Happy 96th Birthday to Her Majesty the Queen
To Celebrate the Queen's 96th birthday I wanted to share 96 of my favorite moments from the most famous Queen in the world. I am beginning this with some amount of trepidation as, despite her long and impressive reign, I’ve only been following the Queen for about 12 of her 96 years or a measly 12.5% of her entire life. Of course, I’ve learned a lot over the years but I’m sure there are still plenty of great moments I remain completely ignorant of. If I miss any of your favorite things about the Queen or moments or memories leave a comment below!
Some of these I’ll explain, but some of them I’ll let you interpret or search for yourself. Now in an increasingly random order, my 96 favorite Queen Elizabeth moments.
Jubilees
The Queen as a great-grandmother
Susan the Corgi
The Queen and Prince Philip
Her love of horses
Born third in line
When the Queen was born, she was never supposed to be Queen let alone become the longest reigning monarch in British History. Born the elder daughter of the second son of King George V, it was assumed for the earliest years of her life that her uncle (Edward, Duke of Windsor) would marry and have kids that would eventually become monarch. However, the abdication crisis meant that (then) Princess Elizabeth became the heir presumptive.
The Queens Christmas speech
Her dedication to the Armed Services
The Queens 15 Prime Ministers
Her Majesty’s love of the Commonwealth
Record Breaker
The Queen holds the record for longest reigning British monarch in history, longest reigning female monarch in history and the longest married monarch in history (The Queen and Prince Philip were married for 73 years). But that’s not all the records she holds. She has had the most British Prime Ministers of any monarch, the most U.S. presidents, is the most travelled head of state in history and the list goes on and on.
Using Philips walking cane
When her horse won at Royal Ascot
Trooping the Colour
Her rare appearances at Wimbledon
The Queen as an animal lover
Her “vintage” fashion
The 1950’s were notoriously a great decade for fashion and the Queen definitely owned it in beautiful gowns, gorgeous silhouettes and stylish hats.
The Queen and her Grandkids
The laughing at Prince Philip photo
Leading the country through a pandemic
Serving in World War II
The Queen Dancing
Her love of Scotland
The crown jewels
Never Complain Never Explain
I do think the Queen will be the last monarch to abide so faithfully to the “never complain, never explain” moniker. I think culture has changed so much that it’s not going to be a sustainable approach for the monarchy moving forward. Nonetheless, I admire her greatly for her steely perseverance and commitment to maintaining that approach as it worked well for her for the most part over the last seventy years.
The Queens 21st Birthday Speech
Her first official portraits as Queen
Royal Ascot
Brooches
The Queen loves to make a statement with her selection of brooch and I love reading about the hidden meanings and the history
Cutting a cake with a sword
The dress with pockets
Her love of photography and videography
The Queens patronages
Order of the Garter
The Queen’s Coronation
Tours of the Commonwealth
The Queen on Zoom
Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret
Horseback riding in her 90’s
Balmoral and the Queen
Queen Elizabeth and the Countess of Wessex
Possibly one of my favorite relationships of the Queens, the mutual adoration between mother and daughter-in-law has always been so sweet. Sophie clearly cares so deeply for the Queen and always shows her support, both publicly and privately.
73 years of Marriage
The Queen and other Royals
Garden Parties
Her regal portraits
Norman Hartnell & Angela Kelly
The Queens Canopy
The future Queen Consorts
The Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Cambridge will one day inherit the title of Queen Consort. However due to the fact the wider public doesn’t typically care about the technicalities of titles, they will likely just become known as Queen Camilla and Queen Catherine. Her Majesty has done multiple engagements with both of them and its always incredibly exciting to see the three of them together.
The Queens Education
Moving to Windsor
Ribbon Cutting, Plaque Unveiling and Tree Planting
The Queens adaptability
There has perhaps been no other head of state to see such massive culture shifts as Queen Elizabeth. While she has always maintained decorum and dignity, she’s also learned to adapt to changing times, especially with the encouragement of her late husband, Prince Philip.
Head Scarves
Family Portraits
Buckingham Palace Balcony Appearances
Handling Hollywood with grace
The Queen has been portrayed countless times with varying degrees of accuracy and she’s always managed those portrayals well as she’s met several actresses who have impersonated her. I personally find Hollywood’s general obsession with portraying real people while they are still alive bizarre and intrusive but she’s always handled it well.
The Queen and Prince Charles
Her faith
Matriarch of the house of Windsor
The Queen and her parents
Leaving the U.K. a Princess and returning a Queen
The Queens travels
Knighting Sir Captain Tom Moore
Weekly meetings with the PM
Remaining apolitical
It is crucial for members of the royal family to remain apolitical and the Queen has always managed this (seemingly) with ease and I applaud her for it. Especially today when everything can feel so politically charged, she embodies the cool, calm and collected spirit of the famous mantra: Keep Calm and Carry On
Balancing approachability with royalty
Her ever-evolving fashion
The Queen and her Ladies in Waiting
The Braemar Gatherings
The Queen and her Heirs
The Rainbow Queen
The Queen is well-known for her colorful wardrobe and it always has the ability to brighten up a room. According to the Countess of Wessex her rainbow wardrobe is to help people see her better in a crowd, which considering the crowds she attracts is incredibly thoughtful.
Sending a tweet
The Queens wedding dress
James Bond
2012 - The Olympics & Jubilee Year
The Queens support for Camilla
Charles, Anne and Edward
Walkabouts
The Queen at Cop26
The Queens messages of Support
The Queen routinely shares messages of supports for communities amid global crisis, natural disasters and other issues.
Medals, Insignias and Honors
The Queen and Canadian Prime Ministers
World Leaders adoration for her Majesty
The Queen at Remembrance Day
Gan-Gan
The Duchess of Cambridge revealed around the Queens 90th birthday that Prince George called his great-grandmother, Gan-Gan and given how adorable it is, I sincerely hope it’s a nickname that stuck. The Queen now has 12 great-grandchildren (and a step-great-grandson!) and she sees most of them with some regularity as the family visits her at Windsor Castle.
The Queen as a wedding guest
Opening Parliament
The Queens Birthday Honours List and Investitures
Letters from the Queen
Barbour
Work From Home
During the pandemic, the Royal Family transitioned to remote work which included the Queen taking Zoom Calls from Windsor Castle. This tradition has continued as she enjoys a lighter schedule in her mid to late nineties and allows fans to see the Queen while prioritizing her health and wellness.
Crowns and Tiaras
The Queen and her Grandchildren
The Queen seeing a cow
Her love of the Natural world.
A life of Service and Dedication to the Crown and Country
I don’t think this one needs any explanation. The Queen has been epitomized service again and again throughout her life and set an incredible example for her family to live up to. Her legacy will be one centered around her love for her country and its people, her humility and graciousness, and her dedication to the crown.