Elizabeth's love for these little four-legged friends is legendary. Aside from her family, the corgis have been her lifelong companions at Windsor Castle, Balmoral or Sandringham estate. Gossip papers have often joked that the queen could never be blackmailed. Unless, perhaps, someone were reckless enough to put a gun to one of her corgi's heads.

Royal biographers have recounted tales of a difficult family life for the royals. A prime example: the distanced, strictly protocol handshake the young queen shared with a toddler Prince Charles after reuniting following a long trip abroad. And Philip was no softy, either; on the contrary, he was quite strict.

This picture shows an emotional moment from recent English history: the last time the Brits won the football World Cup, defeating the Germans 4-2 after extra time in the 1966 final. Did Prince Philip, with his German heritage, feel a sense of sympathy for Uwe Seeler and the rest of the boys? Probably not, given his wide smile in the photo above.

After the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in 1997, sympathy for the royal family was at an all-time low. For too long, the queen had been silent about the misfortunes of the popular people's princess. Only by making a public, albeit late, visit to the memorial site outside Buckingham Palace was she able to regain the public's favor.

Prince Charles, the firstborn, has lived a life as perpetual heir to the throne. Even at the age of 91, his mother refuses to step down. With Charles nearing 70, it's quite possible that he will never become king. Next in the line of succession: his far more popular son, William.

Elizabeth and Philip live an asymmetrical marriage. Protocol knows no mercy: Elizabeth must always go first, even when it comes to feeding elephants. But the prince has managed to carve out a life for himself as a No. 2. He is loyal, but has developed his own style that's at times insensitive, at times witty — and incredibly gaffe-prone.

Prince Philip has always been one for jokes — even those at the expense of his wife. Back in 2002, he was amused to see the caricature of Elizabeth featured in the TV series "EastEnders" on display at The Cartoon Museum in London, of which he's a patron. But not too amused — there was his decades-long marriage to think about, of course.

The English pronunciation of "Elizabeth" is a tongue-twister not only for Germans. Even the future Queen found it hard to pronounce her own name when she was a child. That's why she called herself "Lilibet." Her family kept on calling her that way until she had ascended to the throne in 1952.

Elizabeth's uncle Edward discovered an amazing similarity between her as a young girl — with her chubby face and curly hair — and Shirley Temple. That's why he chose the name of the US child star as his favorite nickname for his niece. By abdicating the throne in 1936 to marry American socialite and divorcee Wallis Simpson, Edward made it possible for Elizabeth to become Queen.

Long before this picture was shot, when Prince William was still a small child, he wasn't able to pronounce "Granny" and found it easier to call her "Gary" instead. A male name, and a rather ordinary one at that? It's likely that the Queen only allowed her beloved grandson to call her this way.

Prince William's son George also had difficulties with "Granny." When he was two years old, he used to call his great-grandma "Gan-Gan." That's at least what Duchess Kate claimed in a documentary about the royals. Chances are that the little prince has already overcome this stage. He will turn five in July.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth have been married for more than 70 years. It would be odd indeed if he called her "Queen" or "Her Majesty." The nickname he uses for his wife was only revealed recently: Apparently, he affectionately calls her "Cabbage." There's room for speculation about the reasons behind this peculiar choice.