Queen Elizabeth II loved animals, but her greatest love was corgi dogs. She bred over 30 of them. She owned all of the swans and dolphins in the UK waters, and wild animals, some of which lived at London Zoo.

The Queen was born on 21 April, 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London, in the townhouse of her grandparents. Now it’s a world‑famous restaurant called Hakkasan.

In 1944, when Princess Elizabeth was 18, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service with which she trained as a truck driver and mechanic in order to play her part in a war that began when she was 13 years old. She was the only female member of the British royal family to have served in the military.

Princess Elizabeth met Prince Philip when she was only 8 years old but the official meeting took place in 1934. The British government helped her get the wedding dress. Eventually, Elizabeth married Prince Philip in a stunning wedding gown made by Norman Hartnell from Chinese silk.

The monarch has two birthdays! The actual and official one. The tradition of celebrating an „official” birthday began more than 250 years ago, with King George II, who decided to celebrate this day in the summer rather than cold and wet November. And so, since 1748, every British monarch has carried on this tradition. The ‘Trooping the Colour’ ceremony, also known as the Monarch’s Birthday Parade, is the one of the main attractions.

You know those brightly colored outfits complete with matching hats that the queen was so fond of? Well, there's a reason that she dressed in shades of bright pink, yellow, and green. It was so that she would always stand out in a crowd. She was pretty short, so wearing neon and pastel shades helped people catch a glimpse of her during public engagements.

She spoke fluent French. Queen Elizabeth II learned to speak French at a young age from French and Belgian governesses. She often spoke in the country's language when visiting, and even shocked many when she delivered an address at the State Banquet in 2014 speaking entirely in French.

The Queen had a very important part to play in the life of the nation. Her calendar included visiting charities, hosting visiting Heads of State, and meeting foreign ambassadors. It was possible to contact the Queen! Annually, she received around 70,000 letters. She chose a few to read herself, and then had members of her staff respond.

The Queen was possibly the most photographed person in the world. She sat for almost 150 portraits! In 2012, she sat for a holographic portrait called „Equanimity” by Chris Levine and Rob Munday, in which 10,000 images were layered one over the other to create a three‑dimensional image. Later it was reused and called „The Diamond Queen” to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The tiara she wore in the portrait had 1,100 white diamonds!

King Charles III, known as The Prince of Wales, became King on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022. The King is a qualified pilot who plays three musical instruments. He will surely carry on the royal traditions. Next in line is his son, William, Prince of Wales.