The Queen is set to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee next month.
Her Majesty is the longest reigning monarch, a title she officially took over on 9 September 2015.
During her impressive 70-year reign she has lived through many eras, seen the change of Prime Ministers and Presidents, she has attended an abundance of royal engagements, and achieved a whole host of accolades, and plenty of firsts too.
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The Royal UK website has detailed 70 facts about the 96-year-old royal ahead of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which will kickstart on June 2 with the Trooping the colour, followed by a string of other events across the four-day bank holiday weekend.
While some royal fans may know everything there is to know about the Queen, including her favourite motto, others may want to learn more. Either way, there are plenty of fun facts about HRH that may just take you by surprise.
The Queen is the ‘better travelled’ royal
The Queen has visited numerous countries around the world during her 70-year reign, from royal engagements across the UK to royal tours around the globe.
It may come as no surprise to some that Her Majesty has been described as being “better travelled” than any other British monarch.
According to the website, the Queen has visited over 100 countries as a monarch, she has visited the Commonwealth over 150 times. While Canada and France are among the most visited countries she has travelled to, ever since she made her first visit overseas as Princess Elizabeth in 1947.
The website explained: “Her Majesty’s first official overseas visit was in 1947 as Princess Elizabeth, when she toured South Africa, Southern Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe) and the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland (Botswana) with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.”
The Queen has carried out how many royal engagements?
It may seem like there is not a week that goes by where a member of the royal family is not carrying out their royal duties on an engagement.
Of late there has been concerns surrounding the Queen’s health and welfare, which has made attending some events a little more difficult, although adjustments are in place to make sure she can attend the Platinum Jubilee comfortably.
However, Her Majesty has still managed to accumulate a whopping 21,000 engagements during her reign, which includes over 180 garden parties at London’s Buckingham Palace since 1952, although the Queen has since left the royal residence in favour of Windsor Castle.
14 leadership changes
The Queen’s 70-year reign has seen her live through 14 Presidents of the United States, all of who she has met except for President Johnson.
She has also been served by 14 Prime Ministers in the UK, with the first PM being Winston Churchill.
Hundreds of titles
We know the Queen under various monikers; Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen, Her Majesty, the British monarch, but she has acquired even more titles throughout her legacy.
Prince Charles’ mother is the Patron of over 500 organisations. The Royal UK website reads: “Her Majesty is currently Patron of over 500 organisations, including: over 70 education and training organisations; over 60 sports and recreational organisation; over 30 faith organisations; and over 40 arts and cultural organisations.”
The Queen is also the Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, which is a title that has stood the test of time and dates back to King Henry VIII’s reign.
How many portraits?
The Queen must have a lot of patience as she has sat for over 200 official portraits, with the first being in 1933 when she was just seven years old.
We feel restless at the thought of sitting still for one.
The Queen is Corgi obsessed
We know the Queen has a soft spot for animals, especially her horses and dogs.
It turns out she loves the particular breed of dog, Corgis, so much she has owned over 30.
The site reads: “Her Majesty has owned more than 30 Corgis and Dorgis during her reign, most of which have been descended from her first Corgi, Susan, who was gifted to her on her eighteenth birthday in 1944.”
The Queen is more tech savvy than you may think
Go Queen!
The Queen has lived through various eras, which means she has seen technology develop over the years. Unlike some, she has mastered sending emails, and even has social media, including Twitter and Instagram.
In 1976 the Queen sent her first ever email. Royal UK shared: “On 26th March 1976, Her Majesty sent her first email during a visit to the Royal Radar Establishment, Malvern, now known as the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment. The email was sent to the US Secretary of Defence to formally open the UK/US collaboration on a military programming language.”
Just 21 years later and the Queen’s official Buckingham Palace website launched, which was followed by subsequent social media platforms.
The site continues: “In 2014 she sent her first tweet and in 2019 published her first Instagram post.”
The Queen doesn’t have a passport – or driving licence
This blew our minds a little bit, but it makes total sense.
The Queen – who was born at 2.40am on 21 April 1926 – has no official ID, and is the only person in the world who doesn’t require the forms of identification.
Royal UK explains: “As British passports and driving licences are issued in The Queen’s name, she is not required to have either – a privilege held by her alone.”
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