Posts by Alex
How Elizabeth II became our Queen overnight: 8 facts you may not know about Her Majesty
Today marks Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, commemorating 70 years on the throne. Ruling for longer than any other British Monarch, Her Majesty becomes the first ever Sovereign to reach this incredible milestone.
She has become a constant and reassuring figure for the UK and Commonwealth, and her devotion to the throne is something we can all commend.
On the 6th February 1952, the Queen’s father, King George VI, sadly passed away. He became King unexpectedly in December 1936, after his brother’s abdication.
He served 16 years on the throne before his weakening health and failure to recover from a lung operation saw his passing at the age of 56.
At the time of his death, the Queen was in Kenya on a tour of the Commonwealth. Her trip was cut short and she returned to Britain with husband, Philip. Overnight, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, aged 25, became the first Sovereign in more than 200 years to accede to the throne whilst abroad. Since then, Her Majesty has ruled for an inspirational 70 years.
In recognition of this poignant anniversary year, I have gathered some fascinating facts about Her Majesty which I am excited to share with you.
Continue reading to discover more…
1. Her Majesty has the final say over new bills made in the Act of Parliament.
By royal assent, the Queen formally agrees to make a bill into an Act of Parliament once it has completed all the necessary parliamentary stages. Since her accession in 1952, over 3000 Acts of Parliament have been given Royal assent by the Queen.
2. Queen Elizabeth II owns the rarest Pink Diamond in the world.
Given to her as a wedding present in the 1950’s, the Williamson Pink Diamond weighs a mighty 54.50 Carats. The diamond was set into a flower brooch by Cartier jewellers and was completed the same year that Her Majesty became Queen.
3. Doesn’t need a passport or driving licence.
All driving licences and passports in the UK are issued in the name of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, meaning that she doesn’t actually need either one herself. When she worked within the Auxiliary Territorial Service in World War Two, the Queen learnt to drive but never needed to take a test legally!
4. The Queen cannot be prosecuted!
The Queen, as the Sovereign, is free from all and any legal proceedings taken against her. Having said this, Her Majesty still follows the law carefully.
5. The Queen always pours her tea before her milk
It is known that the Queen has a cup of tea every morning before her breakfast. But did you know that it’s believed she pours her boiling hot water into the cup before her milk?
Historically, it was believed that only teacups made from fine bone China could sustain the heat of boiling water without cracking. For teacups made from arguably cheaper material, it was recommended that you pour milk in first, to reduce the temperature.
Therefore, the type of teacup you owned, would determine the method in which you made your cup of tea!
Do you pour the brewed water or milk first? Let us know in the comments!
6. Her Majesty is believed to have owned over 30 Corgi dogs!
Over the years, The Queen is believed to have owned over 30 dogs of the Corgi breed. Her first puppy, Susan, was considered to have kick-started Her Majesty’s love for dogs.
As of today, she remains the patron of the Dogs Trust Dog Welfare organisation!
7. The Queen has visited over 265 overseas territories during her reign!
Although Queen Victoria ruled over 70 territories, she never left Europe! In contrast, Queen Elizabeth II owns the title of the most-well travelled monarch in history.
Having travelled to over 265 official overseas territories during her reign, it’s fair to describe Her Majesty as a bit of a jetsetter!
8. The Queen ‘owns’ a Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) and a McDonalds?
In 2015, the Banbury Gateway Shopping Park opened, built on a piece of land belonging to the Crown Estate.
For the duration of the reigning monarch, ownership of the Crown Estate falls to them, meaning Queen Elizabeth II technically owns all that is built on the land. Which means the M&S and McDonalds, amongst other buildings in the park, is technically owned by her.
Have you learnt anything new today? I certainly have!
From a young girl who didn’t expect to become Queen, Her Majesty’s 70-year reign is very impressive, and she is an awe-inspiring figure across the world.
If you’re interested…
To mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, we are giving three lucky collectors the chance to win one of the BRAND NEW British Isles Platinum Jubilee BU 50p Sets.
Watch the video below to find out how to enter!
Britain through the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: Part 4
The Land of Hope and Glory Collection tells the story of Britain through the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
In the final instalment of the series, we will revisit some of the important events that have happened during Her Majesty’s reign in the past three decades.
Fire at Windsor Castle
On the 20th November, 1992 a terrible fire took place at Windsor Castle, the magnificent building Her Majesty the Queen calls home for most of her private weekends and one month a year over Easter.
Maintenance work was being carried out in the Castle at the time when a faulty spotlight overheated leading to it igniting. A nearby curtain took hold of the heat, lighting up in flames.
The fire spread dramatically.
Luckily, due to the work being carried out, much of the furniture which would have been near when the fire started, had already been removed to create space. This meant that a lot of possessions that would have been completely destroyed, were safely tucked away somewhere else.
Those working in the Castle, along with soldiers and members of the Royal family, all formed a human chain to pass items along out of the building. As such this meant that 300 clocks, historic manuscripts, thousands of valuable books, a forty-six-meter-long table, thirty-seven-meter-long carpet, and a collection of miniatures were all rescued.
