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Behind the Crown: Elizabeth II's Remarkable Journey
Elizabeth II's life has been defined by extraordinary moments of duty and devotion. As Prince William and Catherine Middleton bowed before her at their 2011 wedding, the Queen's almost imperceptible nod signaled her approval-a gesture as subtle yet powerful as her reign itself. This same woman had once made her own independent decision about love at thirteen, falling for eighteen-year-old Prince Philip against her mother's wishes. Her story has captivated not just Britain but the world, with celebrities from Helen Mirren to J.K. Rowling expressing admiration for her steadfast service. The Queen's influence extends far beyond her constitutional role; she has become a symbol of continuity in an age of constant change, embodying what Tony Blair called "a symbol of unity in a world of insecurity." With her straightforward nature, unfailing duty, and surprising wit, Elizabeth II has dominated the monarchy alongside Queen Victoria for 123 of 174 years-a testament to her extraordinary resilience and the enduring power of the institution she represents.
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The Making of a Monarch
Elizabeth's education was uniquely tailored for her future role, though no one expected her to become heir to the throne so young. Her childhood reading focused on "the corners of the Commonwealth and the people who live there"-knowledge that would serve her well throughout her reign. She later told J.K. Rowling that these early reading habits helped her develop the quick reading skills essential for processing the mountains of paperwork her position would require.
When her father unexpectedly became king following Edward VIII's abdication, her education intensified dramatically. Sir Henry Marten, vice provost of Eton College, became her constitutional tutor. Despite his occasional awkward habit of addressing her as "Gentlemen" (from years teaching boys), they developed "a rather charming friendship." Under his guidance, she spent six years studying Sir William Anson's dense three-volume "The Law and Custom of the Constitution," meticulously underlining key concepts. This thorough grounding in constitutional principles would later impress prime ministers with its depth and precision.
By sixteen, Elizabeth was studying French with Marie-Antoinette de Bellaigue, developing a fluency that would later impress even Parisians. Her tutor noted Elizabeth's "positive good judgment" and "instinct for the right thing"-qualities balanced by both strong duty and genuine joie de vivre.
Elizabeth's mother profoundly shaped her character, teaching her to read at five and establishing her lifelong habit of keeping a nightly diary. The young princess recorded significant events with remarkable clarity, describing her father's 1937 coronation as having "arches and beams covered with a sort of haze of wonder."
World War II transformed Elizabeth's adolescence, providing unexpected lessons in duty and resilience. While she and Margaret were relocated to Windsor Castle for safety, her parents remained at Buckingham Palace despite nine direct bomb hits-a demonstration of courage that deeply impressed the teenage princess. Far from being sheltered, Elizabeth's castle life introduced her to the male-dominated world she would later inhabit as Queen. At sixteen, she became an honorary colonel of the Grenadiers, developing a critical eye during inspections and honing her social skills hosting officers at formal luncheons.
Perhaps her most unusual wartime experience came at eighteen when she spent three weeks at the Mechanical Transport Training Centre. As Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, she wore the same drab uniform as her peers, drove three-ton trucks through London traffic, changed wheels and spark plugs, and stripped down engines. "I've never worked so hard in my life," she confided to a friend. This practical training gave her both confidence and expert driving skills that would last a lifetime.
The war years also provided Elizabeth with rare democratic experiences. When East End evacuees joined her Girl Guides troop at Windsor, they called her "Lilibet" and made her wash dishes-experiences no aristocrat's daughter would typically encounter. On Victory in Europe Day in 1945, she and Margaret even slipped out of Buckingham Palace with chaperones to join the celebrating crowds, dancing the conga through London streets and later recording in her diary: "Out in crowd again. Embankment, Piccadilly, Pall Mall, walked simply miles. Saw parents on balcony at 12:30 am-ate, partied, bed 3am!"
By war's end, nineteen-year-old Elizabeth had matured significantly. She had witnessed her parents as heroic figures, felt wartime losses, and been exposed to people outside royal circles. She had entered the war as a little girl and emerged a young woman with new responsibilities and a secret personal life she held with characteristic discretion.
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A Royal Love Story
"There was a whole battalion of lively young men," recalled Lady Anne Glenconner, whose parents were friends of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. But Lilibet "realized her destiny and luckily set her heart on Prince Philip at an early age." Their romance, which would span more than seven decades, began against considerable opposition.
