6 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Queen Elizabeth II

The long reign of Queen Elizabeth II was marked by her strong sense of duty and her determination to dedicate her life to her throne and to her people. 

She became for many the one constant point in a rapidly changing world as British influence declined, society changed beyond recognition and the role of the monarchy itself came into question. Her success in maintaining the monarchy through such turbulent times was even more remarkable given that, at the time of her birth, no one could have foreseen that the throne would be her destiny. 

Below are six things you probably didn't know about the late monarch. 

1. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on 21 April 1926, in a house just off Berkeley Square in London, the first child of Albert, Duke of York, second son of George V, and his duchess, the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Both Elizabeth and her sister, Margaret Rose, who was born in 1930, were educated at home and brought up in a loving family atmosphere. 

2. Elizabeth was extremely close to both her father and her grandfather, George V. At the age of six, Elizabeth told her riding instructor that she wanted to become a "country lady with lots of horses and dogs". 

3.  She was said to have shown a remarkable sense of responsibility from a very early age. Winston Churchill, the future prime minister, was quoted as saying that she possessed "an air of authority that was astonishing in an infant". 

4.  Despite not attending school, Elizabeth proved adept at languages and made a detailed study of constitutional history. A special Girl Guides company, the 1st Buckingham Palace, was formed so that she could socialise with girls of her own age.

5. Her Coronation in June 1953 was televised, despite the opposition of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and millions gathered around TV sets, many of them for the first time, to watch as Queen Elizabeth II made her oath.

6. Elizabeth became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia and New Zealand. It was estimated that three-quarters of Australians turned out to see her in person.