Family, friends and fans are remembering the life of Queen Elizabeth II on the first anniversary of her death through sweet tributes.
Queen Elizabeth died on Sept. 8, 2022, at age 96, after reigning for more than 70 years. She lived a life guiding a nation through triumph and tragedy.
"Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth," William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, said on X Sept. 8. "We all miss you."
Rishi Sunak, prime minister of the United Kingdom, also shared a heartfelt tribute.
"With the perspective of a year, the scale of Her Late Majesty’s service only seems greater," he said, in part. "Her devotion to the nations of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth only seems deeper."
Known as the "accidental queen," Elizabeth inherited the monarchy through a twist of fate after her father died suddenly at age 56.
Here are 30 facts about Queen Elizabeth you may not know yet, including just how many crowns she wore on her coronation day.
30 Queen Elizabeth facts that celebrate her life
- Queen Elizabeth II was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor at 2:40AM on April 21, 1926.
- Elizabeth's engagement to Prince Philip was announced on July 9, 1947.
- Queen Elizabeth, titled Princess Elizabeth at the time, married her husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on November 20, 1947 in Westminster Abbey.
- A full 2,000 guests were invited to their ceremony.
- The couple was gifted many items, including a Singer sewing machine.
- Her wedding dress was designed by British fashion designer Sir Norman Hartnell and was decorated with crystals and 10,000 seed pearls.
- Queen Elizabeth's coronation ceremony was June 2, 1953, more than a year after she became queen upon her father's death.
- On her coronation day, the queen wore two different crowns: the St Edward’s Crown and the Imperial State Crown.
- Norman Hartnell was also behind the Queen's coronation gown, which was put on display in a royal exhibit during her Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
- The queen's coronation ceremony was the first to be broadcast on television.
- 8,251 guests attended the queen’s coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
- Queen Elizabeth and Philip had four children: King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
- Queen Elizabeth spoke fluent French.
- The queen visited more than 100 countries during her reign.
- Queen Elizabeth carried out more than 21,000 engagements during her reign.
- The first prime minister during the queen's reign was Winston Churchill.
- In 1997, under Queen Elizabeth's reign, Buckingham Palace launched their first website.
- There were 14 U.S. presidents during Queen Elizabeth's reign — and she met each one, except President Johnson.
- Queen Elizabeth was gifted her first pony, a Shetland named Peggy, by her grandfather, King George V.
- The queen's first corgi, Susan, was gifted to her on her 18th birthday in 1944.
- In total, the queen reportedly had more than 30 corgis throughout her reign, two of which she got in 2021.
- In 1969, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police gifted Queen Elizabeth a black mare named Burmese.
- Queen Elizabeth was the first British monarch to visit China. The visit happened in 1986.
- In 2014, Queen Elizabeth sent her first tweet on Twitter.
- In 2019, the queen shared her first Instagram post.
- On September 9, 2015, the queen became the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
- Queen Elizabeth has eight grandchildren and, at the time of her death, 12 great-grandchildren.
- When the queen died, she entrusted her two corgis, Sandy and Muick, to the care of Sarah, Duchess of York. The dogs are “thriving” one year after Queen Elizabeth’s death.
- Roughly 2,000 people attended the queen's funeral on Sept. 19, 2022.
- The funeral cost more than $200 million, according to CNBC.
