The passing of the late Queen Elizabeth II rocked the world. After seven decades on the throne, she had made her mark as the longest-reigning monarch in history. And while she lived to the ripe old age of 96, her death still came as a shock. But what's even more shocking is the fact that we knew so little about the woman who meant so much to so many people. In fact, even the biggest fans of the royal family didn't know these facts and secrets about Queen Elizabeth II. Read on to see just how little you knew about the late queen.
A Bagpiper Woke Her up Every Morning
While most of us are rudely awoken by the sound of our phone alarms, Queen Elizabeth II didn't rely on an iPhone to wake her up in the morning. Instead, she relied on a royal bagpiper who played "Piper to the Sovereign" every single morning at 9 am for 15 minutes. It's reported that the Queen loved this song and loved being reminded of her love for Scotland every single morning.
Of course, it's not known what the rest of the royal family thought of this very unusual alarm clock, but Charles has reportedly continued this tradition since taking over from his late mother.
She Always Started Her Day With a Gin
It's no secret that the late Queen Elizabeth II liked a drink. But what you might not realize is that she actually started drinking pretty early on in the day. Every day, she would finish off her breakfast with an ice-cold gin and Dubonnet cocktail with lemon - and according to the former chef of the royal family, the Queen rarely strayed from this tradition. She was a creature of habit.
However, there were times when she did choose to mix things up. And if she was feeling a little fruitier, she would swap her gin for a rum or fresh cider.
She Was the First Female Royal to Serve Her Country
When Queen Elizabeth helped during the war efforts, her family was worried and refused her request to enlist for a whole year before they gave in. Not only was she a young royal, but she was also a young woman - and this didn't sit well with her father. In fact, when she was eventually allowed to become a full-time active member of the armed forces, she became the first female royal in history to do so.
When she eventually became Queen after her service, she had already garnered a huge amount of support from the general public. After all, anyone willing to serve in the military would be a great addition to the throne. But that's not all.
She Owned All of the British Swans
If you've ever been to England, you'll know that this country is full of swans. These birds can be found in lakes and rivers, and one thing you might have noticed is that they are often unmarked. That's because these swans aren't owned by John Smith down the street. Instead, they're owned by the monarch! During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II owned all of the unmarked British swans in British waters.
This tradition has been in place since the 12th century, and the royal family even hires a Warden of the Swans and the Marker of the Swans to look after these animals.
She Invented a New Dog Breed
You probably don't need us to tell you that the Queen loved dogs. She was particularly fond of the corgi breed, and she welcomed over 30 corgis into her home over the course of her life. But while everyone knows that the Queen loved corgis, very few people know that she actually invented a whole new dog breed that was a cross between her beloved corgis and a dachshund (sausage dog).
This actually occurred by accident when one of Elizabeth's corgis mated with Princess Margaret's dog Pipkin, but they both fell in love with the dorgi puppies. So, they continued to breed them as the years went by.
Prince Philip Had a Strange Nickname for Her
It's not uncommon for people around the world to have nicknames for their significant others. While most people stick to the usual 'babe' or 'sweetheart,' it seems as though Prince Philip went down a different route when it came to the nickname for Queen Elizabeth II. All throughout their seven-decade marriage, he called her his "Cabbage." Of course, it's believed that he was the only person to ever call her this.
It's not known exactly why Philip referred to his wife as a leafy green, but those close to the royal family have confirmed that this was a nickname stemming from love - rather than a dislike for cabbage! But if you think that's all there is to know about the late Queen, just wait!
Her Crown Snapped on Her Wedding Day
Most people hope that their wedding day will be the most perfect day of their lives. And, for many, it is! But occasionally something is bound to go wrong, and it might be interesting to learn that something went gravely wrong at the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Just before the ceremony was about to begin, the Queen Mary Russian Fringe Tiara that she was due to wear snapped!
Chaos ensued as her staff rushed to try and fix it before she was due to walk down the aisle, and, thankfully, they were successful. In fact, her daughter even wore the tiara again in 1973.
