By Anne R., Reference Librarian
In 2011, the heir to the British throne, Prince William, delighted the world by taking a bride. This year is an important one for a different generation of the royals. William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, is celebrating a Diamond Jubilee-her 60th year as queen.
I have to admit I am a fan of the English royal family, much to the amusement of my friends and co-workers. I am not really sure why, since it’s a ludicrous idea that one person is better than another simply by virtue of parentage. Still, there’s a fascination for me in tracing the royal lineage and learning quirky facts about some of the past and present rulers.
Here are a few fun facts about the present Queen, born in 1926 and christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, more affectionately known as QEII:
o When she became Queen, she could have chosen to use any of her names. For example, although her father’s name was Albert Frederick Arthur George, he chose to be King George VI. When asked what name she wanted, she said, “Why, my own of course.”
o Elizabeth gave birth to both Prince Andrew and Prince Edward after she was queen. That made her the first monarch since Queen Victoria to have a baby “while in office.”
o Although 60 years is a long time on the throne, Elizabeth won’t be the longest reigning English monarch until September 2015. That’s when she will beat Queen Victoria’s record of 63 years, 216 days.
o Elizabeth’s oldest child is Princess Anne, but since females are traditionally not allowed to succeed to the throne, her younger brother Charles will be monarch one day. That law was recently changed, so starting with Prince William’s children, the oldest child will always inherit the crown.
o She enjoys watching horse-racing and “Doctor Who.”
o She has a Facebook page! You can “like” her there, plus find lots of pictures and queenly news.
These facts came from a TIME magazine article called “86 Surprising Facts About Queen Elizabeth II” (May 23, 2012).
Of course, the library is a great place to find more royal scoop. A few titles I recommend include: Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith (2012), The Real Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Andrew Marr (2012), and The Queen: Art & Images by Paul Moorhouse (2011). A good documentary about Elizabeth’s family is The Windors (2007). You might also enjoy the 2007 film The Queen, starring Helen Mirren as Elizabeth. Find these and many more titles at cadl.org/catalog.
Capital Area District Library Locations
1. Downtown Lansing Library
2. Aurelius Library
3. Dansville Library
4. Foster (Lansing Eastside) Library
5. Haslett Library
6. Holt–Delhi Library
7. Leslie Library
8. Mason Library
9. Okemos Library
10. South Lansing Library
11. Stockbridge Library
12. Webberville Library
13. Williamston Library
The Capital Area District Library Marketing Department is located at 401 S. Capitol Avenue in Lansing, MI. Contact them at (517) 367-6355 or by e-mail at mclarya@cadl.org.
This was printed in tthe June 17, 2012 – June 30, 2012 Edition
