The Queen owned over 30 corgis in total during her life. 

The Queen was well known for her love of the miniature dogs, starting a trend in the process. But what many might not know is that she owned over 30 of them throughout her life. She was also described by the Queen’s former Corgi trainer Roger Mugford as an excellent dog trainer. ‘When I visited her’ he said, ‘she had nine dogs and they were incredibly well controlled, well managed and obedient.’

Her first horse was called Peggy, a gift by King George V.

The queen was gifted her first horse by her grandfather King George V, a Shetland pony called Peggy. She has been riding them ever since and in her later years, sightings of the Queen riding around on horses would prove to be indications of her health improving after bouts of discomfort or sickness.

She bought her wedding dress with WWII ration coupons. 

According to ‘British Heritage’, the then Princess Elizabeth purchased the material for her wedding dress with ration coupons two years after the end of the Second World War. Due to the post-war austerity measures, the princess had to use clothing ration coupons to show entitlement to the dress. The government allowed her 200 extra ration coupons. She was also given hundreds of coupons by brides-to-be from all parts of the country, but she had to return these coupons as it was illegal for them to have been given away in the first instance. 

 

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The Queen did not need a license to drive on public roads. 

The Queen was the only person in the UK who did not need to have a driver’s license in order to drive on public roads. Whilst boasting a car collection worth £10 million, the Queen has never been required to sit a driving test. This is because driving licenses are issued in her name, making it redundant for the Queen to issue herself a license. This perk only applies to the monarch however, as other members of the Royal family need to pass a driving test. 

She studied constitutional history and law, French, German and music. 

Elizabeth II and her sister Margaret were the last members of the royal family to be educated at home by tutors in the traditional manner. They were both home-schooled by governess Marion Crawford. She was introduced to constitutional history, whilst also learning to speak French fluently. She also participated in a Vehicle Maintenance Course during World War II. 

She volunteered as a truck driver during World War II.

Before she became Queen Elizabeth, the princess volunteered as a truck driver and mechanic during the war. This made her the first female member of the royal family to serve in the military. It took years before her parents accepted her desire to contribute in this way, but the 19-year-old eldest daughter was finally given permission to join and, in February of 1945, she joined the women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service. These members served as everything from anti-aircraft gunners to drivers to mechanics. 

Queen Elizabeth II sat for over 200 official portraits.

Being Queen, her majesty sat for a whopping 200 official portraits over her lifetime. The first one ever taken of her was in 1933, when she was just seven years old and was painted by Anglo-Hungarian artist Philip Alexius de Laszlo. With images of her circulating the world for more than 7 decades, she became one of the most recognisable faces in history as a consequence. 

She made her first radio broadcast at the age of 14. 

The Queen might be known for her radio and television broadcasts, but she first spoke on the radio at the age of just 14. Speaking about children being evacuated, she said on BBC’s ‘Children’s Hour’: “I can truthfully say to you all that we children at home are full of cheerfulness and courage. We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war.”

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