April 21: Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II (1926)
Prayer Idea
Pray for the royal family of the United Kingdom.
History Note
A little girl named Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London on April 21, 1926. Though she was part of the British royal family, no one expected her to grow up and became Queen Elizabeth II.
Elizabeth’s grandfather, George V, died in 1936. Her uncle became King Edward VIII, but he abdicated the throne. Elizabeth’s father became King George VI. He led the United Kingdom through World War II. He died in 1952, and Elizabeth became Queen when she was not quite 26.
During her 70-year-reign, Queen Elizabeth II was keenly aware of what was happening in her country and around the world. Every day she would read the documents that the prime minister sent to her in the Red Box, a secure lock box delivered to the queen each morning. She met weekly with the prime minister to discuss the issues that the country was facing. She kept a heavy schedule of meetings and appearances, usually working 50-plus hours per week. She continued to work 40 hours a week into her 90s.
Elizabeth made 325 overseas visits to 150 countries, and by one estimate, personally met over one million people. On these trips, she did more than wave at crowds from her motorcade and take part in fancy state banquets. Elizabeth did her homework in preparation for these trips, and she engaged in serious talks with the leaders of the countries she visited about issues and conditions in those places.
Elizabeth II was a world leader who held, talked about, and demonstrated a strong Christian faith. In 2002 she said:
I know just how much I rely on my faith to guide me through the good times and the bad. Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God. I draw strength from the message of hope in the Christian gospel.
On September 9, 2015, Elizabeth passed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria to become the longest reigning monarch in British history. Elizabeth died in 2022 at the age of 96.
Displayed after her death in 2022, this billboard in London shows portraits of Queen Elizabeth II as a young woman and as an older woman. Photo by Eszter Virt / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
This cute video shows The Queen and Paddington Bear celebrating Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee at Buckingham Palace.
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