Tadmore 11+ Exams English Reading Comprehension - Special Topics 001

Queen Elizabeth II: Margaret and governess Marion ‘Crawfie’ Crawford.

Crawfie was a young woman of 24 when she began

A Life Lived caring for the princesses and along with their more
formal education of history, music, language and

Extraordinarily
All living creatures are born and die. What
makes up the in between of those two events
constitutes their life. To every parent of every
new-born, their very arrival is an extraordinary
event, a tiny miracle they can hold in their arms,
a triumph of evolution and survival. For some,
the miraculous transcends their birth and lasts
for a lifetime, partly through chance and partly,
choice. Elizabeth Windsor has undoubtedly
lived an extraordinary life, one that will be
remembered, celebrated, and recalled for
centuries to come.
literature, she tried to show them a more normal
world, taking them on the Tube and to the Girl
Guides. Crawfie remained close to the family until
1950, when she published The Little Princesses, an
expose of her time with the family. This saw her
promptly ostracised and never spoken to again.
Her efforts at normality however, had long been
obliterated by the death of the King in 1936 and the
accession and swift abdication of Lilibet’s uncle, King
Edward. This unprecedented move transferred the
throne to Princess Elizabeth’s father and thrust the
young princess into the position of heir presumptive
– unless her parents had a son, the throne would
one day be hers.

Wednesday’s Child
It was a Wednesday in Mayfair, 21st April 1926,
when a daughter, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra
Mary was born to the Duke and Duchess of York
at 17 Bruton Street. There were no paparazzi
awaiting a photo opportunity, and not just because
of technological differences. Baby Elizabeth was
the King’s granddaughter, a princess but not one
destined for the throne.

Princess Elizabeth, or Lilibet, as she was called, due

to her own mispronunciation of her name, enjoyed
her first ten carefree years with her mother, sister Princess Elizabeth with a corgi.

