The Biography of The Queen

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of Canada. She has dedicated her life to public service and continues to serve Canada and Canadians after almost 60 years.

Early life
Marriage and family
Elizabeth becomes Queen
Charitable work and military appointments
Tours of Canada

Early life

Queen Elizabeth II was born in London on April 21, 1926. Her Majesty was the first child of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Princess Elizabeth was educated at home with her younger sister, the late Princess Margaret. During that time, the future queen learned French. The Queen of Canada speaks fluent French and often speaks French during royal tours.

Princess Elizabeth gave her first radio address at age 14 as bombs dropped on London during the Second World War.

Five years later, Princess Elizabeth learned how to drive a car and obtained the rank of Junior Commander in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, a women’s branch of the British Army.

Marriage and family

On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.

The Queen of Canada and Lieutenant Mountbatten, now His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, have four children:

• Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, Heir to the Throne;
• Princess Anne, The Princess Royal;
• Prince Andrew, The Duke of York; and
• Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex.

Elizabeth becomes Queen

After her father’s death, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. Canadian guests at the coronation included Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent and Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is described according to her Canadian Royal Style and Titles in Canadian legislation, proclamations and treaties.

Her Canadian Royal Style and Titles are: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

These Royal Style and Titles are suitable to Canada with a common element symbolizing the role of the sovereign as a unifying factor in the Commonwealth.

Charitable work and military appointments

The Queen of Canada continues to champion public and voluntary service around the world.
Her Majesty is patron of more than 600 charities and organizations, including 33 in Canada.

These include Save The Children – Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Nurses Association and many more.

The Queen continues to highlight the critical role of the Canadian Forces by serving as Colonel-in-Chief, Captain General and Air Commodore-in-Chief of the following units across Canada:

• The Air Reserve;
• The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada;
• The Calgary Highlanders;
• The Canadian Forces Military Engineers Branch;
• The Canadian Grenadier Guards;
• The Governor General's Foot Guards
• The Governor General's Horse Guards;
• The King's Own Calgary Regiment;
• Le Régiment de la Chaudière;
• The Royal New Brunswick Regiment;
• The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery;
• Le Royal 22^e Régiment ; and
• 48^th Highlanders of Canada.

Tours of Canada

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh first toured Canada in the fall of 1951. Since her accession to the Throne, Her Majesty has done more royal tours in Canada than to any other Commonwealth country – 21 in all.

The Queen’s 2010 tour will mark her 22^nd official tour of Canada as our Queen.

The Queen’s 2010 Royal Tour will highlight the Canadian record of service. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will participate in many public events, including the Canada Day Noon Show on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on July 1, 2010.
 
In 2012, Canada will celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty – her 60^th anniversary as Queen of Canada.

The Queen’s decades of service to Canadians stand as an example for us all to become more active in society. Through service to others, we honour who and what we are as Canadians.

Canadian Heritage Resources

A Crown of Maples: Constitutional Monarchy in Canada
Portraits and Publication
Criteria for Royal Patronage
Use of Royal Images

Other Resources

The official website of the British Monarchy
CBC News Online
CBC News Online: The Queen’s Golden Jubilee (Archives)
Radio-Canada: Des visites royales (Archives available in French only)