For years, besides makeup, fancy dresses, and high heels, a fully shaven body was also considered something feminine. However, some women don’t feel so comfortable when it comes to removing their body hair and enjoy it more when their body is in its natural state.
We at Bright Side support people’s decision to express their femininity the way they feel most comfortable. That’s why we decided to share these 15 pictures of women who decided to let their body hair grow freely.
1. “Feeling very beautiful with my armpit hair.”
2. “Natural light, natural body.”
3. “I kept all the things I enjoyed about being a ‘girly girl’ (makeup, high heels, manicures) and ditched the things I didn’t (RAZORS!!!)”
4. “My summer superpower. I glow under the sun thanks to this bright blond fur.”
5. “Before I felt sorry when I went out to the street, now I really feel pretty being hairy.”
6. “I can’t wait until it’s warm enough to wear this dress outside.”
7. “Razor free since 7/2020… so free.”
8. “I wear my body hair with pride when I’m in public.”
9. “Dresses complement my leg hair beautifully.”
10. “Razor free since October and loving it!”
11. “Don’t be normal, be you!”
12. “When I realized at 20 that I had never seen my body in its natural state, I was aghast.”
“I had to make a change & am so glad I did.”
13. “There is NOTHING wrong with your natural body.”
14. “The hairy life is better.”
15. “Razors can hit the road.”
Do you remove your body hair? How do you like your body more, with or without hair?
You’d be hard pressed to find someone who wasn’t over COVID pandemic at this point, but even two years in, it’s clearer than ever the virus is not done with us. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. is still seeing an average of more than 100,000 new infections every single day, despite an 8.5 percent decrease in cases this week compared to the week prior. Even more concerning is the fact that hospitalizations are still climbing significantly, with the CDC reporting a nearly 5 percent increase in COVID-based hospital admissions this week. And though COVID deaths are thankfully not on the rise, health officials are concerned that could change. Read on to find out what one top COVID expert said could be worst case scenario for the future of the pandemic.
As COVID continues to infect hundreds of thousands across the country, many experts and officials have already cast a worried look at the upcoming fall and winter season. In early May, a senior official for the Biden administration revealed that it is estimated the U.S. could see 100 million COVID infections this fall and winter, The Washington Post reported.
According to experts, a combination of factors including waning immunity from both vaccines and infections, loosened restrictions, and the rise of new variants play into this grim projection. Unlike what we’re seeing with rising cases right now, the official said that this COVID surge would likely lead to a significant wave of deaths as well.
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During a White House press briefing on June 2, White House COVID response coordinator Ashish Jha, MD, revealed that he has concerns about what the pandemic will look like for the U.S. later this year. “As we plan the fall and winter, and look at a variety of different scenarios, that’s where I started getting very, very concerned,” he admitted.
According to the infectious disease expert, the worst case scenario is that the U.S. could run out of necessary supplies at the same time a COVID surge hits. “If you want to ask what keeps me awake at night, it is that we are going to run out of vaccines,” Jha warned.
He added, “We’re not going to be able to have enough of the next generation of vaccines. We’re going to run out of treatments. And we’re going to run out of diagnostic tests, probably in the late fall into winter, if we end up having a significant surge of infections.”
Over the last the few months, the Biden administration has been warning that the U.S. is in need of more COVID funding from Congress. The White House initially requested $22.5 billion in March, but Congress knocked that number down to $10 billion before it was ultimately blocked by Republican senators in April, according to PBS. Now there is a stalemate on any type of COVID funding from Congress.
“We will not have the tools for the fall and winter, unless Congress steps up and funds us,” Jha warned during the press briefing. “There certainly are models out there that suggest that we could have a sizable wave of infections in the fall and winter, especially if we don’t have a vaccination campaign in the fall and winter. If we run out of treatments, if we don’t have enough diagnostic tests, we could be looking at a more complicated situation.”
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With infections still high and a staggering number of vaccines and boosters to be given out, many may be wondering why the White House is not yet sounding the alarm.
Jha made it clear that there’s no cause for immediate panic, because our supplies are currently quite robust as a result of “prior funding” allowing the U.S. to purchase a substantial amount of both vaccines and therapeutics earlier. “So, I am very confident that whatever happens this summer, we will have enough tools, tests, treatments, vaccines to get us through the summer,” he explained. “I think we have the tools for the summer.”
Time flies, even for those who are living their best life. Entering a new decade of your life is a privilege that should be celebrated and enjoyed. Those of you who are hitting 70 this year are joining some of the biggest names in the world of entertainment who are also marking the major milestone this year.
