There was not much rejoicing when Elizabeth was born. Her father, Henry VIII, had wanted a son. When she was two, the mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed and Elizabeth then had four different stepmothers. Later, she was in great danger during her Catholic sister Mary's reign because she was a Protesant. The 25-year-old woman who became queen in 1558 was cautious, clever, quick-witted, and, unlike most girls of her time, very well educated.

  Elizabeth could be very stubborn. She refused to change the Church of England set up in 1559, though at first neither Catholics nor Protestants were really satisfied. She would also often put off difficult decisions.

  Although Mary Queen of Scots was a great danger to her, Elizabeth took 17 years to agree to her execution. Even then Elizabeth tried to pretend she had allowed it by mistake.

  Elizabeth did not like spending money either. She avoided an expensive war with Philip II of Spain for as long as possible, though she encouraged sailors like Drake to attack Spanish treasures ships, taking some of the treasure they captured. However, when the Spanish Armada set out to invade England, she became an inspiring war leader.

  As a child, Victoria was lively and strong-willed. She could be moody, and had firm likes and dislikes, but she was sensible too. She was very interested in new inventions: she enjoyed travelling on some of the early railways, and photography fascinated her. She was musical and could draw well.                                                                                                    

  In spite of the fact that she was only 18 when she became queen, Victoria clearly had a clever understanding of the British political system. Although the new ruling was done by parliament, she succeeded in exerting some influence. At 21, she married her German cousin, Prince Albert. The queen was devoted I her ‘dearest Albert’, and they had nine children together. When Albert died suddenly of typhoid in1861, Victoria was desperately unhappy. She refused to appear in public for some years, and wore black for the rest of her life. It was the prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli, whose tactful, flattering ways she liked, who finally managed to coax her into public life again.

  During Victoria’s 63-year reign, the longest in British history, the British Empire grew to a vast size, making Britain the richest country in the world. Her popularity now at its heights, her Golden and Diamond Jubilees (marking 50 and 60 years in the throne respectively) were causes for huge celebration. She died on 22 January 1901 and is now buried with her husband’s tomb at Frogmore near by.     Learn more...

  Queen Elizabeth II is the 42nd ruler of England since William the Conqueror. Until she was ten years old, she did not expect to be queen. It was only when her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 that her father became King George VI and Elizabeth became heir to the throne. As a child she called herself 'Lilibet', a name her family still use today.

  Just before the outbreak of war in 1939, Elizabeth met a young sailor at a Royal Naval College. He was Prince Philip of Greece and was a distant relation. They married in Westminster Abbey when she was 21 and now have four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.