Today, April 21, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II, one of the most influential figures in the history of the British monarchy, who spent 70 years on the throne. Her path to the coronation was no less fascinating than her years of reign: the childhood and youth of the future queen already formed an image that later became a symbol of an entire era. We recall the warmest archival photographs of Elizabeth in her childhood and youth, which show her completely different – even before she became history.
Elizabeth as a child
Since she became the heir apparent to the throne after the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936, her father, George VI, began to prepare the young Elizabeth for the role of queen. To make her daughter feel knowledgeable, George instructed the headmaster of Eton College, Henry Martin, to teach her the basics of British history and law. Elizabeth traveled to him from Windsor Castle every week. The lessons were not in vain – almost every prime minister during the queen's reign noted her extremely detailed knowledge of British law. After classes, Elizabeth would review the classics of the Western canon at home during a scheduled hour of “quiet reading” – from Charles Dickens to Jane Austen.
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Elizabeth as a child
But there are other childhood hobbies that the Queen has had that have become lifelong passions. Under the guidance of Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, the Princess began keeping a nightly journal—every night since George’s coronation. Meanwhile, her father taught her to ride horses in and around Windsor Great Park, which remains one of the Queen’s favorite pastimes to this day. He also gave her her first Welsh Corgi, named Dookie. The future Queen was fascinated by the breed, and she later had a dozen more puppies. The Corgis ran around her “like a moving carpet,” Princess Diana said.
Elizabeth at the age of eight
Elizabeth's greatest challenge came during the Second World War. Despite the advice of royal advisers who feared for her safety, Elizabeth remained at Windsor throughout the conflict. (As the Queen Mother categorically told the court: “The children will not go without me. I will not leave the King. And the King will never leave Windsor”.) Elizabeth looked after the “Victory Gardens”, helped with the Territorial Service and organised Christmas pantomimes for the local Berkshire people, in which she played the leading role alongside Princess Margaret.
Based on materials from: vogue.co.uk