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 Tadmore 11+ Exams English Reading Comprehension - Special Topics 001
Did You Know?
You can visit the birthplace of The Queen! It is
now a Chinese restaurant called Hakkasan.
World War II
In September 1939, the Second World War
broke out and, despite advice to the contrary,
the King, Queen and the Princesses, at least
initially, remained at Buckingham Palace.
However, like the capital’s other children,
Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were soon
evacuated to safety and stayed at Windsor
Castle while their parents remained in London.
To bolster spirits, Princess Elizabeth gave her
first address to the nation’s children on BBC
Children’s Hour, expressing empathy with the
evacuees: “My sister Margaret Rose and I feel
so much for you, as we know from experience
what it means to be away from those you love
most of all.” In December 1940, Buckingham
Palace was bombed and, although the King
and Queen were unharmed, the Queen was
reported as saying, “now we can look the East
End in the eye”. For the two Princesses far
from home, this must have been a time of
enormous anxiety.
During the war, Princess Elizabeth engaged
with many of the war efforts demonstrated
throughout the country, including the Dig for
Victory campaign which encouraged anyone
with any land to grow their own produce.
The day she turned 16, Princess Elizabeth
undertook her first military inspection in the
role of honorary colonel of the Grenadier
Guards. Her father was adamant that she
receive no special treatment due to her
position and when she was able, at 18, she
joined the women’s branch of the army – the
Auxiliary Territorial Service. She trained as a
mechanic and driver and, when the war ended,
joined in celebrations, dancing the conga
at the Ritz Hotel, cap pulled tightly down to
avoid recognition!
Hrh Princess Elizabeth in the Auxiliary
Territorial Service, April 1945
Love and Marriage
The Queen’s marriage to Prince Philip lasted
74 years until his death in 2021 and saw the
birth of four children, eight grandchildren
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and ten great-grandchildren, although their
love story began back when the Queen was
only a child herself in the summer of 1939.
After meeting briefly in 1934, when Princess
Elizabeth was just eight, they were formally
introduced at Dartmouth’s Britannia Royal
Naval College where, upon meeting her
cousin, the young princess reportedly fell in
love and blushed pink. Eight years and a war
later, the two became engaged and were
married in November 1947. Due to rationing,
the royal bride needed to use ration coupons
for her wedding dress! A year later, His Royal
Highness The Prince of Wales Prince Charles
was born, followed by Her Royal Highness The
Princess Royal Princess Anne in 1950, His Royal
Highness The Duke of York Prince Andrew
in 1959 and His Royal Highness The Earl of
Wessex Prince Edward in 1963.
Souvenir postage stamp of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s
1954 visit to New Zealand, where she opened parliament.
 Tadmore 11+ Exams English Reading Comprehension - Special Topics 001
Accession to the Throne
While in Kenya in 1952, Princess Elizabeth
received news of her father’s death. Not
only did this mean the loss of her personal
relationship with her dad, it meant she was
now the Queen. On 2 June 1953, the Queen
was crowned at Westminster Abbey, just like
38 monarchs before her. The coronation saw
a marriage of modernity and tradition, with 27
million viewers tuning in to watch the televised
broadcast in Britain alone. Although its use of
technology was ground-breaking, the Queen
was crowned in St Edward’s Chair, the same
chair used for every coronation since 1300!
The service was led by the Archbishop of
Canterbury, as it has been since the Norman
Conquest of 1066 and the crown and orb date
back to 1661.
One of the official red boxes that contain
government correspondence.
Nations, although the Queen does still award
people titles of the Most Excellent Order of
the British Empire for their services to charity,
the arts, and sciences. This is not without
criticism though. Many feel that award system
itself is deeply rooted in the empirical brutality
of slavery and not all those offered honours
accept them. In 2003, poet Benjamin Zephaniah
publicly rejected his OBE, writing that he was
“profoundly anti-empire”. Furthermore, a
recent YouGov poll has also shown that 41% of
18–24 year olds think the monarchy should be
replaced with an elected head of state.
The Queen on her Coronation Day with famous
crown, orb and sceptre. The Royal Diary – A Typical Day
Rule Britannia? Woken with tea
When Queen Elizabeth II was born in 1926, Bath
it was only a couple of years after the British
Dressers help her dress
Empire was at its territorial peak. In the early
1920s, the British Empire covered a quarter of Breakfast – usually cornflakes
the Earth’s land, 35.5 million sq km and 412 Reads daily newspapers
million people. Its vastness led to the phrase,
Opens letters
‘the sun never sets on the British Empire’.
Throughout the 20th century however, the Opens red boxes – containing official
Empire faced increasing criticism and unrest. paperwork
In 1947, India gained independence, followed Makes a visit
by Palestine, Sudan and Ghana. The Empire
continued to be dismantled throughout the Lunch
20th century with anti-imperial sentiments Reads parliamentary proceedings
moving into the 21st century. Now, there is no
Opens red boxes for the second time
longer an Empire but the Commonwealth of
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 Tadmore 11+ Exams English Reading Comprehension - Special Topics 001

Annus Horribilis
Although it sounds like a rather uncomfortable affliction, annus horribilis or ‘horrible year’,
is how the Queen referred to 1992 in a speech to celebrate 40 years since her accession to
the throne. What could possibly be so terrible for a woman in her position? Well, within the
space of one year, the Queen’s daughter Anne divorced; her son Andrew separated from his
wife; Princess Diana, the Queen’s then daughter-in-law published a revealing book detailing
problems and infidelity in her marriage to Prince Charles; topless photographs of the Duchess
of York were published; Windsor Castle caught fire; and Prince Charles and his wife Diana
separated! These events would be horrible for any family but even more so one filled with
protocol and public expectation.
Windsor Castle, 2006.

