's license.
8. She adores corgis
Every dog has its day, but the royal pets certainly have better days than their common counterparts. The Queen's love affair with corgis began in the 1930s, when her father got one called Dookie. But Elizabeth's favorite was Susan, who she could hardly bear to part with and whose offspring were responsible for the royal household's eight decades of happy corgi ownership.
9. She has been portrayed in over 200 films and TV series
According to movie ranking website IMDb, Queen Elizabeth II has been a protagonist in over 225 documentary and fictional films and television series. She also won a BAFTA award in 2013 "in recognition of her outstanding patronage of the film and television industries." Pictured above is a still from the Netflix show "The Crown" featuring British actress Claire Foy as the monarch.
10. She is not the richest person in Britain
The queen's net worth, estimated by the "Sunday Times" at 370 million pounds (€426 million, $430 million), comes from her investments, jewels and two castles. But as far as royals go, the monarch's fortune seems modest in comparison to many others in the UK, including the Duke of Westminster, who's net worth is around 10 billion pounds ( €11.5 billion, $11.6 billion).