Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96: 9 lesser-known facts

London, Sep 08: Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, who marked 70 years on the throne this year, is the oldest and longest-reigning monarch in British history. In September 2015 she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and seven months. In 2016, Elizabeth also became the longest-reigning monarch in the world with the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.

In 2022, she became the second-longest-reigning monarch in world history, behind 17th century French King Louis XIV, who took the throne at age 4.

Apart from Elizabeth and Victoria, only four other monarchs in British history have reigned for 50 years or more: George III (59 years), Henry III (56 years), Edward III (50 years) and James VI of Scotland (58 years).

Home schooling: Like many royals of her time and before, Elizabeth never went to a public school and was never exposed to other students. Instead, she was educated at home with Margaret, her younger sister.

"NO. 230873": During World War II, young Princess Elizabeth briefly became known as No. 230873, Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of the Auxiliary Transport Service No. 1.

'Great Mimicker': Elizabeth often gave the impression of a serious demeanor, and many have noted her "poker face," but those who knew her described her as having a mischievous sense of humor and a talent for mimicry in private company.

Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has said the queen could be "extremely funny in private - and not everybody appreciates how funny she can be."

Royal taxpayer: She may have been the queen, but she paid taxes too - at least since 1992. When Windsor Castle, the queen's weekend residence, was ravaged by fire in 1992, the public rebelled against paying millions of pounds for repairs.

Little Lilibet: The queen was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of York, in honor of her mother, paternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmother. But as a child, she was endearingly known as young Lilibet by her family - said to be because she couldn't pronounce "Elizabeth" properly.

A steadfast romance: Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip enjoyed a stable relationship for more 70 years, a union that far outlasted the marriages of three of her four children: Charles, Anne and Andrew.

"He has been quite simply my strength and stay all these years," the queen said of Philip on their 50th wedding anniversary.

Multiple birthdays: Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, but it was sometimes confusing for the public to know when to celebrate.

There was no universally fixed day for her "official birthday" - it's either the first, second or third Saturday in June, and was decided by the government.

In Australia, her birthday was celebrated on the second Monday of June, while in Canada, was marked on a Monday either on or before May 24, Queen Victoria's birthday.

Only the queen and those closest to her celebrated her actual birthday in private gatherings.

How many Cprgis?

It's widely known that Elizabeth loved corgis - Princess Diana reportedly called the dogs the queen's "moving carpet" because they accompanied her everywhere.

She owned more than 30 corgis over the years. She also had two "dorgis" - crossbreeds of dachshund and corgi - named Candy and Vulcan.

Pretty nice girl: The queen inevitably became the subject of pop songs.

The Beatles immortalized her with the tongue-in-cheek "Her Majesty," calling her "a pretty nice girl" though "she doesn't have a lot to say." The brief song, sung by Paul McCartney and recorded in 1969, appeared at the end of the "Abbey Road" album.

with PTI inputs