Queen Elizabeth II in 2016. Samir Hussein /Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II died a year ago, on September 8, 2022, at age 96.
Even as one of the world’s most recognizable people, she was a very private person.
She and her sister partied incognito in the streets of London to celebrate the end of World War II.

She was 96 at the time of her death, and she remains the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

King Charles III, who ascended the throne after his mother’s death, released a statement reflecting on her legacy on Friday.

“In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us,” he said. “I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.”

Even though she lived her life in the public eye, there are things you may not know about the Queen. Keep reading to find out more.

Queen Elizabeth never went to school.

Princess Margaret, left, and Princess Elizabeth in 1936. Associated Press
However, that doesn’t mean she’s uneducated. Elizabeth (childhood nickname: “Lilibet”) was taught by private tutors at home, Hello! magazine reported. The same went for her younger sister, Princess Margaret.

She and her sister once partied incognito in the streets of London.

Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in 1945. Associated Press
Elizabeth and Margaret got their parents’ permission to join the massive crowds celebrating the end of World War II on May 8, 1945. The Queen has recalled the evening as one of the most memorable in her life.

“I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief,” she said in 1985, according to a post by the royal family on Instagram.

Elizabeth and Margaret’s escapade has even been dramatized in a film called “A Royal Night Out.”

Her tiara snapped on her wedding day.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip are seen leaving Westminster Abbey, London, on Nov. 20, 1947, following their wedding service. AP
The court jeweler had to be summoned immediately to repair the diamond tiara, but it was successfully patched up in time for the ceremony, according to Town & Country.

She was actually related to the man she married.

Prince Philip holds up an umbrella for his wife during her state visit to Malta. Matt Dunham/AP
Technically, Elizabeth and her husband, Philip, were third cousins. Elizabeth is related to Queen Victoria on her father’s side, and Philip was related to Queen Victoria on his mother’s side.

Philip was born into the royal families of Greece and Denmark but renounced his original titles when he married Elizabeth. They were married for 73 years before his death on April 9, 2021.

She celebrated her birthday twice a year.

The queen appears at Buckingham Palace for her birthday celebration in June 2011. Getty Images
The Queen’s real birthday is April 21, but the country doesn’t officially celebrate until June 11.

Monarchs with birthdays in colder months typically schedule an additional, official birthday when the weather is likely to be better for a parade. Elizabeth had one every June called Trooping the Colour.

She reigned for so long that four out of five UK residents weren’t alive when she ascended the throne.

Queen Elizabeth on her coronation day in 1953. AP
Most Brits have never known another monarch besides Elizabeth: 81% of UK residents weren’t alive when Elizabeth ascended the throne, according to data shared by the UK Office of National Statistics in 2017.

She became queen immediately upon the death of her father in 1952. Before her death at 96, she was the world’s longest-reigning monarch alive.

During her 70-year reign, she met 15 different British prime ministers.

Queen Elizabeth II and Theresa May. Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images
She’s also seen 14 different US presidents.

She met then-Prime Minister Liz Truss on September 6, 2022, two days before the monarch passed away.

She owned more than 30 corgis throughout her lifetime.

Elizabeth walking two of her many corgis. Associated Press
Elizabeth’s father brought home the royal family’s first corgi in 1933, and on her 18th birthday, Elizabeth was gifted her very own corgi named Susan, according to the Associated Press. Many of her subsequent corgis descended directly from Susan.

She also introduced an entirely new dog breed known as a corgi — a cross between a corgi and a dachshund.

 

She owned all the swans and dolphins that swim in UK waters.

Queen Elizabeth and a swan at the annual Swan Upping. WPA Pool/Getty Images
As early as the 12th century, the British monarchy laid claim to “all mute swans” in the country, according to the official royal family website. Back then, the birds were considered a delicacy.

Today, the Queen doesn’t eat those swans, but she technically still owns them. Every year, the Queen’s Swan Marker (actual job title) leads a multi-day census called the Swan Upping to count the birds and check up on their health.

Plus, thanks to the 1324 statute, the queen can also claim ownership of all “fishes royal” — that means any sturgeon, dolphins, whales, and porpoises that reside in the waters around the UK.

Queen Elizabeth made at least 260 official overseas trips after taking the throne.

The Queen visits with the famous terra cotta warriors in Xian, China, in 1986. Associated Press
The Telegraph reported that the Queen carried out 341 royal engagements in 2015, more than Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate combined during that year.

Queen Elizabeth was rich, but she was not even close to being the richest person in the UK.

Elizabeth II watches a horse race in 2016. Andrew Redington/Getty Images
The Queen received some money from taxpayers and a whole bunch more from the royal family’s private real estate holdings.

Forbes estimated in 2019 that she was worth around $500 million. That might sound like a lot, but the Queen is by no means the wealthiest person in the UK.

She also got to use a private ATM at Buckingham Palace.

Somewhere in this palace, there’s a personal-use ATM. Rob Stothard/Getty Images
It’s provided by Coutts, one of Great Britain’s most prestigious banks.

Queens don’t have to pay taxes, but Elizabeth did anyway.

Queen Elizabeth II attends the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 9, 2020, in London, England. Samir Hussein/WireImage
The sovereign isn’t required to pay income or capital gains taxes, but Elizabeth had been voluntarily doing so since 1993, according to the royal family’s website.

She sent a message to the moon.

A still image from the Apollo 11 moon landing. NASA
Ahead of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, dozens of world leaders were invited to write “messages of goodwill” that were transferred onto a small silicon disc. That disc is still sitting on the surface of the moon — Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin placed it just below the American flag they planted at the landing site, according to NASA.