Help quickly arrived and all together 1.5 million gallons (6,750 tons) of water from the mains water supply, a reservoir fire hydrant, a swimming pool, a pond, and the nearby River Thames were used to stop the fire.
After five years the Castle was returned to its former glory and remains open to the public throughout the year — continuing its 900 years of history today.
To find out more details of booking a visit to the Castle, click here >>
Channel Tunnel Opens
The American Society of Civil Engineers described this as one of the “seven wonders of the world” in 1996. Connecting Britain and the European mainland for the first time ever since the Ice Age, The Channel Tunnel reduced travel time between England and France to a mere thirty-five minutes. At the height of its construction fifteen thousand people were employed and eleven boring machines used. One boring machine is as long as two two football pitches, and all eleven together weighed an enormous twelve thousand tones.
Interestingly, one remains buried under the Channel and another was sold on eBay in 2004 for £39,999!
Her Majesty travelled from Waterloo to Calais on the 6th May, 1994 at a speed of 80 pmh. She joined President Mitterrand, who had travelled from Paris at 186 mph and together they officially opened the Channel, cutting red, white and blue ribbons to the sound of each’s national anthems.
The Angel of the North is constructed
Standing at an impressive sixty-five feet, the impressive Angel of the North is the height of four double decker buses!
In 1994, when winning artist Antony Gormley’s designs were revealed, the public were not too happy with the plans. Causing uproar, materials put forward were frowned upon, along with the size and magnitude of the sculpture in such an open and unlikely place.
However, many years on, those that live near have fallen in love with it. It has become a site of pleasure and this year celebrates its 24th birthday. Made from steel and a small amount of cooper, the Angel is meant to last for more than one hundred years. Coppers slows the erosion of the steel, and the materials together are quite malleable and can be easily manipulated into a variety of shapes and forms. The Angel of the North cost £800,000 to build and is seen by more than one person every second. It represents the history behind the site, societies future and our transition from the industrial age to the information age. An evolving sculpture to evolve with us.
The Millennium Fireworks
The millennium fireworks marked the movement into a new decade. Celebrations were held up and down the United Kingdom, with something for everyone to take part in, and crowds of more than two million took to London.
An incredible firework display took place by the River Thames. Outside of the UK, events were coordinated around the world to see in the new millennium, including an outdoor concert in Washington, United States.
On the Tower Bridge of London Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II lit a laser which shot fire across the river to the national beacon. This beacon took hold of the fire, signalling the embrace of a new century. Soon after, beacons across the UK all became lit, uniting everyone across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Her Majesty also attended the Millennium Dome in Greenwich which held a special concert.
Birth of Prince George
In 2012, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced that they were expecting their first child. This child would become third in line to the throne and would become a future monarch of the United Kingdom. On 22nd July 2013, Prince George was born at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington.
Prior to his birth the Queen made some changes which impacted the Bill of Rights (1689) and the Act of Settlement (1701). A new Crown Act (2013) was brought into force which essentially put an end to a younger son displacing an elder daughter in the line of succession to the throne. Prince George is the first to have been born under this act. You can find out more about the line of succession here >>
As is tradition with any Royal birth, the announcement was placed on the easel outside Buckingham Palace. Along with this, many celebrated up and down the commonwealth countries, and certain water features across the globe were illuminated in blue.
This instalment marks the last in our Britain through the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II blog series. We hope you have enjoyed travelling back with us through the different decades as much as we have.
If you’re interested…
The Land of Hope and Glory Collection celebrates Britain through the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. And today, you can start the collection of a Lifetime. Click here to secure the Coronation Medal for FREE >>
Revisit the historic moments that have shaped Britain through the reign of Queen Elizabeth II with our Land of Hope and Glory blog series:
Click here to read instalment 1 of the Land of Hope and Glory blog series >>
Click here to read instalment 2 of the Land of Hope and Glory blog series >>
Click here to read instalment 3 of the Land of Hope and Glory blog series >>
Royal Mail launches a digital stamp that allows you to send videos and messages with your post!
Royal Mail has entered a ‘new digital era’ with the introduction of barcodes to ‘everyday’ definitive stamps.
Customers can now scan a barcode that sits beside the portrait of HM The Queen using the Royal Mail app. Currently, it shows you a video of Shaun the Sheep that Aardman have created especially for Royal Mail, but the capabilities of this feature are endless.
The barcodes will eventually provide information about services, further exclusive videos and even greetings for occasions such as birthdays. When sending mail, you will be able to choose what the recipient of the stamped item can see from these options.
But don’t worry, the barcode won’t stick out like a sore thumb on your letter, as it will remain the same colour as the rest of your stamp.
However, you’ll need to bear in mind that the barcode must not be removed. Like previous definitive stamps, a mail item may be liable to a surcharge if not all of the stamp is intact.
For those of us who still have non-barcoded or Christmas stamps, Royal Mail have created a ‘Swap Out’ scheme that will come into play from the 31st March 2022. Otherwise, they will be valid until January 2023.
This new feature hasn’t quite made it to Special Stamps yet, but it seems as though it will only be a matter of time before more of Royal Mail’s services will follow this digital step.
Are you excited for this new upgrade to our stamps? Let us know in the comments below!