Though they were third cousins sharing Queen Victoria as a great-great-grandmother, Philip was viewed suspiciously by palace courtiers as a penniless foreigner. Born on Corfu in 1921, he had spent barely a year in Greece before his family was expelled in a coup. His childhood was marked by tragedy-his mother suffered a nervous breakdown and was committed to a sanatorium when he was nine, while his father lived as a "boulevardier" in Monte Carlo. Philip endured further tragedy in his teens when his sister Cecile died in a plane crash, followed by the death of his guardian uncle George Mountbatten.
Despite these hardships, Philip thrived at Gordonstoun School in Scotland under progressive educator Kurt Hahn, who described him as a "born leader" with "intelligence and spirit" alongside occasional "recklessness and intolerance." Six feet tall with intense blue eyes and blond hair, Philip was handsome, athletic, and confident, yet also a loner with defensive traits born from emotional deprivation. His cousin Patricia Mountbatten observed: "Prince Philip is a more sensitive person than you would appreciate. He had a tough childhood, and his life constrained him into a hard exterior in order to survive."
Elizabeth and Philip had met briefly at family events, but their significant encounter came in July 1939 when the thirteen-year-old princess visited the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. Elizabeth "never took her eyes off him," though he "did not pay her any special attention"-understandable given their age difference. During the war, Philip visited Windsor Castle occasionally and corresponded with Elizabeth while serving with distinction in the Mediterranean and Pacific.
By December 1943, when Philip watched seventeen-year-old Elizabeth perform in "Aladdin," their romance was noticeable. Queen Mary wrote that the cousins had "been in love for the past eighteen months. In fact longer, I think." Philip proposed during a stay at Balmoral in summer 1946, and Elizabeth accepted immediately without consulting her parents. Her father consented on condition they keep the engagement secret until after her twenty-first birthday.
Elizabeth remained undeterred by criticisms of Philip's background. She saw in him a complex, idea-driven man who brought fresh air to her structured life. While sharing her commitment to duty, his irreverence promised relief from official burdens. Their contrasting lives-his unfettered, hers structured-complemented each other perfectly. According to cousin Patricia Mountbatten, Elizabeth "unlocked" Philip's capacity for love that lay behind his protective shell.
The royal wedding on November 20, 1947, provided a welcome "flash of colour" during Britain's difficult post-war years. Elizabeth wore a Norman Hartnell dress of pearl-and-crystal-encrusted ivory silk satin with a fifteen-foot train, while Philip wore his naval uniform with new Garter insignia. Despite austerity measures, 150 guests enjoyed a wedding breakfast featuring Filet de Sole Mountbatten and a nine-foot-tall wedding cake cut with Philip's Mountbatten sword.
In a letter to her parents from their honeymoon, Elizabeth expressed her hope to create the same loving atmosphere for her children that she had experienced. Philip revealed his deep feelings in a letter to his mother-in-law, describing Elizabeth as "the only 'thing' in this world which is absolutely real to me."
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The Unexpected Crown
The newlyweds enjoyed a brief period of relative normalcy. In 1949, Philip resumed active naval service as second-in-command of HMS Chequers in Malta, and Elizabeth chose to spend significant time with him rather than remain in London with their infant son Charles. She embraced this period of relative freedom, socializing with officers' wives, visiting hair salons, and handling money herself-though shopkeepers "noticed that she was slow in handling money." The couple lived in Lord Mountbatten's Villa Guardamangia, enjoying an idyllic six weeks together in spring 1950. They explored the island's coves, attended social events, and Elizabeth even drove herself in her Daimler or Philip's Hillman Minx.
This interlude of ordinary life ended abruptly when King George VI's health began rapidly declining. By spring 1951, Elizabeth returned to England to stand in for her father at official events, most notably at the Trooping the Colour parade in June where she took the salute on behalf of the King. Philip returned from Malta in July, effectively ending his naval career after only eleven months in command. "I thought I was going to have a career in the Navy," he later reflected, "but it became obvious there was no hope.... There was no choice. It just happened."