“On behalf of the British people I salute the skill and courage which have brought man to the moon,” the Queen wrote in her moon message. “May this endeavor increase the knowledge and wellbeing of mankind.”

She’s been portrayed as a character in roughly 100 TV shows and movies.

The real queen, left, and Helen Mirren in “The Queen,” right. Getty/Sion Touhig; Pathé Pictures
Here’s how actors who have played her compare to the real thing.

She reportedly used to drink a glass of champagne every night before bed until recently.

The Queen sips champagne. Getty/Chris Jackson
According to The Independent, Margaret Rhodes, the Queen’s cousin, once said that the Queen has a strict regimen for her alcohol intake. She reportedly took a “gin and Dubonnet before lunch, with a slice of lemon and a lot of ice,” wine with lunch, and a dry martini and a glass of champagne in the evening.

However, in October 2021, Vanity Fair reported that the then-95-year-old had been advised by doctors to give up her daily alcoholic drinks and to opt for water and juice instead.

“The alcohol has gone, her doctors want to make sure she is as fit and healthy as possible,” a source told the publication.

She reportedly wore the same nail polish since 1989, and it’s surprisingly cheap.

Her neutral nail color won’t clash with her vibrant outfits. Christ Jackson / Getty Images
Apparently, the Queen was rather taken the Essie’s classic pale pink polish Ballet Slipper, which currently retails for just $7.

Essie says that, in 1989, Queen Elizabeth’s hairdresser wrote a letter to nail polish-mogul Essie Weingarten requesting a bottle of the classic shade. The Queen refused to wear any other color.

She didn’t have a passport or a driver’s license, nor did she need them.

Elizabeth II behind the wheel of a Range Rover in 2011. Getty/Chris Jackson
Both driver’s licenses and passports are issued in the Queen’s name, so she didn’t need either.

Prior to her death, she was pretty comfortable behind the wheel, too. She once hopped into a Land Rover and drove Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdullah around one of her country estates.

She reportedly used her purse to send secret signals to her staff.

She’s said to own over 200 handbags from designer Launer. KGC-375/STAR MAX/IPx
A 2020 report in the Telegraph suggested the Queen used her trusty handbag to subtly exit uncomfortable or boring meetings.

If the Queen was at dinner and places her handbag on the table, her staff knew that she wanted the event to end in the next five minutes. And if she put her bag on the floor, it signaled that she would like to be rescued from her current conversation.

She could imitate the sound of a Concorde jet landing.

Sources from the queen’s inner circle say that she’s really a hoot. Getty/WPA Pool
Apparently, the monarch had a great sense of humor and a talent for mimicry. According to the Associated Press, the Queen’s chaplain Bishop Michael Mann once said that “the queen imitating the Concorde landing is one of the funniest things you could see.”

She once trolled a group of tourists who didn’t recognize her.

The queen poses for a fan photo. Gareth Fuller/PA Images
While she appeared stony-faced in some photos, the Queen really did have a fun side. One of her former security guards recalled a time when a group of tourists at Balmoral Estate didn’t recognize the monarch, who was wearing a headscarf at the time.

The group asked Elizabeth if they had ever met the Queen.

“No,” Elizabeth reportedly responded. Then she pointed to a nearby policeman and said, “But he has.”

She didn’t use a last name.

Elizabeth II reads a speech at the opening of Parliament in 2016. Reuters/POOL new
The Queen’s official title was “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.” No last name was needed.

The other members of the royal family can choose from a buffet of acceptable last names — here’s the complete breakdown of their options.

She had a poet who’s paid in alcohol.

Queen Elizabeth II greets Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. Getty/WPA Pool
Queen Elizabeth was charged with appointing the UK’s poet laureate, who is traditionally paid a yearly salary of £5,750 (about $7,000) plus an entire barrel of sherry.

In 2019, the Queen appointed Simon Armitage as the next poet laureate. He’ll serve for 10 years.

She couldn’t be prosecuted or compelled to give evidence in court.

The Queen looks out from her car in 2015. Getty/Carl Court
Elizabeth never appeared to be abusing this power, however: A statement on the royal family website read, “Although civil and criminal proceedings cannot be taken against the Sovereign […] the Queen is careful to ensure that all her activities in her personal capacity are carried out in strict accordance with the law.”

She once bought a luxe apartment in New York City.

Queen Elizabeth II on a trip to New York City in 2010. Getty/Mario Tama
Back in 2015, the Queen purchased a $7.9 million, three-bedroom apartment near the United Nations headquarters in New York City. It had got a staggering 3,000 square feet of living space, and the building itself was designed by a British architect the Queen once knighted.

The Queen signed her letters and statements with the name “Elizabeth R.”

Queen Elizabeth II’s signature on the visitors book during her visit to Wolferton Pumping Station. Adrian Dennis/WPA Pool/Getty Images
While most people sign their letters, emails, or documents with their first and last names, Queen Elizabeth did it a little differently. The royal did use her first name, Elizabeth, for her signature, but she also used the initial “R” instead of a last name.

The “R” stands for “regina,” which means “queen” in Latin, according to Harper’s Bazaar.

Queen Elizabeth had her own Barbie doll.

A photo of the Queen Elizabeth II Barbie doll to mark the British monarch’s Platinum Jubilee. Mattel/Handout via REUTERS
To celebrate the monarch’s birthday and 70 years on the throne, Barbie released a royal doll made in the image of Queen Elizabeth to celebrate.

“The Queen is the perfect addition to the Barbie Tribute Collection, intended to honor women whose contributions have had a great impact. We’re proud to celebrate her historic milestone and encourage kids to learn more about her legacy,” Lisa McKnight, Mattel’s EVP and global head of Barbie and dolls, said in a statement, according to USA Today.