Queen Elizabeth
Why she isn’t the Queen of England
© Getty Images
by Jennifer Renk
Queen Elizabeth was born in London, has her official residence in Buckingham Palace for over 68 years and yet is not the Queen of England. How can that be?
Explaining royal titles is easier said than done: their origins often go back centuries, they are complex, difficult to understand and are even modified from time to time. In the case of Queen Elizabeth II, there is one additional point: geography. But from the beginning.
That’s the title of Queen Elizabeth
The correct official title of the Queen according to the “Royal Titles Act” of 1953 is:
Elizabeth the Second, by the grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other Kingdoms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. In short, the Queen is Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. To understand why the term “Queen of England” is wrong, one has to take a look at the history books.
Why today’s queen is not the Queen of England
A king for England and Scotland
The last Queen of England is technically Queen Elizabeth I. She dies in March 1603 after 44 years of reign without descendants. Her closest relative who has a claim to the throne is King James VI. of Scotland. He is the first to come across Scotland and England rules in personal union. He bears the title as James I. “King of England and Ireland” and as James VI. the title “King of Scotland”. However, the two countries remain sovereign, which means they have their own parliaments and laws.
Great Britain is founded
With the “Act of Union” the kingdoms of Scotland and England are united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain in May 1707. Scotland retains its legal and religious independence, but finance, trade, parliament and the national flag become one with England. For the reigning Queen Anne this means a change in the title: From now on she is the “Queen of Great Britain and Ireland “.
Ireland comes – and goes
In 1801 Ireland was admitted to the political union with Great Britain. She calls herself now “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. “ In 1920, under King George V, much of Ireland gained independence. Only the northern counties remain united with Great Britain. From that time until today the title of monarch is therefore “King / Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” Since 1999 Scotland has again had its own parliament with limited powers within the UK.
Sources used:parliament.uk