12 facts you might not know about Queen Elizabeth II
We're celebrating the Jubilee!
Last updated 30th May 2022
Queen Elizabeth II was born on the 21st April 1926 to parents the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother). This year, not only did she celebrate her 96th birthday, we're also celebrating a massive 70 years on the throne for her Majesty, also known as the Platinum Jubilee.
Here are facts you might not know about the Queen...
1) Princess Elizabeth (as she was then) was born 21 April 1926
Queen Elizabeth was born at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London to the Duke and Duchess of York.
2) She acted in a number of pantos during World War Two
Princess Elizabeth was a keen actress playing the part of Prince Florizel in Cinderella in a pantomine.
3) The Queen can drive
Queen Elizabeth II learned to drive in 1945 and she still drives to this day.
4) Princess Elizabeth collected clothing coupons for her wedding dress
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip married in Westminster Abbey on 20th November 1947
As Britain was still recovering from the war the event was fairly simple and she had to collect clothing coupons for her dress, like any other young bride.
5) Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest serving British monarch
Queen Elizabeth II overtook her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as the longest reigning monarch. In 2022 she celebrates 70 years on the throne.
6) The first football match the Queen attended was the 1953 FA Cup Final
The Queen's first football match was way back in 1953 at the FA Cup Final, between Blackpool v Bolton Wanderers. She's kept tight-lipped about who she supported though!
7) She is the first reigning British monarch to reach the age of 95
This year the Queen's birthday will be celebrated with events across the country and commonwealth.
8) The Queen is the 40th monarch
The Queen is the 40th monarch in the country since William the Conqueror obtained the crown of England.
9) Her favourite dogs are corgis and she invented a breed of dog
The queen has had corgis as pets for many years. One of her corgis even mated with a dachshund creating the "dorgi"!
12) The Queen has visited the sets of many TV shows
Not only has the Queen visited the very fitting Coronation Street, she's also visited the sets of Eastenders, and more recently Game of Thrones.
11) The Queen can speak fluent French and often uses it on State Visits
Take a look at the Queen putting her French skills into action at a speech at the French State Banquet in 2014.
12) The Queen first sent an email in 1976, her first tweet in 2014 and posted on Instagram in 2019
The Queen's first Instagram post was a photo of a letter from Charles Babbage, the world's first computer pioneer, to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Now read:
Why the Queen has two birthdays every year
The Queen's best fashion looks through the years from A-Z