The Queen Had No Need for a Passport
If we wanted to travel the world, we'd need to have a passport. This passport would allow us to pass through other countries and would serve as a form of identification used in security checks. However, the Queen didn't need a passport! Technically, all passports are dished out by the current monarch - so she had no need to issue one out to herself when she was on the throne.
What's so intriguing about this fact is that only the Queen - and now King Charles - was exempt from this rule. Every other member of the Royal Family needs to have a passport.
She Used Her Handbag to Secretly Communicate
When you're in the public eye, you need to be extremely careful. One wrong word to a reporter or cameraman, and you're blasted in the media and being torn to shreds. Of course, Queen Elizabeth II couldn't afford for her reputation to be tarnished - so she decided to come up with a way to communicate to her staff without actually saying a word! And she used her handbag to do it.
The staff closest to her had to learn these codes and act accordingly. For example, if she moved her handbag from her left hand to her right hand, she wanted to end her conversation and get on with her day. And keep on reading, because these facts only get stranger and stranger.
She Was Fluent in French
When you're the Queen of England and forced to travel so much for work, being able to speak multiple languages definitely works in your favor. And while the young Princess Elizabeth had no idea that she would one day become queen, she still understood the importance of these languages. Because of this, she started learning the likes of French, German, Welsh, and Spanish from a very young age and enjoyed every minute.
Her favorite of all of the languages was French, and she eventually became fluent - which came in very handy for her. Although she knew phrases in different languages, she wasn't fluent.
She Served in World War II
As well as serving her country as a monarch and member of the Royal Family, Queen Elizabeth also served her country by joining the war efforts. This resulted in a lot of pushback from her father and it took her a whole year to convince him - but she wanted to do her part and support her country during World War II. So, she trained as a mechanic and served as part of the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
This went down extremely well with the public, as they could see that the young princess was willing to get her hands dirty for her country. And this continued even when she became queen. Was there anything she couldn't do? Read on and see!
She Loved to Play Pranks
What's so intriguing about the royal family is the fact that we only see the public side of their personalities. We have no idea what they're really like behind closed doors, and the same was also the case for Queen Elizabeth II. However, it's been noted that the late Queen was a prankster at heart and loved to play tricks on people when she could. On one occasion, she even pranked some unsuspecting American tourists.
The unsuspecting and unknowing tourists were able to get up close to the monarch and ask her if she had ever met the Queen, to which she replied that she hadn't!
She Only Carried Ironed Money
It's long been rumored that Queen Elizabeth II didn't carry money on her person. After all, she didn't really need it. But it turns out that rumor isn't quite true. Although the Queen didn't carry around a purse with oodles of cash or credit cards in it, she did carry some money - and it always had to be ironed so it was crisp and clean. But what was it for?
Well, she always kept a couple of ironed bank notes in her handbag so that she could add them to the collection pile at church. She wanted to do her bit, after all.
She Took Many Steps to Further Her Education
Unlike the rest of the world, the Queen didn't have a traditional education. In fact, Elizabeth and her sister were both homeschooled. But what many people don't realize is that the late monarch had a real thirst for knowledge. She loved learning knew things and expanding her mind, and she actively asked for deeper and more thought-provoking lessons on history and law - and she continued to have these lessons after she ascended the throne.
Not only that, but she also prepared to become queen by studying directly under the Archbishop of Canterbury. She wanted to know everything she could about religion before becoming the Head of the Church of England.
She Met Prince Philip When She Was 8 Years Old
It's no secret that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were together for a long time. They were married for almost seven decades and were by each other's side through thick and thin. However, their love story went back even further than that. In fact, they first set eyes on each other when Elizabeth was just eight years old, when they both attended the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Prince George, Duke of Kent.
It's been noted that Elizabeth developed a crush on Philip, who was 13 then. But it wasn't until many years later that they started a romantic relationship and got married.
She Had Two Birthdays
While the rest of the world was celebrating just one birthday, Queen Elizabeth II was celebrating two! Of course, it wouldn't make any biological sense for her to have two official days of birth - but that didn't stop her from adding another celebration into the mix. In fact, Elizabeth's official day of birth was April 21, but she also celebrated on a Saturday in June every single year, as well.
