Blog

Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee is coming up on the 2nd June, and many of us will be celebrating with street parties, treats, and Jubilee activities with our children. Teaching children about the monarchy and the Queen is an important part of their cultural development, and today we wanted to share 10 fun facts children can learn about the Queen this year!

1. Queen Elizabeth II was born at 2.40am on 21 April 1926

Her father was the Duke of York, and he later went on to become King George VI. Her mother was also called Elizabeth and ruled by his side as Queen Elizabeth.

2. She was crowned Queen on 2 June 1953

Queen Elizabeth’s coronation was watched by over 20 million people on TV. When crowned, she was only 27 years old!

3. She is the longest reigning monarch ever in Britain

Queen Elizabeth will be celebrating 70 years on the throne this year, making her the longest reigning monarch beating her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria who reigned for 64 years! 

4. She has been served by 14 UK Prime Ministers

Every monarch is served by the Prime Minister, and Queen Elizabeth has been served by names such as Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and more recently, Boris Johnson.

5. Corgis are her favourite dog breed

Queen Elizabeth adores dogs, and her favourite breed are corgis. During her time on the throne she has owned more than 30!

6. She’s the only person in the UK allowed to drive without a licence

The Queen doesn’t need a driving test to be on the roads, and she still drives today at 96 years old!

7. The Queen has two birthdays

The Queen’s actual birthday is on the 21st april – however she also has an ‘official’ birthday, which is usually held in the middle of June. 

8. The Queen was born in Mayfair

The place where Queen Elizabeth was born is now a Cantonese restaurant called Hakkasan, at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair.

9. The Queen first sent an email in 1976

Always one to be ahead of the curve, Queen Elizabeth sent her first email in 1976, and she joined Instagram in 2019 and now has a whopping 10.8 million followers!

10. She fought in World War II

Elizabeth has always been an active woman passionate about her country. She was the first female of the Royal family to be an active duty member of the British Armed Forces.
We hope you have fun this weekend celebrating the Jubilee. Have you seen our new Jubilee Activity Guide? It features 21 fun activities for early years children this June!