In the spirit of celebration, Bright Side brings you a list of famous soon-to-be 70-year-olds.
1. Liam Neeson
The legendary Irish actor will celebrate his 70th birthday on June 7.
3. Isabella Rossellini
The famous Italian actress will turn 70 on June 18.
4. Steven Seagal
The iconic action movie star turned 70 on April 10.
5. Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne will celebrate her 70th birthday on October 9.
6. George Strait
The famous country music star turned 70 on May 18.
Ordering in on a Friday night is something to look forward to after a long week of work, but sometimes cooking at home can be just as fun and convenient. Whether you like to experiment with new flavors or turn to your grandma’s signature recipe, there’s really nothing like a home-cooked meal. But now, some people may be upset to learn that one popular method of cooking may be on the way out. Read on to find out whether a new ban will affect you.
If you love to cook on a gas stove, you may be surprised to learn that it can have adverse effects on your wellbeing. A study published by Stanford University in January found that natural gas stoves contribute to a major amount of indoor air pollution, releasing methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde.
As reported by Time, the study is the first to investigate this issue, even with over one-third of American households using gas stoves. Researchers found that the amount of methane leaking from natural gas stoves is about the same as the amount leaked by 500,000 gas-powered cars each year. Aside from general irritations, conditions like asthma and lower cognitive performance are two potential side effects of these pollutants—and you can be exposed to this both when your stove is in use and when it’s turned off, experts warn.
“Merely having the stove in your house creates a potential exposure pathway to air pollutants,” Seth Shonkoff, executive director of PSE Healthy Energy, a company that worked with Stanford on the study, told Time. The additional emissions are attributed to leaky pipes or connections that aren’t properly fitted.
On top of this, lawmakers and environmentalists across the country are concerned about how the burning of fossil fuels affects the environment. Many are calling to transition away from this, citing the worsening climate crisis. Now, different cities are taking action.
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For those living in Los Angeles, most gas appliances are getting the boot, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. On May 27, the Los Angeles City Council voted in favor of banning new natural gas hookups. This will require that all new homes and buildings are instead constructed with electric appliances—including stoves, ovens, and furnaces. These new builds will be emissions-free, which means that they don’t contribute to carbon dioxide pollution.
Los Angeles is not the first city to approve a motion like this, as New York City enacted a ban on natural gas hookups in Dec. 2021, and more than 50 other California cities have done the same. Legislators in Massachusetts have also been pushing to allow these bans for new construction, according to Time. Currently, there is no nationwide ban on natural gas hookups, but in April 2021, President Joe Biden did announce a new initiative to reduce methane emissions in the U.S. by 50 to 52 percent by the year 2030.
As reported by the L.A. Times, these plans currently lack a concrete timeline, but residents can likely expect new requirements to kick in within the next few years. Change won’t necessarily be universal either, as different types of buildings and operations may have a “phased-in compliance schedule,” the outlet explains, including restaurants that need gas stoves to carry out daily operations.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
While this change has the potential to reduce both indoor and outdoor air pollution, the use of electric-only power is also getting pushback from different groups. Gas companies obviously recognize the major threat to business, as do the industry’s union workers. Approximately 20 U.S. states have also passed “preemption laws,” which prohibit local municipalities and cities from banning the use of natural gas, according to CNN.
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The recently announced ban specifically focuses on new natural gas hookups, leaving many with existing gas stoves in their homes wondering how they might be affected. Activists and legislators are aware of this as well, as it can be costly to replace a gas stove with an electric model. Researchers at Stanford further pointed to the associated environmental impacts of throwing away functional stoves, Time reported.
However, researchers maintain that gas stoves are more dangerous to both our health and the environment than electric stoves.
“Stoves are the only appliance where we are allowed to emit pollution directly into our homes,” Rob Jackson, PhD, professor of earth system science and senior fellow at Stanford Woods Institutes for the Environment, told Time. “Every furnace or water heater is required to vent to the outdoors—we would never stand over the tailpipe of a car breathing, yet we are perfectly happy to stand over our stoves and breathe their pollution.”
Until there is more information about these stoves, as well as policies to remove them, you can take small steps to lower your health risks and your carbon footprint. When using a natural gas stove, researchers recommend always turning on the hood vent or fan when cooking and keeping windows open.