During a Commonwealth tour in early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip stopped in Kenya. After an exciting night watching wildlife at Treetops Hotel, they returned to Sagana Lodge where, on February 6, Philip received the news of King George VI's death from a blood clot in his heart. With remarkable composure, the 25-year-old Elizabeth immediately began writing letters and memoranda, having "seized her destiny with both hands." She returned to England on February 7, greeted by Churchill and government ministers, and the following day appeared before the Accession Council at St. James's Palace, declaring her commitment to "work, as my father did throughout his reign, to advance the happiness and prosperity of my peoples."
The coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953, combined ancient ritual with solemn spirituality. After swearing the coronation oath, Elizabeth underwent the sacred anointing beneath a canopy held by Knights of the Garter as the Archbishop applied holy oil to her hands, forehead, and chest. She was then invested with thirty-six-pound golden robes and presented with symbolic regalia before the five-pound St. Edward's Crown was placed on her head. Prince Philip paid homage by kneeling before her, saying "I, Philip, do become your liege man of life and limb," before kissing her cheek.
Four-year-old Prince Charles watched from the royal gallery, exclaiming "Look, it's Mummy!" Princess Margaret wept afterward, saying "I've lost my father, and I've lost my sister." The Queen departed wearing the Imperial State Crown and purple velvet robe for a seven-mile procession through London. The coronation captivated the nation, with 27 million Britons watching on television.
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The Art of Being Queen
The Queen's daily schedule became remarkably consistent throughout her reign. Rising at 7:30 AM to Earl Grey tea brought by her longtime dresser Bobo MacDonald (who still called her "Lilibet"), she would bathe, dress, and have breakfast while reading newspapers-starting with racing news, followed by the Telegraph and Times. At 9 AM, a Scottish bagpiper played beneath her window for fifteen minutes. By 10 AM, she was at her desk meeting with private secretaries who brought government papers requiring attention.
She meticulously reviewed correspondence, met with Privy Council ministers, and examined the red dispatch boxes containing official documents-a duty she performed every day except Christmas and Easter, regardless of her location. Her staff found her "a bureaucrat's dream," accessible and efficient in handling affairs of state.
The Queen conducted private audiences in a ground-floor sitting room at Buckingham Palace, valuing these confidential meetings as "my way of meeting people, without anybody else listening" and a crucial source of information. She received ambassadors, clergy, government officials, and distinguished citizens following precise protocols. The Queen also presided over investiture ceremonies with care and precision, personally conferring honors on over 404,500 individuals during her reign. "People need pats on the back sometimes," she once remarked. "It's a very dingy world otherwise."
For Prince Philip, adjusting to his role as consort proved challenging. Unlike Prince Albert, who had wielded significant influence over Queen Victoria's affairs, Philip was largely excluded from his wife's official duties. "I had to try to support the Queen as best I could without getting in the way," he explained. Court officials viewed him warily as an outsider, and he mockingly referred to himself as a "refugee husband." The most hurtful rebuff came when Philip was denied the right to give his name to the royal house, fuming to friends, "I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his children. I'm nothing but a bloody amoeba."
In her first years as monarch, Elizabeth II focused on projecting gravitas, becoming noticeably "more formal" according to her ladies-in-waiting. She followed Queen Mary's advice against smiling too readily in public, though her youth and beauty gave her natural advantages. The novelist Nancy Mitford observed how much nicer it was "to have a young queen than that very dull man."
The Queen Mother, widowed at fifty-one, faced a difficult transition. She confided to Edith Sitwell that she was "engulfed by great black clouds of unhappiness and misery," having lost not only her husband but her position at center stage. Rather than retreating into mourning like Queen Victoria, she assumed the role of national grandmother, becoming a patron of charities and goodwill ambassador. Mother and daughter spoke nearly every day, usually about horses, racing, gossip, and family matters. "They were great confidantes," recalled Dame Frances Campbell-Preston.
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A Changing World
The Queen's reign coincided with Britain's transition from imperial power to modern nation-state. Prime Minister Harold Wilson's Labour government pursued wide-ranging social reforms and increased government spending on housing, pensions, health, and welfare. His majority pushed through laws abolishing capital punishment, ending censorship, liberalizing abortion, lowering the voting age, reforming divorce, and decriminalizing homosexuality.