This day was chosen to guarantee warmer and sunnier weather, and her second birthday was marked every year by the annual "Trooping of the Colour" event. King Charles will also follow suit.
She Traveled Over 1 Million Miles
Over the course of her reign, Queen Elizabeth II was required to travel across the globe. She visited all of the countries within her Commonwealth and regularly traveled outside of the Commonwealth for royal visits, high-profile events, and even the odd vacation. But do you know exactly how many miles she traveled over the course of her reign? Well, she flew over 1 million miles - which definitely sounds like a lot.
Of course, it is a lot! 1 million miles is the equivalent of traveling around planet Earth a whopping 40 times, and you probably don't need us to tell you that she didn't fly commercial.
She Was Gifted a Cottage on Her 6th Birthday
When Elizabeth was six years old, she had no idea that she would one day become Queen. At the time, her uncle was on the throne - but that didn't stop her from enjoying the perks of being a member of the Royal Family. On her sixth birthday, the young princess was gifted a small cottage by the generous people of Wales. It could be found in the Royal Lodge at Windsor, and the young princess loved it.
While it wasn't a full-size house, it was still incredibly large - and even came complete with a working telephone, mini library, a delicate china set, and pots and pans.
Her Coronation Changed the Course of History
Queen Elizabeth II was just 27 years old when she was coronated, and there's no doubt about the fact that there was a buzz around this event. On June 2, 1953, millions of people traveled from across the UK and across the globe to watch her take her place on the throne. But this event also changed the course of history from a technological point of view. After all, the event was televised.
At the time, that was a huge deal. The Queen's coronation was actually one of the first royal events to be shown on television, and this served as a momentous moment for television.
She Ruled Over 15 Countries
Everyone knew Queen Elizabeth II as the Queen of England, but this role doesn't end at the English border. She was also the leader of the Commonwealth, which meant that she technically ruled over 15 countries in total - including Jamaica, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Of course, she had no power over them as they were now independent countries, but they were still members of the Commonwealth and, therefore, were dear to the Queen's heart.
The longer she ruled, the more many of these Commonwealth countries decided to become sovereign states. But Queen Elizabeth still kept close ties with them, as she felt it was her duty.
She Loved to Race Pigeons
It's easy to assume that the Queen spent her days working on official business and attending official events. But it seems as though her downtime was incredibly important to her, and she always made time to do the things that she loved. In fact, she loved to race pigeons! She had over 200 pigeons at her home in Sandringham and regularly made her way up to Scotland to race them.
She didn't do this on her own, though. The Queen took her racing very seriously, and she was a member of both The Royal Pigeon Racing Association and the National Flying Club.
The Queen and Prince Were Inundated With Wedding Gifts
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's wedding was a momentous occasion, and the whole world joined in to celebrate their nuptials. And while they certainly received gifts from their close friends and the rest of the royal family, what you might not realize is that they also received gifts from members of the public. In total, they received over 2,500 wedding gifts - despite the fact that the wartime rations were in place.
The couple were overwhelmed by the generosity of the general public during such troubled times, but the gifts were quite strange. The Queen actually received 131 pairs of stockings, after all.
She Had Very Specific Food Requirements
Queen Elizabeth II wasn't the kind of woman to have KFC for lunch, but have you ever wondered what kind of food she did eat? According to a former royal chef, the late Queen had very specific food requests and tried to avoid eating carbs at all costs. In fact, she absolutely hated pizza! When she was eating by herself and not attending state dinners, she would ask the chef to prepare her healthier meals, instead.
She would regularly eat chicken, fish, vegetables, and rice, and it seemed as though she couldn't get enough of it. She would have preferred that over pizza any day of the week.
She Once Snuck Out of the Palace
For her own safety, Queen Elizabeth II couldn't go anywhere without security by her side - and this was also the case when she was a little girl. But it seems as though Elizabeth couldn't resist the pull of the outside world when World War II came to an end. From inside Buckingham Palace, the teenage process could hear the celebrations and the cheers from those outside, and she knew she had to get involved.
