The official title of her majesty Queen Elisabeth II is: By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. Elisabeth II, daughter of King George VI, was born in 1926, April, 21. In 1947 she married Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. In 1952 George VI died and Elisabeth became the Queen. The official Coronation Ceremony took place in June, 2, 1953. The Queen has four children: Prince Charles (the Prince of Wales) was born in 1948; Princess Anne was born in 1950; Prince Andrew (The Duke of York) was born in 1960; Prince Edward (the Earl of Wessex) was born in 1964. Besides Diana, the most popular member of the Royal family was Queen Elisabeth, Queen Mother. The Honorable Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born on August 4, 1900. Queen Victoria was still alive at the time, and the world was, of course, a very different place. Few people could have guessed that baby Elizabeth, a Scottish commoner, would one day become the matriarch of the British royal family. The war ended in 1918, the year Elizabeth turned 18. She was lively and attractive, with great personal charm, which did not escape the notice of George V's second son, Prince Albert. On December 2, 1921 he asked her to marry him. Elizabeth gently turned him down. The prince proposed two more times before she said yes. Then Albert became king taking the name George VI during Coronation. Elisabeth was crowned Queen. The king and queen earned the respect and love of their people in the dark days of the Second World War. Other European kings and queens were being forced to flee their homelands, but Queen Elizabeth declared, "I shall not go down like the others." She learned to fire a revolver so she could fight to the death if necessary. Despite the threat of a German invasion, the king and queen refused to send their daughters out of the country. "The princesses cannot go without me," Queen Elizabeth explained. "I cannot go without the king. The king will never go.” George VI died in 1952. In the decades after her husband's death the "Queen Mum" remained one of most beloved members of the British royal family. Even after she turned 100 years old, she continued to make official appearances and served as patron or president of some 350 organizations. She was a living link to the past; a symbol of the history and majesty of the monarchy; and, quite simply, a remarkable woman. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother died quietly in her sleep on March 30, 2002 at the age of 101. Her friend Lord St John of Fawsley said, "With the passing of the Queen Mother we have lost our most treasured national person. She was not merely an historical figure. She was history." Although monarchy is still popular with many British people, the family life scandals of the Windsors have considerably shaken this institution. The Queen’s sister Margaret, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew - all got divorced. This runs counter people’s expectations of a royal family to be a model of moral life.
There are four sources of funding of The Queen (or officials of the Royal Household acting on her behalf). The Civil List is the sum provided by Parliament to meet official expenditure relating to The Queen's duties as Head of State and Head of the Commonwealth. The Civil List dates back to the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, but the current system was created on the accession of George III in 1760, when it was decided that the whole cost of civil government should be provided by Parliament in return for the surrender of the hereditary revenues by the King for the duration of the reign. Revenue from the Crown Estate amounted to £147.7 million in 2000/01 and this was paid to the Treasury. About 70 per cent of Civil List expenditure goes to pay the salaries of staff working directly for The Queen. Their duties include dealing with State papers, organising public engagements and arranging meetings and receptions undertaken by The Queen. The Civil List also meets the costs of functions such as royal garden parties (Her Majesty entertains over 48,000 people each year) and official entertainment during State Visits. In 1990 the Civil List was set by Parliament as a fixed annual amount of £7.9 million for a period of 10 years.
Grants-in-Aid from Parliament provide upkeep of the Royal Palaces and for Royal travel. The Privy Purse is traditional income for the Sovereign's public and private use. Her Majesty's personal income meets entirely private expenditure. The Queen pays tax on her personal income and capital gains. The Civil List and the Grants-in-Aid are not taxed because they cover official expenditure. The Privy Purse is fully taxable, subject to a deduction for official expenditure.