Walmart is one of the most appealing retailers for shoppers across the U.S. for low prices on a seemingly endless array of products. But when you’re responsible for moving through so much inventory, there’s bound to be some issues. Over the past year, Walmart has had to issue some serious warnings to its shoppers. Last October, Walmart alerted customers across the country that one of its products had been linked to two deaths after a major investigation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More recently in May, the big-box retailer sounded the alarm on a potential recession based on inflation and rising prices. Now, Walmart is issuing an urgent new warning to shoppers whose health could be in danger. Read on to find out what the company needs you to know.
With the vast number of products it sells, it’s no surprise that Walmart has found itself in the middle of multiple product recalls over the past several months. In February, more than 1,000 infant walkers sold exclusively on Walmart’s website were recalled by their manufacturer due to a heightened risk of fall and entrapment hazards. And just last month, Walmart was one of countless retailers caught up in a major peanut butter recall from Jif. The big-box retailer voluntarily pulled fudge products from it stores that contain Jif peanut butter potentially contaminated with Salmonella.
On its website, Walmart says it is “committed to the health and safety” of its customers by providing safe products. “In the event of a product recall, we work swiftly to block the item from being sold and remove it from our stores and clubs,” the retailer explains.
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The big-box retailer is now sounding the alarm on another product. Walmart just issued a voluntary nationwide recall of several supplements on May 28, according to a press release from the company. The retailer is recalling all lots of Artri Ajo King Joint Supplements, which were sold on its official website by third-party seller Innovacion Naturals and PDX Supply Warehouse LLC, and shipped by Walmart to the consumer level. According to Walmart, all of the manufacturer’s joint supplements are being pulled from its online store over “potential hidden drug ingredients.”
In a separate announcement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed on May 28 that a laboratory analysis from its agency confirmed that at least one lot of Artri Ajo King’s Omega 3 Joint Support Supplement contains diclofenac as an ingredient—despite not being listed on its product label. “Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly referred to as NSAIDs,” the FDA said.
According to the agency, NSAIDs have the potential to raise a user’s likelihood of developing a number of health problems. This includes an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke, and gastrointestinal damage like bleeding, ulceration, and fatal perforation of the stomach and intestines.
“This hidden drug ingredient may also interact with other medications and significantly increase the risk of adverse events, particularly when consumers use multiple NSAID-containing products,” the FDA warned.
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According to Walmart’s release, the Artri Ajo King products are marketed as dietary supplements that can be used for treating a number of conditions, including arthritis, muscle pain, osteoporosis, and bone cancer. The big-box retailer said it has sent email or mail notifications to customers who purchased any of the recalled supplements from its website.
“Customers taking these products should immediately talk to their health care provider to safely discontinue use of the product because suddenly stopping diclofenac may be dangerous,” Walmart warned. You should also contact your doctor if you have noticed any problems that might be related to you having taken or used these supplements.
Head to Zion National Park in Southern Utah and you’ll find yourself among towering sandstone skyscrapers formed by the earth, an expansive night sky glittering with a sea of stars, and some of the most iconic hikes in the entire world. In 2021, about five million people visited Zion, making it one of the most popular recreational parks in the country.
Thinking about joining those who’ve navigated Zion’s majestic slot canyons, teetered across Angel’s Landing, or climbed the 2,800 feet to Observation Point? The below reasons to go to Zion right now might just have you booking tickets within the next hour. And next, don’t miss 10 U.S. Islands to Add to Your Bucket List—No Passport Required.
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With over 100 hikes to choose from, hitting the trails is easily the most popular activity in Zion National Park. Best of all, there’s a variety of trails to choose from ranging from very simple—perfect for families or those who don’t want to sweat too much—to more strenuous options.
“If you are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime hiking experience, Zion is the place for you. With some of the most iconic hiking trails and one of the most picturesque canyon views in America, this natural wonder is sure worth a visit,” says Naveen Dittakavi, founder and CEO of Next Vacay.
Some of the most popular trails include Canyon Overlook, Lower Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, and Observation Point. If you want something more challenging, you can’t go wrong with Zion’s signature hike, Angels Landing.
Pro Tip: To beat the heat, start early in the day to beat the heat, use a water backpack, wear a hat, and slather plenty of sunscreen.
Slot canyons are narrow gorges surrounded by tall sandstone formations, and there are only a handful in the world. Most of them are on the border of Arizona and Utah, with Zion offering some truly premiere slot canyon hiking via its famous Narrows. What makes Zion’s slot canyons particularly special is that they’re filled with shallow water, which makes for a nice reprieve on a hot summer day.
