The Royal Family of Britain is one of the oldest and most valuable institutions in the world. But many don’t really know how it began. Many royal historians say that before the kings and queens ruled Britain, it was part of the Roman Empire.
The first British king of England was William I in 1066. After him there have been 66 monarchs of Britain for more than 1500 years.
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21 in 1926. She married her cousin Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh and they had four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward.
Princess Elizabeth became queen at the age of 26 after her father King George VI died and she has been reigning since 1952.
The Queen enjoys many powers and privileges; she celebrates two birthdays, she has a private cash machine, she is also the Queen of Australia and the most epic one of all – she can fire the entire Australian government!
Fun Facts about the Royal Family
- No one can eat before or after the Queen
- Prince Philip is required to walk a few steps behind the Queen
- Monopoly is a forbidden game for the royal family
- Members of the royal family cannot take selfies
Royal ceremonies
The much-loves royal ceremonies are the most famous and glamorous royal weddings which most of the world look forward to seeing.
One of the most glamorous weddings was between Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981. The nest was the fairytale wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 and the most recent was the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018.
Many people still wonder whether this monarchy will continue for more future generations to come. It is my personal opinion that it should as it gives us a glimpse of the fairytale lives of the royals.
By Yashoda Bandara (15 years)
Methodist College, Colombo
