Her Greatest Loves Queen Elizabeth II – The recent passing of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II has left our nation in mourning and with a profound sense of loss.

We all know of Her Majesty’s many achievements and dedicated years of service at home and throughout the world. Our Queen was a precious figurehead, a diplomat and a revered sovereign, calmly overseeing fifteen Government Prime Ministers and all of the great change at home and around the world with quiet determination and poise.

The Great Loves of The Queen

But what about the complex and private person behind the crown and sceptre? Let’s take a look at the private loves and passions of the world-famous woman who lived her entire life in the public eye and in the service of her country.

Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh

Discussing the loves of our gracious Queen must begin with her beloved husband, The Duke of Edinburgh. With a strong and steadfast union that lasted 73 years until his death in April 2021, Prince Philip was by the Queen’s side for 69 years of her 70-year reign. Their marriage was the longest in royal history, having met at a school event when Philip was 18 and began writing to each other and their fates were sealed. Their correspondence lasted throughout World War II when Philip was a pilot in the RAF and the Princess kept a photograph of Philip on her nightstand while he carried a photograph of her in his pocket. In 1946, Prince Philip did things in his usual forthright way and broke royal protocol by asking Elizabeth to marry him without asking the King’s permission. Luckily King George agreed and gave consent but requested they wait until after Elizabeth’s 21st birthday. They wed in November 1947 and letters the Princess wrote on their honeymoon described Philip as “her angel”. They went on to have four children and relied upon each other heavily throughout the many years of their marriage.

More Greatest Loves of Queen Elizabeth II

Her Family

In addition to her four children, The Queen has eight grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren, including future heir Prince George, son of Prince William. The Queen’s deep love for her family has been evident in many family gatherings, from their attendances with her on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and various events to their inclusion in royal photographs. With their unstinting support Her Majesty was not alone after the death of Prince Philip and had her loved ones around her until the very end of her life.

 

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Corgis

Just how much truth was there in The Queen’s notorious fondness for this short-legged dog breed? Plenty it seems! Her Majesty first fell in love with corgis when her family were visiting the Marquess of Bath, and she met his dogs. Her father, the King, quickly provided her with a corgi of her own as a gift and her love for them has never wavered since. Her love is not limited to corgis, however, and she even created her own mixed breed, combining the corgi and dachshund and the “Dorgi” was born. The Queen always had at least three or four dogs by her side and three of her corgis – Monty, Willow and Holly, were even involved in her sketch for the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony. The Queen’s dogs were treated with the level of care and attention you’d expect, with individual beds and fresh sheets provided every day.

 

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Technology

You may be surprised to hear that The Queen was a technology buff, but she had a lifelong love of all things technical. Her Majesty received her first camera as a child, before the beginning of the Second World War and was an accomplished and enthusiastic photographer, which led to an interest in film and videography too. Her coronation also led others to embrace technology, as many bought their first television to view the famous event in 1953. Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth consistently kept up with the technological changes. In 1976, HM Queen sent her first email and at 92, she used an iPad to publish her first Instagram post. Technology’s role in modernising the monarchy and the Queen’s instrumental part in this will not be forgotten.

Hats

For some of us, hats are a special occasion item, but for HM Queen Elizabeth no outfit was complete without the perfect hat. Her hat collection came in all shapes and sizes, and of course every colour you can imagine. The proper term for The Queen’s hat is a fascinator and they are worn in the place of a traditional crown. The purpose of her extravagant and stylish hats was to notify people of her presence, in the way a crown might do. The Queen was seen sporting over 5000 different hats since the beginning of her reign, and favourites are seen more than once, with some hats worn as many as 30 times. Rachel Trevor-Morgan is a British milliner best known for the hats she created for the Queen. In 2014, she was granted a Royal Warrant.

Cars

The Queen was well-known for happily driving herself around on occasion and was the only person in the UK not required to hold a driving license. She was first spotted behind the wheel as she did her bit for the war effort and joined the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Services and trained as a mechanic and truck driver working in London. Throughout her reign, The Queen has driven many luxury cars and had a private fleet of many beautiful and high-end vehicles including Bentley State Limousines and personally customised Range Rovers. The Queen and Prince Philip regularly toured the UK in one of their Land Rovers, and she also had at least one Aston Martin for more special occasions.

Horses

The Queen’s love for horses has been one of her most well-documented passions throughout her life. She received her first horse aged just four – a Shetland pony named Peggy given to her by her grandfather. Upon the death of her father, The Queen inherited his stables and his stock of magnificent racing and breeding horses. Thoroughbred horseracing was one of the Queen’s most important passions throughout her life. She rode almost every breed of horse but made a commitment to only ride native ponies later in life in support of Britain’s native pony breeds. Her breeding stock included Highland, Shetland and Fell ponies. The Queen continued riding horses well into her 90s.

Pigeons

Her Majesty the Queen was a real animal lover as we’ve seen already, but all her animal passions were not quite as conventional. The Queen maintained a huge flock of 200 pigeons and did so throughout her reign. The pigeons are housed at Sandringham and Queen Elizabeth II inherited the birds and the passion from her father and grandfather who adored racing pigeons. The Royal pigeons have done a lot more than simply race, however. In the First and Second, World Wars, royal pigeons carried messages between commanders and their troops. When not involved in military pursuits, the Queen’s pigeons were involved in the racing season, which runs from April until September. The Royal pigeons wear the queen’s cypher around their legs and are transported in special carriers decorated with the Queen’s Crest.

Gardening

Queen Elizabeth II was more interested in mechanics and sport than gardening for most of her life. This may seem strange as she has private access to some of the world’s most beautiful gardens. Amazingly, her love for gardening only came to life in her later years. Reports from around 2018 suggested that the Queen had recently found a love for and took enjoyment in gardening at the impressive age of 91following a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show. A garden renovation project at Windsor Castle piqued her interest, and she was found to be reading and exploring more on the subject and taking a personal interest in the garden’s design and development.

Country Dancing

As a lady known for her decorum and composure, it’s nice to imagine Her Majesty indulging in her passion for Scottish country dance. A patron of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society since 1947, The Queen attended many events over the years and even has a number of dances composed in her honour. Her Majesty would also dance with her husband and family members at special occasions, especially the annual Ghillies’ Ball at Balmoral. The Ghillies’ Ball is a special annual event and dance held for neighbours, estate staff and members of the local community. This video clip shows the Queen and other Royals enjoying the Eightsome Reel dance at the ball.

Balmoral Castle

Scotland always had a very special place in The Queen’s heart and nowhere as much as her residence at Balmoral Castle. Balmoral is located 50 miles west of Aberdeen in the Cairngorms National Park and is the Royal family’s preferred getaway. Elizabeth II used it as an escape and somewhere she could live a relatively normal life. All kinds of unexpected activities occurred at Balmoral, including guests being asked to wash up dishes alongside Her Majesty!

The original house at Balmoral was built in 1390 by William Drummond and passed through many different families until it was bought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1852. The estate comprises 50,000 acres of private land and space for the royals to relax and unwind. Balmoral allowed The Queen to enjoy horseback riding at her leisure and the freedom of tinkering and fixing her Land Rovers if she so pleased. It was her preferred place for large family get-togethers and banquets.

The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022

It was a place of real comfort and happiness for the queen and also the place she took her last breath. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral on Thursday 8 September 2022 and is succeeded by her son King Charles III.