
Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom
and the 16 other Commonwealth realms.
Along with being Queen, Her Majesty holds many other titles
Her main titles from birth to the present day are;
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From 21 April 1926 – 11 December 1936: Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York
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11 December 1936 – 20 November 1947: Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth
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20 November 1947 – 6 February 1952: Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh
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Since 6 February 1952: Her Majesty The Queen
Elizabeth has held many titles & honorary military positions throughout the Commonwealth, is Sovereign of many orders in her own countries, & has received honours & awards from around the world.
In each of her realms she has a distinct title that follows a similar formula: Queen of Jamaica & her other realms & territories in Jamaica, Queen of Australia & her other realms & territories in Australia, etc.
In the Channel Islands & Isle of Man, which are Crown dependencies rather than separate realms, she is known as Duke of Normandy & Lord of Mann, respectively.
Additional styles include Defender of the Faith & Duke of Lancaster.
When in conversation with the Queen, the practice is to initially address her as Your Majesty & thereafter as Ma'am.
Royal Collection Trust/(c) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018
Royal Collection Trust/(c) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018
Upon Elizabeth's accession to the throne, she was asked by her Private Secretary what her regnal name would be, to which she responded, "My own, of course—what else?"
Until 1953, her official style was by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland & the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Queen, Defender of the Faith. She was proclaimed as queen using that title in Canada & South Africa, whereas, in Australia, New Zealand, & the United Kingdom, she was proclaimed as Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of this Realm & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
A decision was reached by Elizabeth's prime ministers at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference of 1952, whereby the Queen would accord herself different styles & titles in each of her realms, reflecting that in each state she acted as monarch of that particular country, regardless of her other roles. Canada's preferred format was: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Canada & of Her other realms & territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
However, as Australia wished to have the United Kingdom mentioned in all the Queen's titles, the resolution reached was a designation that included the United Kingdom as well as, for the first time, separate reference to the other Commonwealth realms. Thereafter, separate but parallel royal styles & titles acts were passed in each of the Commonwealth realms, granting Elizabeth a distinct but similarly constituted title in each state, meaning that when Elizabeth was crowned in the same year, she held seven separate titles.
With further evolution of the Commonwealth since that time, Elizabeth now holds 16 different regnal titles, one for each of the current Commonwealth realms.
In all realms other than Canada & Grenada, the reference to the United Kingdom has been removed; Australia doing so in 1973, in contrast to the Australian government's position 20 years earlier.
Traditionally, the Queen's titles are listed in the order in which the realms other than the United Kingdom (the original realm) first became Dominions—namely, Canada (1867), Australia (1901), & New Zealand (1907)—followed by the rest in the order in which the former colony became an independent realm: Jamaica (1962), Barbados (1966), The Bahamas (1973), Grenada (1974), Papua New Guinea (1975), the Solomon Islands (1978), Tuvalu (1978), Saint Lucia (1979), Saint Vincent & the Grenadines (1979), Belize (1981), Antigua & Barbuda (1981) & Saint Kitts & Nevis (1983).
Though the situation was the same in every one of the Queen's realms beyond the United Kingdom, only within Scotland did the title Elizabeth II cause controversy as there had never been an Elizabeth I in Scotland. In an act of sabotage, new Royal Mail post boxes in Scotland, bearing the royal cypher EIIR, were vandalised, after which, to avoid further problems, post boxes & Royal Mail vehicles in Scotland bore only the Crown of Scotland.
Royal Collection Trust/(c) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018
Current Titles
Antigua and Barbuda
1982 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Antigua & Barbuda & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
The Bahamas
1973 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
Barbados
1966 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Barbados & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
Belize
1981 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth The Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Belize & of Her Other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
Canada
6 February 1952 – 29 May 1953: Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland & the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith
29 May 1953 – :
In English: Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada & Her other Realms & Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith
In French: Sa Majesté Elizabeth Deux, par la grâce de Dieu Reine du Royaume-Uni, du Canada et de ses autres royaumes et territoires, Chef du Commonwealth, Défenseur de la Foi
Grenada
1974 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland & of Grenada & Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
Jamaica
Current Titles
Jamaica
1962 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Jamaica & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
Saint Kitts & Nevis
1983 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Saint Christopher & Nevis & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
Saint Lucia
1979 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Saint Lucia & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
1979 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Saint Vincent & the Grenadines & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
The British Isles
United Kingdom
6 February 1952 – 28 May 1953
In English: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland & the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith
In Latin: Elizabeth II, Dei Gratia Magnae Britanniae, Hiberniae et terrarum transmarinarum quae in ditione sunt Britannica Regina, Fidei Defensor
29 May 1953 – :
In English: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland & of Her other Realms & Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith
In Latin: Elizabeth II, Dei Gratia Britanniarum Regnorumque Suorum Ceterorum Regina, Consortionis Populorum Princeps, Fidei Defensor
Current Titles
Australia
6 February 1952 – 1953: Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland & the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith
1953 – 1973: Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Australia & Her other Realms & Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith
1973 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia & Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
New Zealand
6 February 1952 – 1953: Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland & the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith
1953 – 1974: Her Majesty Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom, New Zealand & Her Other Realms & Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith
1974 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of New Zealand & Her Other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith
Papua New Guinea
1975 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Papua New Guinea & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
Solomon Islands
1978 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Solomon Islands & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
Tuvalu
1978 – : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Tuvalu & of Her other Realms & Territories, Head of the Commonwealth
Military Ranks
Canada
6 February 1952 – 1 February 1968: Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy
6 February 1952 – 1 February 1968: Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Army
6 February 1952 – 1 February 1968: Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Air Force
1 February 1968 – : Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces
New Zealand;
1990 – : Head of the New Zealand Defence Force
United Kingdom;
1945 – 27 July 1945: Second Subaltern, Auxiliary Territorial Service
27 July 1945 – 1 February 1949: Junior Commander, Auxiliary Territorial Service
1 February 1949 – March 1950: Junior Commander, Women's Royal Army Corps
March 1950 – 6 February 1952: Captain, Women's Royal Army Corps
6 February 1952 – : Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces
1964 – 10 June 2011: Lord High Admiral of the Royal Navy
Royal Collection Trust/(c) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018