Woman Of The Year: 1953-Queen Elizabeth II Essay, Research Paper

Woman of the Year: 1953-Queen Elizabeth II

From the day she was born, the life of Queen Elizabeth II shows that

she deserved to receive the title ?Woman of the Year.? She had practical

intelligence since she was a kid and she respected peoples opinions.

Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926 at the London home of her

mother’s parents, Lord and Lady Strathmore. She was baptized at Buckingham

Palace and named Elizabeth Alexandra Mary five weeks later.

Elizabeth’s father was Albert, the Duke of York. He was the second son

of King George V. When his dad died in 1936, his brother was supposed to

become king but he resigned. So he became king. Her mother was Lady Elizabeth

Bowes-Lyon. She was a member of the Scottish aristocracy. Her sister Margaret

Rose was born on August 21, 1930, when she was 4 years old in Glamis Castle.

Her grandparents were George V and Queen Mary, and Lord and Lady Strathmore.

Elizabeth and her sister were homed schooled. She was taught by Miss

Marion Crawford, a young Scottish woman. At the age of 5, she usually woke up

at 6 a.m. and went out for riding lessons. After that, they had lunch, lessons

in French, voice and piano. In the afternoon she would play in the garden,

usually with her sister and Miss Crawford. She became heiress to the throne at

the age of ten. She had to learn court etiquette and diplomatic practice from

her grandmother, Queen Mary. She studied the geography and history of the

Commonwealth countries and the U.S. Elizabeth went to Eton College for private

lessons in law. She was training for future duties. Being a princess was not

easy. She had to prepare for a hard life, never make mistakes, never look bored

and never be sick if possible.

Elizabeth grew up at the families London home, a large Victorian House

on 145 Picadilly and at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. When her dad

became King they moved to Buckingham Palace. It was more like a museum than a

house. Elizabeth spent their holidays with their grandparents on both sides.

When she spent it with the Strathmore it would sometimes be at the Glamis Castle.

It was a rugged, rambling old Scottish fortress. ?It looked like something out

of a child’s adventure stories-paradise of echoing rooms, long passage and

mysterious stairways.? (Trease 1953, 231) Elizabeth enjoyed exploring the

castle when she was young. She was 13 when World War II occurred. A year later

bombs started falling on London. Elizabeth and her sister had to go to safety

at the fortress of Windsor Castle. She returned to London on October 13, 1940.

She then joined the woman’s branch army and took training as an automobile

driver and mechanic.

Prince Philip was an officer in the Royal Navy during World War II. He

met Elizabeth in the war. Later he dropped the title of prince to become a

British citizen. He took his mother’s family name, Mountbatten. On November 20,

1946, Philip and Elizabeth were married at Westminister Abbey. There first kid

was born on November 14.1948. His name was Prince Charles Philip Arthur George

and was later known as Prince of Wales. They also had Princess Anne Elizabeth

Alice Louise on August 15, 1950, Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward on

February 19, 1960, and Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis on March 10, 1964.

Elizabeth and Philip were on a tour in Kenya when her dad died on

February 6, 1952, and she automatically became Queen Elizabeth II. She was not

just Queen of England but Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and more.

They considered her a Queen but she did not have power over them (Trease 1953,

234). Queen Elizabeth the II had no political power. Some of her duties as a

queen was constitutional work (opening the Parliament), entertainment of foreign

dignitaries, giving tours of Britain and the commonwealth. But most of all, she

had to be someone the people could look up to without anyone gossiping or

criticizing her (McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography 1973, 569).

In 1953, this shy, dedicated and determined 26-year old queen was

selected Woman of the Year. She was chosen because she was a symbol of faith.

She was also a reminder of a great pass and was a sign of a good future. Queen

Elizabeth II represented in her person all that they hold best in the British

way of life (Time Almanac 1994, 7). Another reason was she had a close

relationship between her people. She was willing to listen to them and willing

to let them participate in decisions like the one against stiff conservative

prejudice. Her goal was ?to find the proper balance between simplicity and

richness-where she would lend majesty to her people-but not outrage those who

demand a more democratic example.? (Time Almanac 1994, 5). The opinion of a

London editorialist said ?It may well be that we here in Britain, by accident

rather than design, have stumbled back to the original, the true and abiding

function of monarchy, which lay in the magical power of kings…to represent,

express and effect the aspiration of the collective subconscious.? (Time Almanac

1994, 4).

The Queen Elizabeth Island named in honor of Queen Elizabeth II. It is

located in Canada, north of Lancaster Sound and Melville Sound. The total

amount of land added up is about 160,000 square miles.

People may think that princes or princesses are spoiled when little, but

they aren’t. They had to prepare for a hard life ahead of them, when they

become king or queen. They had to find a way to communicate to the people and

make them listen. Queen Elizabeth II found a way-by being willing to listen to

them and allowing them to take part in decisions. She won the hearts of her

people and the title “Woman of the Year.”