During their Tuesday evening audiences, the Queen's Socratic approach forced Wilson to clarify his arguments, though she didn't appear to slow the march of socialist policies. Wilson catered to the Queen's fascination with political gossip, telling her about French president Giscard d'Estaing's alleged womanizing, and relied on her confidentiality when worried about cabinet members undercutting him.
As Elizabeth entered middle age, horses became both her passion and refuge. She prefers "home-bred" horses, continuing a tradition stretching back to Queen Elizabeth I, with breeding operations at multiple locations. Unlike her sovereign role where she follows others' guidance, with horses she often takes the initiative based on her extensive knowledge. She's an astute judge of horse conformation and tracks each horse's development meticulously. The Queen can stand for hours watching horses on the gallops, observing how they move and stretch out. She revisits her horses during "evening stables," inspecting them individually and offering carrots or clover. With stable staff, protocol barriers disappear-she knows their problems and concerns as well as those of their horses.
Royal Ascot forms the centerpiece of the Queen's racing life, continuing a royal tradition dating to 1711. For four June days following Garter Day, Elizabeth hosts racing friends at Windsor Castle with a combination of graciousness and military precision. In the royal box, the Queen becomes deeply immersed in the races, finding therapeutic relief from worldly concerns. When her horses win, she jumps up and down like a little girl, whooping and grinning. "As a human being one always has hope," the Queen once explained about her fascination with racing, "and one always has perhaps the gambling instinct, that one's horse is going to be better than the next man's horse, and that's why one goes on doing it."
As Britain underwent social transformation in the 1960s, the Queen maintained her duties while adapting to changing expectations. During a 1965 visit to Germany-the first by British royalty since 1913-she explored her German roots while Philip revisited his family homeland. In West Berlin, crowds chanted "Elizabeth!" though the Queen seemed uncomfortable with the passionate display, which Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart noted reminded her of "ritual Nazi shouting."
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The Royal Family's Trials
The 1980s and 1990s brought unprecedented challenges to the monarchy as the Queen's children's marriages collapsed in public view. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's fairy-tale wedding in 1981 captivated global audiences, but behind the scenes, problems had already begun. Diana felt isolated at Buckingham Palace while Charles performed royal duties. Secretly suffering from bulimia, she rapidly lost weight. Charles was bewildered by her mood swings, dependence, and accusations about Camilla Parker Bowles.
By the time they reached Balmoral after their honeymoon cruise on Britannia, Diana was tearful and angry, down to just 110 pounds. She made clear her hatred of Royal Deeside and all its traditions-skipping breakfast, listening to music on headphones during lunch, and disappearing for walks. No one had ever shown such disrespect to the Queen. Charles, unable to handle her demands, either lost his temper or withdrew.
The Queen couldn't avoid Diana's troubling behavior but preferred to attribute it to adjustment stress rather than deeper problems. She struggled to understand Diana's simultaneous empathy and self-centeredness, partly because, as one adviser noted, "the Queen is the least self-absorbed person you could ever meet. She doesn't tend to talk about herself, and she is not interested in other people's efforts to dwell too much on themselves."
By 1992, the Queen faced what she famously called her "annus horribilis." The year saw three of her children's marriages collapse, Windsor Castle severely damaged by fire, and unprecedented public criticism of the monarchy. In a candid speech at Guildhall in November, she acknowledged that "1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure."
The most devastating blow came in August 1997 with Diana's tragic death in Paris. The Queen initially remained at Balmoral with her grandsons, believing her primary duty was to comfort them in private. This decision, combined with the absence of a flag at half-mast over Buckingham Palace (following centuries of protocol), sparked unprecedented public criticism.
After Tony Blair's intervention, the Queen returned to London and delivered a live television address that struck exactly the right tone-sober with just a hint of emotion, straightforward without gush. She acknowledged Diana as "an exceptional and gifted human being" and signaled understanding of the need for adaptation: "I for one believe there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death."
Perhaps her most significant gesture came on the funeral morning when, in a spontaneous and deeply meaningful move that surprised even her closest advisers, the Queen stood outside Buckingham Palace gates and bowed her head as Diana's coffin passed-a powerful demonstration of respect that helped heal the rift between monarchy and public.