“As you wade through this hike, you will be surrounded by thousand-foot walls of Navaja sandstone that have been eroded into spectacular shapes and zebra-striped textures,” says Woody Sears, CEO and co-founder of HearHere, an audio app that tells stories about places around the world.
Pro Tip: Pack quality water shoes, as nearly all of this hike will have you partially submerged in water. You’ll also thank yourself for having a change of socks and dry shoes for after the hike.
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Because Zion has very little light pollution, it’s considered one of the best stargazing spots in the world.
“Not only will you be mesmerized by jaw-dropping canyon views and natural rock formations, but when the sun goes down you’ll enjoy the night sky in its full glory with views of planets and the milky way,” notes Dittakavi. “The best time for a stargazing adventure is during spring or fall, when you can enjoy fewer crowds than in the summer months.”
Pro Tip: Kolob Terrace is one of the best spots to stargaze since it’s a less-visited area of the park. That means fewer car headlights and flashlights, which makes for stunning dark sky views with endless stars.
Take your trip up a notch—and really immerse yourself in the great wild—via glamping experiences near Zion. For instance, there’s Wander Camp—which offers twin, triple, king, and family tent options complete with cozy beds. Picturesque Zion Glamping Adventures and Zion Wildflower Resort also feature both glamping and bungalow options.
Perhaps one of the most spectacular glamping stays, though, is at Under Canvas Zion. Sears says, “Take advantage of the opportunity to spend more time in nature but with the comforts of tent suites that are as accommodating as a hotel. The views are incredible and pair well with the locally sourced menu at the on-site restaurant that goes way beyond your typical camping fare.”
Pro Tip: You can also camp within the park, though it won’t be quite as “glam” as some of the above experiences. Make sure to reserve a spot and pack all the essentials with you, including plenty of water.
There’s a reason that Zion is on so many bucket lists and remains one of the most popular national parks in the world year after year. It truly immerses you in some of the world’s most breathtakingly beautiful vistas, star maps, and sunsets.
“One of the most rewarding experiences Zion has to offer is its breathtaking sunset views,” Dittakavi says. “Prepare to be amazed and capture astonishing photos of the jagged silhouette of the cliffs as the sun fades.”
Pro Tip: Lava Point is probably the best spot in Zion National Park to catch the sunset. Located in Kolob Terrace, one of the lesser-visited areas in the park, it’s the perfect hidden gem that will make your trip to Zion a memorable experience.
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With other iconic parks in all directions, it’s super easy to build an epic Southwest road trip around your visit to Zion. Moab, Utah—home to both Arches National Park and Canyonlands—is only five hours away, and you’ll pass through cinema-famous Monument Valley on the way there.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
Those wanting to stay closer can drop by the majestic Grand Canyon, which is an easy two-hour drive. Zion’s also about an hour away from both Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Bryce Canyon.
Pro Tip: If you’re not keen on driving, let Amtrak come to the rescue. America’s iconic railroad service offers 18 national park tours that pass through Zion.
Family will always be that safe place to which we turn in times of need. You can be tired of everyday life, but never really of your mother. And while that remains largely true, you probably shouldn’t forget that a father’s affection is just as important.
Bright Side compiled different ways in which some daddies express their love and care for their children. We hope it serves as inspiration and brings a little warmth to your heart.
1. “I’m a newly divorced dad trying to impress my kids!”
2. “I was 7, in bed, and realized I would die one day. I cried and my dad made this in response”
“He wrote a nice inscription on the back, which was a little more elaborate. It was in marker and has faded in time. I didn’t think about it too much growing up, but I lived my childhood to the fullest I would say, and I think more because of the intention, a gesture like this from my dad early on really instilled a sense of confidence in me. That I had someone who always had my back and would be there for me when I had doubts.”
3. “I told my dad I like Sprite yesterday. This morning I woke up to this.”
4. “Unexpected gift I got in the mail today from my sweetheart of a dad”
5. “A note that my dad randomly gave me.”
6. “My daughter lost her 2nd lost tooth. I guess the tooth fairy does things a bit differently these days.”
7. “Today, I reached the mountain top as a single dad.”
8. “Every year on my birthday my dad lays out my childhood toys ‘The Guys’ and it makes him so excite”
9. “Father of the Year, my SO doing the most for our son after his toy went deep into a lake.”
10. “My dad overheard me complaining about gas prices and surprised me by sending me money to help with gas.”
11. “Shout out to all the dads helping with school projects.”
