10 Surprising Facts About Queen Elizabeth II (You’ll love number 3!)

You think you know Queen Elizabeth II?

The longest-reigning monarch in British history.
The woman of steady waves and carefully chosen words.

Look closer.

Behind the crown was a woman who:

Invented a dog breed

Sent email before most people knew what it was

Drove without a license

Quietly outmaneuvered world leaders

And controlled entire rooms with nothing but a handbag

Forget the stiff royal image.

Here are 10 times Queen Elizabeth II left the world speechless — without ever raising her voice.

10. She Created Her Own Dog Breed

It started with a corgi named Dookie, gifted to her family when she was young by her father, George VI.

At 18, she received another corgi — Susan.

Susan became the matriarch of a royal bloodline. Every corgi the Queen owned descended from her.

But then came a twist.

One of her corgis mated with a dachshund belonging to Princess Margaret.

The result?

The Dorgi — a brand-new hybrid breed.

Over her lifetime, the Queen owned more than 30 corgis and dorgis.
They had:

Their own room at Buckingham Palace

Gourmet meals

Monogrammed baskets

For her, dogs weren’t pets.

They were family.

9. She Ruled the Digital Age Before It Was Cool

In 1976 — long before the public internet — the Queen sent an email using ARPANET.

Her username? HME2.

She later:

Launched the royal website in 1997

Uploaded a Christmas speech to YouTube in 2007

Sent her first tweet in 2014 from the Science Museum

Posted on Instagram in 2019

Held Zoom calls during the pandemic

Delivered a 3D Christmas broadcast in 2012

While the world saw tradition…

She quietly embraced innovation.

8. She Loved Horses More Than Headlines

Her first pony, Peggy, arrived when she was just four.

Her most famous mount? Burmese, a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

She rode Burmese during Trooping the Colour for 18 consecutive years — through crowds, music, and cannon fire.

She continued riding into her 90s.

While others preferred jewels, she preferred reins.

7. She Legally Owned All the Swans (And More)

Under a medieval law dating back to the 12th century, the monarch owns all unmarked mute swans in open waters across England — particularly along the River Thames.

But it doesn’t stop there.

She also technically owned:

Dolphins

Whales

Sturgeon

These are classified as “Fishes Royal.”

Once a year, officials perform the Swan Upping ceremony — counting and tagging swans in full traditional dress.

Because why stop at castles when you can own the river too?

6. She Silently Outmaneuvered World Leaders

In 1998, she invited King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to Balmoral.

At the time, women in Saudi Arabia were not permitted to drive.

The Queen got behind the wheel of her Land Rover.

And drove.

Fast.

No speech.
No lecture.
Just action.

She also formed a warm friendship with Ronald Reagan, riding horses together at Windsor.

Across her reign, she met 13 U.S. presidents — never revealing favoritism.

Her diplomacy was personal.
And perfectly controlled.

5. She Turned a Palace Intrusion Into a Conversation

In 1982, a man named Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace.

He made it into her bedroom.

When she woke, he was standing there.

Instead of screaming, she calmly spoke with him for nearly ten minutes until help arrived.

The incident later appeared in The Crown.

But the real story was even more surreal.

Composure under pressure wasn’t performance.

It was instinct.

4. Her Favorite Tiara Wasn’t the Flashiest

Her most worn tiara?

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara.

Originally a gift to Queen Mary, it was later pᴀssed to Elizabeth.

Nicknamed “Granny’s tiara,” it appeared on coins, stamps, and banknotes worldwide.

It wasn’t the largest.

It wasn’t the heaviest.

But it carried history.

And she chose meaning over spectacle.

3. She Had a Private ATM in the Palace

Inside Buckingham Palace’s basement sat a private ATM installed by Coutts.

Did she need it?

Probably not.

She rarely carried cash — except on Sundays for church donations.

But when you’re monarch, the bank comes to you.

2. She Paid Her Poet in Sherry

The UK’s Poet Laureate writes official verses for royal milestones.

Under Elizabeth II, the role became more contemporary — marking jubilees, birthdays, and historic moments.

The payment?

Traditionally:

720 bottles of sherry over 10 years

Poetry under her reign wasn’t stiff ceremony.

It was living history.

1. She Gave Orders With Her Purse

The handbag was not just an accessory.

It was a signaling device.

If she:

Switched it to the other arm → “Wrap this up.”

Placed it on the table → Event ending soon.

Set it on the floor → Immediate ᴀssistance required.

She could even rotate her wedding ring to indicate she wished to exit a conversation.

No drama.

No embarrᴀssment.

Just precision.