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The Enduring Institution
The Golden Jubilee in 2002 marked a turning point for the monarchy. After the deaths of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother earlier that year, Elizabeth II emerged as the family matriarch. The jubilee celebrations exceeded all expectations, with millions turning out across Britain to honor her fifty years on the throne.
"People woke up and realized that Her Majesty was about stability, serenity, continuity, calm through adversity, and humor when things are going wrong," said former press secretary Charles Anson. "Suddenly they got the point of the Queen, who had been doing her job for fifty years."
Following the jubilee's success, the Queen appeared warmer and more relaxed in public, smiling more frequently. Robert Salisbury observed that she had "rather blossomed" since her mother's death, showing "more understanding of the wonders of life." At social events, she displayed a newfound joviality, even joking about staying at a nightclub until "half past one."
The monarchy continued modernizing under new communications directors who protected the Queen's privacy while boldly projecting her as a symbol of modernity. Elizabeth began responding more quickly to crises and showing more emotion publicly. She met with Lady Gaga despite her latex outfit, welcomed pink-wigged designer Zandra Rhodes, and during the 2008 financial crisis, asked economists the essential question: "Why did no one see it coming?"
Though initially technology-resistant compared to Philip (an "avid googler"), she eventually adopted texting, email, and acquired an iPod in 2005. Her embrace of the digital age culminated in a 2008 visit to Google headquarters, where she uploaded a video to her Royal Channel and giggled with Philip while watching YouTube's "laughing baby."
By her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the Queen had firmly reestablished the monarchy's place in British life. Despite her advancing age, she stood for nearly four hours on the royal barge during the Thames River Pageant in cold, rainy conditions, watching over 1,000 vessels in a spectacle reminiscent of Canaletto's paintings.
The jubilee celebrations culminated in the iconic balcony appearance with just the core royal family-a clear message about the secure succession, with Charles thanking his mother "for inspiring us with your selfless duty and service." The Queen's reputation had reached new heights, with former Thatcher adviser Charles Powell observing: "Her reputation now is as high as at any time since the golden early years when everyone was intensely loyal to the new Queen, and Churchill was flat on his back with admiration."
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A Legacy of Service
Throughout her reign, Elizabeth II has maintained an unwavering commitment to duty. She has firmly rejected abdication, considering it anathema given her coronation oath and anointment. When Archbishop George Carey mentioned his retirement in 2003, she sighed, "That's something I can't do. I am going to carry on to the end."
The Queen's inscrutability and avoidance of controversy have been powerful assets throughout her reign, with her dependable presence serving as what former Lord Chamberlain David Airlie called "the sheet anchor in the middle for people to hang on to in times of turbulence."
Her "awaydays" to cities and hamlets across Britain have given her unparalleled knowledge of the country. As Charles Powell observed: "She knows every inch of this country in a way that no one else does... she has an understanding of what other people's lives are like."
The Queen's deep connection to the Commonwealth has been equally significant. Former Canadian PM Brian Mulroney noted: "The Commonwealth is very much her legacy," while Zambia's former president Kenneth Kaunda admitted: "Without the Queen's leadership, many of us would have left."
As the monarchy looks to the future, Prince William has emerged as a promising successor, combining his mother's empathy with his grandmother's sense of duty. His marriage to Catherine Middleton brought fresh energy to the institution, with their 2011 wedding providing a moment of national unity during economic distress.
Elizabeth II's historic 2011 visit to Ireland demonstrated her continued relevance on the world stage. Her gesture of bowing her head at Dublin's Garden of Remembrance and her speech acknowledging the "not always straightforward" relationship between the nations offered both countries a gentle catharsis.
Perhaps the Queen's greatest achievement has been maintaining the monarchy's relevance in a democratic age. She has adapted to changing times without sacrificing core traditions, recognizing when flexibility serves the greater purpose of preserving the institution. As Tony Blair observed after Diana's death, he saw the Queen's "wisdom at work, reflecting, considering and adjusting."
In her Diamond Jubilee message, Elizabeth II reaffirmed the pledge she made as a 21-year-old princess: "I dedicate myself anew to your service." This dedication, maintained through seven decades of profound social change, personal tragedy, and occasional crisis, represents the essence of her reign-a lifetime of service that has earned her a unique place in history as one of the most respected and beloved monarchs of all time.