So, she snuck out of the palace with her sister by her side, and they both enjoyed a night on the tiles! She later revealed that it was "one of the most memorable nights of [her] life."
She Only Ever Wore One Nail Polish Color
We live in a world where nail art and fake nails are extremely popular, but look back at any photo of Queen Elizabeth II, and you'll realize that she didn't conform to these nail trends. Over the course of her life, she only ever wore one color of nail polish - and she wasn't one to stray from tradition. She started wearing a pale pink nail polish called "Ballet Slippers" by Essie in 1989, and she never looked back.
What we love about this nail polish is the fact that it's actually very affordably and very easily accessible. In fact, you can probably find it in your local drugstore or Sephora.
She Was on the Radio at 14 Years Old
As Queen, Elizabeth had to make countless radio and television broadcasts. That was all part and parcel of her job, and it became second nature over the course of her rein. However, what you might not know is that she actually made her first radio broadcast when she was just 14 years old. She was just a young princess at the time, but fans raved about her poised personality and her confidence during her Children’s Hour segment.
For this segment, she spoke about the war efforts and her hopes for the future. She said, "We are trying to do all we can do to help our gallant sailors, soldiers and airmen."
Prince Philip Was Actually Her Cousin
Over the course of history, royals have tried to keep their royal lineage strong. Because of this, many kings and queens have married members of their own families - and this was no different for Queen Elizabeth II. And what you might not realize is that Prince Philip was actually the Queen's cousin and they were distantly related through their shared relative of Queen Victoria. In fact, they were third cousins.
To be more specific, Queen Victoria was both Philip and Elizabeth's great-great-grandmother - but for Philip, it was on his maternal side, and for Elizabeth, it was on her paternal side.
She Chose Her Own Surname
Over the course of her 70-year rein, the world knew Queen Elizabeth II as Queen Elizabeth II. And while she was born Elizabeth Windsor, one of the perks of being part of the royal family is that you get to choose your own surname. So, that's exactly what she did! When she married Prince Philip, she chose a name that celebrated the union of their two families and touched on her husband's roots.
She eventually decided on Windsor-Mountbatten, and there's no denying that this hyphenation caused a stir among the royal households. But, today, the name is hugely important and a part of history.
She Loved Animals More Than Anything
While Queen Elizabeth II was proud of her role and took it extremely seriously, she was also fond of getting away from it all and immersing herself in nature. She loved being in Scotland and enjoying the natural world, and she loved surrounding herself with animals. This love of animals had been there since she was a youngster, and she was gifted her first horse (named Peggy) when she was just a child.
For the rest of her life, she raised racing horses, owned hundreds of racing pigeons, had over 30 dogs - and she even owned all of the dolphins and swans in British waters.
She Used Ration Coupons for Her Wedding
While there's no doubt about the fact that the royal family is part of the upper echelon of society, they were treated like everyone else during World War II. Just as other families had to ration food and clothing, so did the royals! They had to buy everything they wanted and needed with ration coupons - even when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were planning their wedding. She even had to buy her wedding dress material with these coupons.
Although the British public tried to donate their own coupons to bring this dress to life, Queen Elizabeth had to send them back as the royals aren't allowed to accept donations.
She Never Went to School
Nowadays, young royals are sent to the best boarding schools in the world and then expected to go on to university to study subjects such as history, geography, literature, or art. But that wasn't the norm back in the day, and Queen Elizabeth II didn't step foot in a school at all. Instead, her parents chose to homeschool her and enlist some of the top minds in England to tutor her and her sister.
By teaching them in this way, her parents could ensure that she was getting the best education and as much attention as she needed to excel in all of her subjects.
She Sent Letters on 100th Birthdays
The Queen lived to an impressive age, and it seemed as though the older generation had a special place in her heart. In fact, she was known for sending out letters to those who reached impressive milestones in their lives - such as couples who had reached their 60th wedding anniversary and people who reached 100 years old. For many, receiving this letter was a huge honor that they didn't take lightly.
As you can imagine, the Queen didn't sit there and write personalized letters to each and every person. However, she did make sure to sign them all to add that personal touch.
