Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch ever in the UK, beating even Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandma!). She is also the longest-lived sovereign that the UK has ever had.
As Queen, she has been served by 14 UK Prime Ministers, including Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson.
Her favourite dogs are corgis. She even invented a new breed of dog when her corgi mated with a dachshund belonging to her sister, Princess Margaret, creating the “dorgi”.
She’s the only person in the UK allowed to drive without a licence.
The Queen has two birthdays. Her actual birthday – 21st April – and her official birthday held on a Saturday in June – when the weather’s better!
The Queen Is Our Very Own Doctor Doolittle
The Queen first sent an email in 1976 and published her first Instagram post in 2019!
She has many hobbies, including horse riding, pigeon racing and football.
Queen Elizabeth became a homeowner at just six years old when the people of Wales gifted her a house on the grounds of Windsor’s Royal Lodge. Named Y Bwthyn Bach, it means “little cottage”.
The Queen has sent around 50,000 Christmas cards – and counting!
She owns an elephant, two giant turtles, a jaguar and a pair of sloths. These were presents from other countries and now live at London Zoo.
How Many Hats?
Even the monarch can go undercover sometimes. On a recent low-key trip to Scotland, she met some American tourists while walking. When the tourists asked if she lived locally, she mentioned that she had a house nearby, and when asked if she’d ever met the Queen, she simply pointed at her security guard and said, “No, but he has!”.
The Queen has six royal residences where she normally (pre-covid 19) spends most of her time: Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral Castle, Sandringham House, Hollyrood Palace and Hillsborough Castle.
There have been seven Roman Catholic Popes during the Queen’s reign: Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis.
It is estimated that the Queen has worn in excess of 5,000 hats during her reign.
The Queen does not have a passport because all passports are issued “in the name of Her Majesty”, which means she would be issuing one to herself. All other members of the Royal Family require one.
Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II visits Liverpool Albert Dock during her Diamond Jubilee tour. May 17th 2012
“Money, Money, Money”
Despite not having a passport, Elizabeth II is perhaps the most widely travelled head of state in history, having visited at least 116 countries to date, many as part of her duties as head of the Commonwealth.
The Queen has a keen interest in horse riding and breeding racehorses in particular. The hundreds she has owned over the decades are believed to have claimed more than 1,600 racing wins.
The Queen’s estimated lifetime winnings from horse racing are in the millions.
The Queen has a long-held fondness for corgis, established in her youth. She has owned more than 30 during her reign. Her first was Susan, who was given to her as a present on her 18th birthday.
Elizabeth II has already passed a number of regal milestones: her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977, her Ruby Jubilee (40 years) in 1992, her Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002, her Diamond Jubilee (60 years) in 2012, her Sapphire Jubilee (65 years) in 2017 and, most recently, her Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
The Sapphire Jubilee was a first for any British monarch; Queen Victoria only reached her Golden Jubilee.
Did you enjoy reading ‘Twenty-One Amazing Facts About Queen Elizabeth‘? – ‘Do You Know’ that you can read all of our previous facts, here!
