Queen Elizabeth has had a long and interesting life. On Monday, February 6, 2012, she will have spent 60 years as the Queen of England. Here are some things you may not have known about the British Monarch:
1. She is the second longest-serving British monarch, behind Queen Victoria. She also shares with Victoria the distinction of being the only British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee. To surpass Victoria’s reign, Queen Elizabeth would have to remain on the throne for another three years, seven months and three days past February 6, 2012.
2. She is the world’s second longest-serving current head of state, behind King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
3. Her coronation in 1953 marked the first time television cameras were permitted to film a state occasion in Westminster Abbey. Sales of television sets in Britain shot up before the event.
4. She is a qualified military truck driver and mechanic. She learned these skills while serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II.
5. She is the only living head of state to have served in uniform during World War II.
6. She has been emailing since 1976, when she sent her first note from a British Army base.
7. She has had more than 30 corgis during her reign, many of which are descendants of her first corgi, Susan, a present for her 18th birthday in 1944. She also breeds many other dogs, including Labradors, Cocker Spaniels and “Dorgis” – a cross between a dachshund and a corgi.
8. One of her favourite riding horses, Burmese, was given to her by the RCMP. A statue of the Queen riding Burmese stands at the Legislative Building in Saskatchewan.
9. She technically owns all the whales, dolphins and sturgeon in the waters around the United Kingdom, according to a statute from 1324. She rarely claims the catch from fishermen though.
10. She has a gold album, for “Party at the Palace,” a recording of a 2002 concert at Buckingham Palace. Fittingly, the concert was to celebrate her Golden Jubilee. 100,000 copies of the album were sold within the first week of its release.
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