“I give you the Boy Childs viking longboat, complete with barcode, so they can Scan-De-Navy-In.”
12. “My dad (who suffers from a TBI and memory loss) remembered my favorite drink.”
13. “My dad and I aren’t on the best terms, but once in a while I get texts from him that shows me he still cares about me.”
14. “My dad, a car guy, has put reminders like this on every car I’ve owned.”
“My fiancée doesn’t have a relationship with his father, but recently discovered this note from mine on his car.”
15. “My Dad died a couple of years ago and my top comment of the year reminded me what a great Dad he was.”
16. “Going through a rough patch. My dad is amazing”
17. “My husband working on his Masters degree while holding one of our twin boys.”
18. “My dad is chasing me, so he can eat me back in 1993.”
“This is the very first and best memory of my life, I was like 2 years old, but I can see and feel this moment like it was yesterday.”
What memories do you have of your parents? Do you have any images that help you remember them? Share them in the comments.
Walgreens and CVS are two of the biggest names in medication, providing millions of shoppers across the U.S. with both prescription pills and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. But despite the relief these two major drugstore chains have brought customers, they don’t always get it right with the shoppers they serve. In fact, both Walgreens and CVS were just named in a new consumer lawsuit over one of the medications they sell. Read on to find out why the two companies are now under fire.
Walgreens and CVS are no strangers to criticism. In Jan. 2022, both drugstore chains faced a number of complaints after they were forced to close some of their pharmacies over the weekend due to staffing shortages. Many customers say they weren’t properly notified of the abrupt closures and instead unexpectedly arrived to closed drive-thrus and pharmacy counters.
Separately, Walgreens came under fire in March after shoppers expressed their frustration with the retailer replacing clear glass doors in the fridge and freezer section with new animated digital screens. And CVS caught its own flack just last month over its store-brand alcohol-based hand sanitizer, with one consumer suing over the claim that its “kills 99.9 percent of germs” labeling is inaccurate.
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Now, Walgreens and CVS are both under fire for the same reason. A consumer lawsuit was filed in the Western District of Missouri against the two drugstore chains on June 1 over one of the medications they sell, Law Street first reported. The plaintiff filed the suit on behalf of herself and her minor son, alleging that Walgreens and CVS failed to warn about the risks of prenatal exposure to the medication paracetamol, which is also known as acetaminophen (APAP), specifically in regards to causing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. In the U.S., paracetamol includes popular brand-name medications such as Tylenol, Mapap, or Pandaol.
In 2019, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in JAMA Psychiatry indicated that “exposure to acetaminophen in the womb” may increase a child’s risk for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and ASD. A separate study published May 2021 in the European Journal of Epidemiology found that children who were prenatally exposed to paracetamol were 19 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ASD and 21 percent more likely to have ADHD symptoms compared to children not exposed to this medication.
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The plaintiff suing Walgreens and CVS claims that pregnant women often electively choose to take paracetamol because the two drugstore chains “have marketed APAP as a safe pain reliever for pregnant women.” But according to the suit, this marketing is misleading because Walgreens and CVS “knew or should have known that prenatal use of APAP can cause ASD or ADHD.”ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
According to the suit, the plaintiff elected to take APAP medications throughout her pregnancy to help with her arthritis. She said she believed it was safe to do so as there were no warning labels or alerts from the companies about the potential risks associated with prenatal use of this medication. But when her child was 22 months old, the plaintiff said they were diagnosed with ASD.
The plaintiff alleges that both Walgreens and CVS “entirely failed their duty to adequately warn of the hazards of prenatal exposure to APAP, which was a direct and proximate cause of Plaintiff’s injuries and associated damages.”
From a random magazine subscription you swore you never signed up for to endless credit card promotions, we’re used to sifting through piles of junk mail to get to the mail we actually want. But while most of the unsolicited mail we receive is easy enough to ignore, not all the unwanted mail that shows up is all that harmless. In fact, police have just had to issue an alert about something at least one customer recently received in their mailbox, warning you to throw it out right away if it shows up at your home. Read on to find out what you should be watching out for in the mail.
If you think you’ve got a junk mail problem, you’re hardly alone. According to research from the New York University School of Law, the average American household receives 848 individual pieces of unwanted mail each year, per the Nebraska Recycling Council. This is equal to about 1.5 trees yearly per each household and more than 100 million trees for all the U.S. households combined.
That might not even be the worst part. According to the researchers, 44 percent of junk mail is thrown away unopened, and only about half of it is recycled. So every year, 5.6 million tons of catalogs and other direct mail advertisements end up in U.S. landfills.
