Queen Elizabeth II peacefully passed away at Balmoral Castle. She was 96 when Buckingham Palace announced her passing on September 8, 2022. In honor of the queen, here are some interesting facts about her.
The Queen loves horses
There’s no denying that the Queen has fallen in love with horses, as you can see with many photos of her riding them or simply caring for them. Perhaps, it all started when she got her first horse, which she named Peggy. It’s a Shetland pony that was given to her by King George V, her grandfather. Ever since she got her company, the queen has been riding Peggy.
She has more than 30 corgis
Aside from horses, the queen has also shown interest and love towards corgis which is a breed of dog that is known for its playful nature and stout figure. The former trainer of her corgis, Roger Mugford has revealed that the queen is very adept when it comes to training dogs. He also added that upon visiting her, he saw that she has a total of nine dogs, and what’s surprising is that they are all equally trained and controlled by her majesty.
The Queen can drive without license
You have read that right. She’s also the only person in the United Kingdom to have this privilege. She doesn’t need any license to drive a car on the public roads. Of course, this doesn’t mean that she didn’t receive enough training as the queen has been also seen as a good and careful driver.
The Queen is well-educated in many fields
While she was still a princess, Queen Elizabeth II decided to study constitutional history as well as law. Aside from that, she has also studied some skills while at home, including music and languages such as German and French.
The Queen would speak French when visiting France
As we have stated, the queen studied French, but she made sure to take the extra mile and became fluent with it with the help of her tutor, Marion Crawford. Whenever she is in France, she has developed the habit of using French when conversing with anyone.
She volunteered during World War II
As a princess, the queen has made some remarkable events in her life, including volunteering in World War II. She was given the role of a truck driver and also a mechanic. While her volunteering didn’t last that long, the queen has become the first female monarch to serve in the military.
The Queen has plethora of portraits
Throughout her reign, the queen has become part of 200 official portraits. The beginning dates back to 1933 when she was still 7 years old.
The Queen has traveled a lot
Queen Elizabeth II has never been enclosed to her own territory since she values international relations and also improving them through time. In her lifetime, she has visited more than 100 countries, and more specifically, she has been to Canada 22 times and to France 13 times.
The Queen in Australia
Not a lot of people have known about this fact or have at least forgotten about it, but Queen Elizabeth II spearheaded the opening of the Sydney Opera House, a quintessential Australian landmark that is still valued today. The queen traveled to Australia in October of 1973 to lead the opening and deliver her message.
The Queen and her Prime Ministers
Throughout her reign, the queen has worked with a lot of prime ministers, totaling to 15, with the latest and last one being Boris Johnson. She was also the queen when Winston Churchill was still the UK’s prime minister.
The Queen and technology
Because of her age, it’s easy to count out the queen when it comes to technology and the internet. However, it is worth noting that Queen Elizabeth II has used email even before it became more streamlined, sending her first one in 1976. She also made her very first Instagram post in the year of 2019.
