By Mark Gray
1:01am PDT, Apr 22, 2023
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Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning British monarch, with more than 70 years on the throne. She also had two birthdays — her actual birthday and Trooping of the Colour, the country's official birthday celebration for it sovereign. Her ascension to the crown was abrupt after her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated so he could marry the woman he loved — essentially making her an accidental heir. Much of this is commonly known, but there are many lesser-known and equally fascinating fun facts about the late Queen Elizabeth II…
Tp celebrate what would have been her 97th birthday on April 21, 2023, keep reading to learn more fun facts about Her Majesty's incredible life…
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During World War II, then-Princess Elizabeth became the first female member of the British royal family to become an active duty member of the British Armed Forces. A 19-year-old "Elizabeth Windsor" joined the Women's Auxiliary Territory Service and underwent a six-week auto mechanic training course. Although she was part of the military, she didn't have to adhere to all the rules. Biography reported that she was driven home to Windsor Castle every night, as she didn't bunk with her follow enlistees. Elizabeth also ate meals in an officers' mess hall, not with other enlistees. When the war was over, the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, Princess Margaret, joined fellow Londoners reveling in the streets.
MORE: The 29 royals next in line for the British throne after King Charles III
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As much as Queen Elizabeth II loved her dogs, she was even more passionate about horses, having first rode one when she was 3. She owned about 100 horses at the time of her death (her will lays out who inherits them). Further, her horses often raced — and won. As a racehorse owner, her jockeys always wore purple, gold and scarlet, AP reported.
MORE: The best photos from Queen Elizabeth II's funeral
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When Princess Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, more than 20 million people watched on television — a mighty feat, as TVs were hardly a mainstay in people's homes at that time. It was the first time a British crowning ceremony was ever televised. Elizabeth allowed nine cameras to capture the events.
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On the road again! While Queen Elizabeth II was often seen behind the wheel of a car, she actually didn't have a driver's license. In fact, she was the only person in the United Kingdom who was allowed to drive without a valid license. She was also not required to have a license plate on her car.
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Similarly, while all other members of the British royal family hold their own valid passports, Queen Elizabeth II didn't need one… nor did she have one. Why? Every passport in the United Kingdom was issued in the name of Her Majesty, so she was exempt.
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When Liz Truss took over as the U.K.'s newest prime minister on Sept. 6, 2022, she became the 15th PM to serve under Queen Elizabeth II, joining a group that includes Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher. The queen also met 13 American presidents during her lifetime, from Harry S. Truman to Joe Biden. The exception was Lyndon B. Johnson, who infrequently traveled outside of America. The queen should have met the former vice president at the funeral of John F. Kennedy, but she was unable to fly because she was pregnant with her youngest child, Prince Edward, at the time.
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There's a first for everything! On May 18, 1927, then-Princess Elizabeth and her parents made the first royal transatlantic telephone call. In 1940, she made her first radio broadcast during WWII. She reportedly sent her first electronic message — a predecessor to email — in 1976. Then, in 2019, she posted her first Instagram message, sharing an image of a letter a 19th-century inventor and mathematician Charles Babbage wrote to Prince Albert.
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It's not uncommon to hear about young homeowners, but not this young! When she was just 6, then-Princess Elizabeth became a property owner when the people of Wales gifted her a house called Y Bwthyn Bach, which is Welsh for "little cottage."
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Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926, at 17 Bruton Street in London's Mayfair district. That location is now an upscale Cantonese restaurant called Hakkasan. Hakkasan has other locations all around the world.
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Because of a 300-year-old law, Queen Elizabeth II technically had legal custody of all of her grandchildren, Marie Claire reported. Royal expert Marlene Koenig told the magazine, "This goes back to King George I [who ruled in the early 1700s], and the law's never been changed. He did it because he had a very poor relationship with his son, the future King George II, so they had this law passed that meant the king was the guardian of his grandchildren."
