Queen Elizabeth II is the O.G. Lady Boss.
At 96 years old, she’s seen it all, from another King, to World War II, to all kinds of different political parties, to the free state of India, to the crumbling of the Imperial world over her reign.
But why do we care?
The Queen has ruled for longer than any other Monarch in Britain’s history. And even though as Americans we can’t relate to a monarch, we can recognize that she gave her life to the service of her country.
And the fact that she’s a lady is even cooler!
As a woman, she was in charge in the 1950’s and onward!
When we were fighting for the right to work, the right to leave the home, the right to our bodies, the Queen was already doing it.
Just think she was the CEO or the President of her time!
We’ve only just acquired a female leader in a top position, and it’s still to the side, with our Vice President Kamala Harris.
What does it mean for her life of service?
The Queen is known for her sense of duty and devotion to a life of service and is either the Royal Patron or President of over 600 charities. These range from huge international charities to small and local community bodies.
She gives a voice to topics that need to be addressed, from the environment to healthcare.
She also supports normal people from the UK and overseas with her annual program of Investitures (where she presents awards to people doing great work), thanking extraordinary citizens as well as shining a light on what they’re up to that the whole world then sees.
With her spotlight as the Queen, she’s able to give voice to issues that need to be seen and by her spending her time with charities she helps others see their importance and take on the work as well.
But who is she?
Princess Elizabeth was born in 1926 to the Duke and Duchess of York, and when she was born her family didn’t know that she would one day become the monarch.
Her full name was Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, taking the names of her paternal great grandmother, Queen Alexandra, and paternal grandmother, Queen Mary.
But then in 1936, her uncle, King Edward VIII abdicated leaving her father as King George VI and her next in line to the throne.
She had a younger sister Margaret, and they were both moved to Windsor Castle during the War to get out of the way of the London Blitz. Elizabeth herself would broadcast a “Children’s Hour” radio program to lift the spirits of young people during world war two.
Princess Elizabeth was tutored by her father in how to be the Queen as well as sessions in constitutional history and law and religion by the archbishop of Canterbury.
Elizabeth married Prince Philip and their marriage produced four children, eight grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. They first met when they attended the wedding of Prince Philip’s cousin, Princess Marina of Greece to the Duke of Kent in 1934. The Queen and Prince Philip finally married on November 20th, 1947 and Elizabeth collected clothing coupons for her dress, like all other brides at the time during the War.
She has four children, Prince Philip who is the heir and the Prince of Wales, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew (who’s now embroiled in scandal), and Prince Edward.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip were on a Commonwealth tour where they received the news of her fathers death on February 6th, 1952 while in Kenya. In that moment, she was now Queen Elizabeth II.
She flew back immediately to Britain as the new Queen and was greeted by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other officials.
The coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2nd, 1953 and was the first royal event to be broadcast on television.
The Queen as a Feminist
Throughout her time as the Queen she’s helped to advise countless Prime Ministers, seen the creation of free countries from previous commonwealth colonies, and seen the world completely change.
It was unheard of to have a woman with such power back when she ascended to the throne, but she’s quietly been at work for women’s rights with her presence.
Who knows when the next time we’ll have a woman leader?
There will certainly not be a female ruler of the United Kingdom for a long time.
And in America, we’ve yet to elect a female President.
Elizabeth is the original boss lady and that’s why we’ve dedicated this space in our blog, to talk about this woman making strides.
You might remember that we at Jubilance named our blog The Jubilee, a play on words from our PMS supplement Jubilance, but also because like the name implies, our blog gives you a bit of happiness, some cheer, and celebrates womanhood.
And lets be real, the Queen is a woman who went through puberty, having a period, menopause, she’s seen it all happen with her body, and she continued and still continues to live her best life.
At Jubilance for PMS, we talk each week to women from all over the globe about what they’re doing to help their communities, how they’re making a difference, and their bodies and PMS. If you’d like to see some of the interviews head to www.Jubilance.com/blog
