1. Men’s titles
During the heyday of feminists, Elizabeth II continues to wear titles that sound rather unusual. So, she is Lord Mann, Duke of Lancaster and Duke of Normandy – despite being a woman. These titles are unchanged regardless of gender.
2. The Empress of the Sea
The Queen owns all the dolphins, sturgeons and whales of the United Kingdom.
This right was enshrined at the legislative level as early as 1324, and has not changed since then. Therefore, the monarch may well claim all the aforementioned inhabitants of the water kingdom, caught three miles from the coast of Great Britain.
3. A real record holder
The name of Elizabeth II regularly flashes on the pages of the Guinness Book of Records. For example, she managed to win in the following categories:
- Oldest reigning monarch.
- The ruler who has been on the throne for the longest time.
- The richest queen.
- The person depicted on the banknotes of the largest number of world currencies (45 countries).
4. Own rules
The full name of the Queen of Great Britain is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York.
And having received the reins of government in her hands, she violated the unspoken rule of the British monarchs – to change the name when ascending the throne. So the father of Elizabeth II, King George VI, was given the name Albert at birth, and Queen Victoria was called Alexandrina before her coronation.
5. Custom Signature
Her Majesty never signs the phrase: “Queen Elizabeth II”. On all documents, she marks her name as “Elizabeth R” (from Latin – “Elizabeth Regina”, in translation – “Elizabeth, Queen”). But private correspondence addressed to family or close friends, the monarch signs with her family affectionate nickname Lilibet.
6. Codenames
The queen has a number of codenames used for privacy or in case of death.
In official residences, Elizabeth is often called Gossip Girl. Outside the palace (mostly to the police and military), she is known as Sharon. But when it comes to death, they use the phrase “Fall of London Bridge.”
7. Strange Gifts
During the years of her reign, Elizabeth received a lot of presents, the originality of which goes off scale. So for her silver wedding, she received an elephant named Jumbo from the President of Cameroon.
Canadian Indians presented the monarch with a totem pole, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame presented the queen with a dried banana leaf portrait. She was given a live crocodile, six kangaroos, emu eggs, black beavers, and even a computer screen protector.
8. Passion for cars
The Queen is a great driver. And this is not surprising, because during the Second World War, Elizabeth II drove a truck and understood mechanics.
Her love for cars is so strong that the monarch was noticed driving her own Range Rover the very next day after her husband’s funeral. But the queen does not have a driver’s license. And she is the only person in the whole of the UK who is allowed such a “violation” at the legislative level.
9. Funny hobbies
In addition to driving, Her Majesty has many talents and hobbies. She is an excellent shooter, knows how to repair electronics, and in her youth she was seriously fond of swimming, and even received a lifeguard certificate.
The Queen is an avid football fan who openly supports Arsenal. She also collects stamps: the collection of the monarch, stored in the safe of St. James’s Palace, has about 300 albums and 200 boxes, and is estimated at 2 million pounds.
10. Culinary passions
There is a whole list of foods that are forbidden to be served at the royal table. Among them are garlic and seafood, foie gras, red meat and tap water. Also, Elizabeth does not like spicy food and dishes high in starch. But she loves sweets, especially chocolate.
11. Professional makeup
Elizabeth II uses the services of a professional makeup artist only once a year. The Queen invites the master exclusively on the day of filming the Christmas greetings to the UK. All the rest of the time, the monarch does a great job on her own, perfectly owning the secrets of beauty.
12. Ladies’ Weakness
The ruler of the United Kingdom always carries a handbag with her. She is rarely seen without her favorite accessory, even in her own home.
All bags are exclusively of the same brand. Of course, British. Back in 1968, the monarch appointed Launer London as the official supplier of handbags to the royal court. According to unofficial data, her collection includes more than 200 bags of this manufacturer.
