Many people have only known of one Queen of England in their lifetime. Queen Elizabeth Windsor II, having been Queen of England for 70 years, has had a major impact on not only her reigning country but on the entire world, as well.  

Princess Elizabeth Windsor of York was born on April 21, 1926, as the first-born child to the Duke and Duchess of York in London, England. At first, Elizabeth wasn’t even supposed to become Queen because she was born during the reign of her grandfather, King George V. George had two kids, Elizabeth’s Uncle Edward and Elizabeth’s father Albert.  

Edward was first in line to the throne and Albert was second in line so that made Elizabeth third in line. When George V passed and Edward became King, he abdicated the throne to his brother, Albert, making him King of England. Albert became King on Dec. 11, 1936, and after the passing of Elizabeth’s father in 1952, Elizabeth was the successor to the throne and became the Queen of the United Kingdom. Elizabeth only became Queen because her uncle gave the throne to her father. If he would not have done that, the Queen never would’ve had as much of an impact as she had. 

The Queen continued to affect the world by prolonging The Commonwealth of Nations organization started by her grandfather, King George V. The United Kingdom, in its glory days, was an expansive empire reaching every corner of the globe. In the late 19th century, Britain’s empire was slowly dying, so on Dec. 11, 1931, the Commonwealth of Nations was born. The Commonwealth of Nations is an organization consisting of many former British colonies and was mainly created for the royal family to still be the figurehead over many countries that they previously colonized.  

The Commonwealth started out with countries like Canada, Australia and India. Since then, Elizabeth added over two dozen countries to the list, including countries like Nigeria, The Bahamas, Singapore and many more.  

Elizabeth was also viewed as a symbol of strength and national pride in Britain, living through and actively being involved in many wars throughout history. When Elizabeth was in her early teens, she was more than happy to help during WWII for the defense of her people. Due to her prominent role in British society, she uplifted millions in Britain during one of the darkest times in its modern history.  

According to worldhistoryedu.com, “She periodically made radio broadcasts during the war in a bid to bring joy to her people. The first of the radio broadcasts came from the BBC in a program called ‘Children’s Hour.’” 

The recent passing of the Queen has been hard on many around the globe. In her reigning country of Britain, they had a 10-day mourning period which will last until Sept. 19, the day of her funeral at Westminster Abbey.  

According to nbcnews.com, “The plan, code-named London Bridge… which has been years in the making, stage-manages an otherwise uncertain few weeks for the nation, from the succession to a new king to a period of national mourning, the queen’s funeral and the eventual coronation of her eldest son, King Charles III.”  

Countries that are a part of the Commonwealth of Nations are also mourning and celebrating the life of Queen Elizabeth. One of those countries is Canada, and they’re currently making Sept. 19, the day of the Queen’s funeral, a holiday.  

According to sfgate.com, “Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said… Sept. 19 will be a holiday so that federal employees can mourn Queen Elizabeth II on the day of her state funeral.” 

Queen Elizabeth II was loved by many, and her effects on the world today show how much she impacted it, whether that was her unconventional ways inspiring millions during a dark time in their nation’s history or the impact of her passing, Queen Elizabeth II has secured her spot as one of the world’s most influential people.