Poisonous Paparazzi
Despite living and working under constant
scrutiny, the Queen is a notoriously private
person. The only time she has permitted
cameras into her life was in 1969 for an
apparently banned documentary called Royal
Family. The prying eyes of the paparazzi have
never been far from view and have reported
and documented personal tragedies and family
rifts, as well as contributing to them. The most
famous of all was the tragic death of Princess
Diana, Prince Charles’ ex-wife, literally caused
by a paparazzi chase. At the time it was widely
publicised that the Royal Family and the Queen,
in particular, did not have a very positive
relationship with Diana. So when the mother of
her grandchildren was killed in a car accident,
the Queen’s response was scrutinised by the
media, causing public opinion of her to fall.
The events surrounding this were portrayed in We Are Amused
the 2006 Oscar-winning film The Queen. The famously sincere Queen surprised viewers
More recently, the Queen’s relationship with around the world when a short film of her
her grandson, His Royal Highness The Duke meeting James Bond was screened at the
of Sussex Harry, and his wife, Her Royal London 2012 Olympics. Directed by Danny
Highness The Duchess of Sussex Meghan, has Boyle, the film portrayed Her Majesty meeting
been under scrutiny, alongside controversy Mr Bond at Buckingham Palace, alongside
surrounding her son Prince Andrew and his three of her adored corgis, Monty, Willow and
involvement with convicted sex offender Holly, before pretending to parachute into the
Jeffrey Epstein. Olympic Stadium with 007!
Did You Know?
Born Elizabeth, nicknamed Lilibet as a child,
Sausage, Cabbage and Darling by Prince Philip,
the Queen is known as Mummy to her children
and Gan-Gan to her great-grandson Louis.
Upon meeting her, the correct address is “Your
Majesty” or “Ma’am” rhyming with “jam” and
even her children use these terms in public!
Olympics Opening Ceremony, 2012.

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 Tadmore 11+ Exams English Reading Comprehension - Special Topics 001
Her Majesty’s Secret Signals
According to one Royal Historian, the
Queen has a series of secret signals she
uses to alert her staff to awkward social
encounters. For somebody who spends
their life meeting and greeting, this must be
invaluable. Here’s a handy guide in case you
happen to be in her presence:
Bag switches hands:
Time to change conversation
Bag placed on table:
Five-minute warning prior to leaving
Twists wedding ring:
Quick, get her out of here!
A Life of Service
Clearly these are just snippets from 95 years of
a very full, unique life. The global adventures,
the exquisite jewels, elegant clothing and fine
palaces have all the trappings of a fairy tale and
are far from ordinary. However, what is surely
most extraordinary is the poise and strength
of character demonstrated throughout a life
of service and many personal tragedies. At
her coronation in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II
took a sacred pledge to govern her peoples
and maintain the Laws of God. In 2021, only
14% of Britons identify themselves as Church
of England, however for the Queen and those
that do believe, she is the Head of the Church
of England and therefore her role is not just
ceremonial, it is holy. Even at the age of 95,
she continues to keep her oath. The debate
over whether the monarchy is an outdated
institution will continue but even the Queen
herself has said, “There can be no doubt, of
course, that criticism is good for people and
institutions that are part of public life. No
institution - city, monarchy, whatever - should
expect to be free from the scrutiny of those
who give it their loyalty and support, not to
mention those who don’t.”
Queen Elizabeth II riding to trooping the colour
for the last time, July 1986.
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Her Majesty in Numbers
• 30 plus corgis owned
• 1 new breed – the dorgi – a corgi
dachshund cross created by the Queen
herself
• 2 birthdays – her real one and her
official one
• 69 years as Queen
• 54 commonwealth countries the Queen
is Head of
• 15 minutes of bagpipe playing wakes
her daily
• 300 letters received each day
• 0 elections voted in – the monarch is
not allowed
• 30 years Ella Slack has been a stand in
for the Queen at various ceremonies
• 775 rooms in Buckingham Palace
• 4,500 – number of pounds paid for a
Christmas card signed by the Queen
Did You Know?
The way the monarch’s head faces on coins
alternates with each new one! The Queen’s
head faces right on all coins so her successor’s
will face left. This tradition goes back to the
reign of King Charles II.