London – as the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth of Nations and the world mourns This Queen Elizabeth II dies Here are seven things you probably didn’t know about the British monarch after 70 years on the throne.
1. The longest reign in British history
On September 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in British history, surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. (she has second longest The reigning position in world history is second only to King Louis XIV of France, who received his title in 1643 at the age of 4. )
2. Presidential Conference
Queen Elizabeth meets 13 of 14 presidents America served during her reign. She did not meet President Lyndon Johnson.
Chris Jackson/Pool/Reuters
3. Generations of Corgis
elizabeth got puppy In 1944, she named Susan on her 18th birthday. During her reign, she owned more than 30 corgis and doggies – most of them descended from Susan.
4. Military service
Elizabeth joined the female branch of the British military – the Auxiliary Territorial Service – during World War II as the first full-time, active member of the military. While serving, she learned to drive and maintain vehicles.
Getty / Bateman
5. Early emails
The then Princess Elizabeth sent her first electronic message on March 26, 1976. The message—later known as the email—was sent to the U.S. Secretary of Defense to officially kick off cooperation between the two countries on military computer programming languages. She was the first member of the British royal family to use the technology, and the first outside the top-secret military circle.
6. Windsor Castle House
Windsor Castle, Elizabeth’s main residence until her death, is the largest and oldest palace in the world and is still used by the royal family. William the Conqueror ordered construction to begin in 1070, and his castle was ready 16 years later. It has been the home of the King and Queen of England ever since.
7. Historical Broadcasting
Elizabeth’s official coronation in 1953 — about four months after her actual ascension to the throne following the death of her father, King George VI — was the first to be televised live. It was watched by around 27 million people in the UK alone.
Getty
