In 2003, Elizabeth sued the Daily Mirror for breach of trust and obtained an injunction preventing the media outlet from publishing information gathered by a journalist posing as a footman at Buckingham Palace. [172] The newspaper also paid £25,000 for its legal fees. [173] Although Elizabeth has been healthy all her life, she underwent keyhole surgery on both knees in 2003. One thing many people might wonder about the late monarch and her family is why they don`t use her last names. On 6 February 1952, the very day Elizabeth`s father, King George VI, died, royal biographer Hugo Vickers noted that her private secretary at the time, Martin Charteris, asked Elizabeth under what name she would reign (also known as her “royal name”). His response? “Mine, of course.” The only caveat is that she had to add the number “II” to distinguish herself from Queen Elizabeth I. Just like that, the decision was made – no drama, no raised eyebrows. In May 2007, the Daily Telegraph reported, citing anonymous sources, that Elizabeth was “angry and frustrated” by Tony Blair`s policies, that she was concerned that British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan were overwhelmed, and that she had raised her concerns with Blair about rural and rural problems. [175] However, she is supposed to admire Blair`s efforts for peace in Northern Ireland. She was the first British monarch to celebrate a diamond wedding anniversary in November 2007.[176] [177] On March 20, 2008, Elizabeth attended the first Gründie service outside England and Wales at St. Patrick`s Cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Armagh. [178] In 2002, Elizabeth celebrated her Golden Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
Her sister and mother died in February and March, respectively, and media speculated that the anniversary would be a success or failure. [168] She once again embarked on a long tour of her empires, beginning in Jamaica in February, where she described the farewell banquet as “memorable” after a power outage plunged the royal household, the official residence of the governor general, into darkness. [169] As in 1977, there were street festivals and commemorative events, and monuments were designated for the occasion. One million people attend the main three-day anniversary celebration in London every day,[170] and the public`s enthusiasm for Elizabeth is greater than many journalists expected. Upon her father`s death in February 1952, Elizabeth – then 25 years old – became queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries: Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and head of the Commonwealth.[171] Elizabeth reigned as constitutional monarch through significant political changes such as riots in Northern Ireland, decentralization to the United Kingdom, the decolonization of Africa and the United Kingdom`s accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union. The number of their empires varied over time as territories became independent and some empires became republics. As queen, Elizabeth was served by more than 170 prime ministers in her kingdoms. His many historic visits and meetings included state visits to China in 1986, Russia in 1994 and the Republic of Ireland in 2011, as well as meetings with five popes. The Queen and Prince Philip had to choose a surname to pass on to their descendants and debated between their name (Windsor), her name (Mountbatten) or a combination of both. More than six decades later, the effects of their decision still linger.
Yesterday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced the name of the royal baby: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. If you`ve seen The Crown, then you know how much drama there was behind that hyphenated last name. However, in 1960, the Queen and Prince Philip decided they wanted to distinguish their own direct descendants from the rest of the royal family, as Windsor is the surname used by all unmarried male and female descendants of George V. During his tour of Canada in October 1951, President Harry S. Truman arrived in Washington, D.C. His private secretary, Martin Charteris, took with him a draft declaration of accession in the event of the king`s death. In early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip embarked on a tour of Australia and New Zealand via the British colony of Kenya.[57] On 6 February 1952, they had just returned to their Kenyan home, Sagana Lodge, after a night at the Treetops Hotel, when news of George VI`s death and Elizabeth`s accession to the throne reached with immediate effect. Philip broke the news to the new queen.
[58] She chose to keep Elizabeth as her royal name; As a result, she was called Elizabeth II, which offended many Scots, as she was the first Elizabeth to rule Scotland.[59] She was proclaimed queen in all her kingdoms and the royal group hastily returned to Britain.[60] Elizabeth and Philip moved to Buckingham Palace.[61] [62] On 19. In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the UK, Elizabeth moved to Windsor Castle and confiscated herself as a precautionary measure. [204] Public events were cancelled and Windsor Castle followed strict medical protocol dubbed “HMS Bubble.” [205] Queen Elizabeth II`s accession to the throne at the age of 25 in 1952 is certainly a fascinating story. Now, one of the most compelling parts is back in the news: the controversial surname that sparked a huge feud between her husband, Prince Philip, and the royal family. However, eight years later, in 1960, the Queen and her husband decided that their own direct descendants should have a different surname to distinguish them from other descendants of George V. As a result, all of the Queen`s descendants now bear the name Mountbatten-Windsor. And if Prince Charles doesn`t choose another name when he becomes king, Mountbatten-Windsor will continue to be the official surname of the royal family. In summary, the traditional surname of the royal family is Windsor, but if they ever need it for official purposes, they can use Mountbatten-Windsor.
However, most royals tend to assume that everyone knows who they are anyway, so they settle for their title and first name! Just as children often take their surnames from their fathers, rulers take the names of their respective homes from their fathers. When it came time for Elizabeth to ascend the throne, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother really did not want Elizabeth to change the British name from Windsor to Mountbatten. On the other hand, Elizabeth was pressured by her husband to take his surname. His last name was a different story. What for? Elizabeth`s marriage to Prince Philip made the whole situation difficult. Elizabeth`s last name was technically Windsor – the surname of the royal family founded in 1917. Previously, members of the royal family were known by the names of the countries where their parents ruled, and rulers took their father`s “home” name. But seven years after his reign and motivated by anti-German sentiments stemming from World War I, King George V (Queen Elizabeth II`s grandfather) decided to abandon this tradition, as his house name was Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. This is how it became a tradition for every member of the royal family to pass on the surname Windsor.
