Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. As her country
has transformed over the decades, so has she as its head of state. From her physical appearance,
to her personal style, to her personality, this is the evolution of Queen Elizabeth.
When the queen was born she was, of course, not yet the queen. In fact, her father wasn't
even king. He began to rule in 1936 when Queen Elizabeth II was just 11 years old.
According to royal expert and biographer Ingrid Seward's book The Queen's Speech: An Intimate
Portrait of the Queen in Her Own Words, Elizabeth II was raised mostly by her nanny Clara Knight,
a "no-nonsense" woman. Knight was very strict and routine-oriented — quite the party-pooper.
Thankfully for the then-princess, a younger nursery maid named Margaret MacDonald, was
also hired. She shared a bedroom with Elizabeth and the two ended up becoming close friends
— the queen even nicknamed her "Bobo" — until MacDonald passed away in 1993.
Queen Mary, grandmother of Elizabeth II, was very strict as well being a woman of the era
when "children should be seen and not heard" era. As a result, it's said that the girl
who would one day become Queen grew up very shy.
Back when Queen Elizabeth was a reserved 13-year-old princess, she attended the royal wedding of
Prince George and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. It was there that she met the
cousin of the bride, an 18-year-old man by the name of Philip Mountbatten. We now know
him as Prince Philip, the queen's husband.
The same year, Philip joined the Royal Navy and served during the Second World War, becoming
one of the youngest first lieutenants at just 21 years old. Despite conflicting schedules,
the two became engaged and, in 1947, made their first official appearance together at
a Buckingham Palace event.
Not long after their first public appearance together, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
married. Just about a month after their wedding, Elizabeth became pregnant. For months, she
suffered from morning sickness, but that didn't hold her back from keeping up an active social
life. In November 1948, the princess at the time gave birth to a son, Prince Charles.
The transition from newlywed to mother wasn't necessarily an easy one.
In a letter to her cousin sent just a couple weeks after giving birth, Elizabeth wrote,
"I had no idea that one could be kept so busy in bed — there seems to be something happening
all the time!"
Nevertheless, the new mother was happy. She wrote further, quote, "I still find it hard
to believe that I really have a baby of my own!"
Just one year and nine months later, the couple welcomed another child into their home — this
time a girl: Princess Anne.
Imagine having a preschooler and toddler at home, then finding out your dear father passed
away — and that you'll need to step up, take his place, and rule the country. That's
essentially what happened when Elizabeth II became queen in 1952.
When her father passed, Elizabeth was on a diplomatic tour. She and Philip were gifted
a stay at a lodge in Kenya as a belated wedding present. Her husband was the one to break
the news, and he did so gently, walking with her along the rivers of Mount Kenya.
Losing your parent is tragic enough — but imagine having to immediately take his role,
with no time to grieve. That must have been heartbreaking. Queen Elizabeth was caught
off guard by her father's passing, even telling others the day prior that she wanted to come
back to Kenya with him. Time reported her as saying, "He'd love it."
In perhaps her greatest transformation of all, she left England a princess and returned
Queen Elizabeth II.
When she took the throne, the queen was reported as saying that she didn't have much in the
way of an apprenticeship before she assumed the throne herself. Her father died young
and suddenly, and she didn't get the chance to study how he wore the crown before the
duty passed to her. She went on to explain how she matured and accepted that being queen
was her fate, and a job for life. Ain't that the truth.
Regardless, she took her role seriously. After her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II set out
on a nearly six-month tour from Bermuda to the Cocos Islands — traveling a total of
43,000 miles. Philip came with, but the couple's two children stayed behind with the Queen
Mother.
She embarked on a career of endless meet-and-greets, formal handshakes, and the exchanging of niceties.
In fact, smiling at so many thousands of people actually caused her to develop a temporary
facial tic. And when she wasn't meeting crowds, her facial expression often made her appear
cranky when she wasn't. As she explained it, "I don't have a naturally smiley face."