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A free roll of stamps showing up in your mailbox might seem more like a gift than junk—but it’s one you shouldn’t accept. In early May, the Sioux City Police Department (SCPD) in Sioux City, Iowa, took to its Facebook page to alert residents about such a scenario, warning that they had received a report of a person who had gotten postage stamps delivered in the mail that they did not order. According to the SCPD, these stamps had been mailed from China and were counterfeit.
“Be aware … the current price of a USPS stamp is 58 cents. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” the department warned in its post. “The best way to avoid being scammed is to purchase stamps directly from USPS.”ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
At the beginning of the year, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the agency’s law enforcement arm, told The Washington Times that the USPS and its inspectors are aware of counterfeit stamps being sold online and advertised as “discount postage” for customers. “The Postal Service does not sell stamps below the value listed on the stamp,” they said.
For example, scammers were recently advertising a “bargain” roll of postage stamps worth $58 for a discounted price of $39, according to The Washington Times. The spokesman also told the newspaper that advertisements for these fake stamps surged in December of last year, but a Feb. 2022 alert from postal inspectors indicates that this problem has only continued to get worse over time.
“The number of counterfeit stamps being sold from online platforms has escalated. Scammers peddle fake stamps on social media marketplaces, e-commerce sites via third party vendors, and other websites,” the USPIS warns. “Counterfeit stamps are often sold in bulk quantities at a significant discount—anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of their face value. That’s a tell-tale sign they’re bogus.”
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While you might be tempted to capitalize on stamps you received for free—or at a low cost—even though they might be fake, it’s not worth the risk. Andrea Avery, an assistant inspector in charge at the USPIS, told AARP that if a postal employee detects a counterfeit stamp being used, your mail will be confiscated and then reported to the USPIS.
“To ensure your trusted communication arrives at its destination without delay, the Postal Inspection Service wants you to be aware of—and avoid—phony postage,” the USPIS warns. According to the law enforcement arm, the most “frequently encountered counterfeit stamp” is the Flag Stamp.
Queen Elizabeth celebrates her birthday twice a year. But what makes 2022 more special is not only the fact that she is 96 and still thriving, but also that this year the “Trooping the Colour” holiday was transformed into a historical moment celebrating her 70 years of being a Queen.
Here at Bright Side,we like sharing joyful stories with you. Join us as we go back in history up until today to get to know this iconic woman.
A Queen was born
Princess Elizabeth II was born on the 21st of April 1926. She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York back then. Her life turned around 10 years later when King Edward VIII, her uncle, was abdicated. Her father became the king, making her the heir to the crown and becoming a Queen at some point in history.
A leader from a young age
At only the age of 14, the future Queen gave her first public speech with her little sister, Princess Margaret, by her side. She addressed the children of England who were far away from their homes during the 40s and said, “To you, living in new surroundings, we send a message of true sympathy.” From there started her journey of good will. Seven years later, on her birthday, Princess Elizabeth made a lifelong commitment to the services of the Commonwealth.
Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten at the age of 21
Princess Elizabeth married her distant cousin, Philip Mountbatten, at the age of 21. He was the prince of Greece and Denmark, but renounced his titles in order to marry the British princess. He was 26 years old back then.
They had four children together: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. He passed away at the age of 99 in 2021.
Crowned a Queen at 25
After a long battle with illness, King George VI died in his sleep. The eligible heir to the throne was Princess Elizabeth, the eldest of his only two daughters. At the moment of his death, she was in Kenya.
It was not until a year later, in 1953, that she was crowned Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 25. In less than a month, her first royal portrait as a Queen was taken.
The Queen is making history
Apart from posting her first photo on Instagram using her iPad at 92, the Queen became the longest-reigning monarch in British history in 2015, surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. She is the first Monarch who has witnessed four Jubilees: silver, golden, diamond, and now platinum.
The Platinum Jubilee is celebrated across the country
As an honor of the unprecedented anniversary, Platinum Jubilee celebrations are taking place across the country. It is a four-day holiday taking place from June 2 to the 5th, with a number of events and public activities.
The start of celebrations ended with a funny moment
Festivities started on Thursday with a birthday parade for the Queen. She and members of the royal family made an appearance from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The event ended with a Royal Air Force and Prince Louis stealing the show because the sound was too loud for him.
This is the Queen’s first jubilee without her husband, Prince Philip.
Do you have any moments to share about this celebration? Tell us in the comment section below.