She Had Her Own Personal Poet
Literature and poetry have always been important to the Royal Family, so much so that the Queen had her very own poet at her disposal at all times. Of course, she didn't use this poet every day, but they came in very handy when there were upcoming weddings, funerals, and other royal events. But what is this personal poet called? Well, they are known as the Poet Laureate, and it's an honor many people can only dream of.
While Queen Elizabeth II sat on the throne, her main Poet Laureate was a man called Simon Armitage. It was his also his job to honor the Queen with a poem for her funeral.
She Was Never Meant to Be Queen
From the moment King Charles was born, the world knew that he would one day become King. As the first-born of the Queen, he instantly became the heir-apparent and would ultimately ascend the throne - as long as he didn't abdicate. But that didn't happen when Princess Elizabeth was born. Her uncle was the king, and her father was the second in line to the throne, and so she took third place in the line of succession.
She grew up knowing that she wouldn't become queen, though. As her uncle was so young, it was believed that he would have children that would push her down the pecking order. Instead, he abdicated.
She Hated Having Her Photo Taken
Most of the famous people in the public eye chose to go down that route, but Queen Elizabeth II never asked to be famous. When she was younger, she preferred to be behind-the-scenes, and this continued as she got older. And while it was her duty to be in front of the cameras and command a crowd, she was actually incredibly camera shy and hated having photos taken of her.
In fact, Queen Elizabeth II put up a huge fuss when she learned that her wedding would be televised. She didn't want that to happen at all, as she didn't want to be put on display.
She Absolutely Loved Her Family
While many people have claimed the Royal Family to be cold and unemotional, it's fair to say that we don't know what goes on behind closed doors. And it's believed that the late Queen loved her family above all else. Over the course of her marriage to Prince Philip, the couple welcomed four children into the world; Charles, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, and Princess Anne. As the first-born, Charles became King.
It's not known too much about the intricacies of their relationships and how the family communicated when they weren't in the public eye, but her children had nothing but good things to say about her.
She Was Only 25 When She Became Queen
What were you doing when you were 25 years old? While most of us were figuring out our lives and wondering what our future held, Elizabeth II was being crowned queen. This was not something she had ever expected, as it was assumed that her uncle would have children and push her down the pecking order. But when he abdicated the throne and her father took his place, Elizabeth became the heir apparent.
To make matters even more complicated, her father passed away when he was just 56 years old. As a result, she had to assume the throne when she was still incredibly young. This ultimately allowed her to become the longest-reigning monarch in history.
She Sent a Message to the Moon
Being Queen of England means that you get certain privileges and opportunities that other people don't have, and that was certainly the cast in 1969 when Apollo 11 was sent to the moon. At the time, leaders from across the world were asked to submit a message to send up in the spacecraft - and, as you can imagine, the Queen jumped at the opportunity to send a message to the moon.
This message is still up there today, and it's believed that she congratulated the people involved in the successful mission and wrote, "May this endeavour increase the knowledge and wellbeing of mankind."
She Took Part in the Olympics
No, Queen Elizabeth II wasn't a secret sports star - but she did, in fact, take part in the 2012 Olympics in London. This all came about when Daniel Craig and the James Bond director asked the Royal Family whether they could use the Queen's likeness for a skit that was going to be used as part of the opening ceremony. Much to their surprise, she told them that she didn't want them to use her likeness... she wanted to do it herself!
In this skit, she could be seen boarding a helicopter with Daniel Craig, and she even agreed to a speaking role. As if that wasn't enough, her corgis also had their chance to shine.
She Opened Sydney Opera House
Over the course of her life, Queen Elizabeth II had the pleasure of officially opening numerous buildings - from hospitals to schools and even ships! But did you know that she also opened the Sydney Opera House? Often considered to be one of the most impressive buildings ever built, this building first opened its doors in 1973 - but not before Elizabeth II traveled to Australia to open it up to the public.
This was a huge deal at the time, and the Queen was reportedly impressed by the building. She said, "The Sydney Opera House has captured the imagination of the world."