The queen's transformation from princess to queen meant she missed out on a lot of her
children's milestones.
She and Prince Philip decided to have more children and, in May 1959, she became pregnant.
At the end of her second trimester, she took a much-needed break from her official responsibilities.
On Feb. 19, 1960, she gave birth to her third child and second son.
Queen Elizabeth II decided to name the child Andrew after Philip's late father. Prince
Andrew was the first baby born to a reigning monarch since the days of Queen Victoria's
rule.
In 1964, the queen went on to have another son, Prince Edward. In a surprising first,
Prince Philip made history as the first royal father to be there for the birth of his child.
Queen Elizabeth II has always been a modest dresser. Even though she didn't show a lot
of skin, she showed off plenty of style. In the 1960s, the queen began experimenting with
some pretty bold choices.
Before fur became a faux pas, Jacqueline Kennedy started a trend of wearing a real leopard
coat. The queen herself was quick to follow — for a while.
"Queen Elizabeth is known for her stylish fashion choices, but she's decided to ditch
fur from her new wardrobe."
She didn't stop there, though. Caroline de Guitaut, the curator at the Royal Collection
Trust, explained to The New York Times that the queen started acquiring quite the hat
collection, including pillbox styles that were popular in the '60s and the "turbanlike
styles" of the '70s.
The hats were a way for the public to spot the queen quickly. Although her hats had an
almost political purpose, she also chose styles that were considered avant-garde. That's right
— the queen was becoming a fashionista.
Hats aren't the only tool the queen uses to get herself noticed. These days, you can often
spot her wearing any color — ranging from burnt orange to periwinkle to even fluorescent
green. The queen's daughter-in-law, Sophie, Countess
of Wessex, said in the documentary The Queen at 90,
"She needs to stand out for people to be able to say 'I saw the Queen.' Don't forget that
when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, 10, 15 deep."
This means she needs to be noticed from great distances away. What better way than to use
her fashion as a means to accomplish the incredible feat?
Queen Elizabeth II definitely knows how to make a statement with her look — and yet,
somehow, she does this all while remaining the sweet little elderly lady — and yes,
queen — we've come to know and love. Well done, Your Majesty.
Queen Elizabeth has her own signature style, and though it's gone through changes over
the years, certain elements remain sacrosanct.
As Leslie Field, author of The Queen's Jewels, advised People magazine in 2020, there isn't
a single occasion that the queen deems unworthy of donning her signature necklace. She explained,
"Pearls are traditional for Queens going back one thousand years — there has never been
a Queen who didn't wear pearls."
Her Majesty boasts an impressive collection of pearls, having built it up over the years
alongside her iconic handbags, making it easier to choose the right set for any given day.
Regardless, she will not be seen without them no matter what. As Field noted,
"She wants to wear pearls every day as her mother and grandmother did before her."
Field advised the tradition began with her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who
gifted her daughters and granddaughters a single pearl annually on their birthdays,
so when they reached 18, they'd have a whole necklace worth.
The queen's father, King George VI, continued the tradition by gifting her a platinum chain
to which he added two pearls each year.
On Sept. 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth surpassed the longest-reigning monarch in British history,
Queen Victoria. At the moment she surpassed her royal ancestor, her reign had then been
continuing uninterrupted for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 30 minutes, according to the
BBC. Basically, about 63 and a half years or, to put it even simpler, a ridiculously
long time.
"Three cheers for Her Majesty! Hip hip, hooray!"
When you think about it, the queen has lived through the invention of the television, cordless
phones, cell phones, the internet — and so many more technological advancements.
She even lived through war-torn England during World War II. She has witnessed more change
than many of us can even begin to imagine. Nevertheless, in her 90s, she continues to
transform and transcend time while ruling over the United Kingdom and 15 other countries.
Once a young woman who was never thought to become Monarch, she's become the queen of
monarchs, and will go down in history for her longstanding impact on the world.
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