27 Things You Never Knew About Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen could not be arrested because she was free from all prosecution. She was also exempt, along with all other members of the royal family, from Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests.

This was Queen Elizabeth the day before she turned 90! She looked amazing.  

The Queen owned all the swans in the Thames and the U.K., as well as all dolphins, whales, and sturgeons in British waters. If you include her plethora of corgis, that's a lot of pets.

The Queen got her first corgi, named Susan, on her 18th birthday. For 65 years, she bred 10 generations of these dogs. Her pack dwindled, though, as she grew fearful of tripping over one when she got up at night.

The Queen didn't need a driver's license, making her the only person in the U.K. with this privilege. She also didn't need license plates on her cars.

She once played a prank on American tourists, who didn't recognize her as she walked around her estate in Balmoral. When they asked if she'd ever met the Queen, she said no!

The Queen got her own poet. Scottish poet Carol Ann Duffy has been the poet laureate since 2009.

Apparently, the Queen wore the same $9 nail polish for over 30 years. Her go-to shade? "Ballet Slippers" by Essie. 

Thanks to King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth was the head of the Church of England. As such, she could not convert to any other religion.

When she was 13, she had a huge crush on her 18-year-old third cousin, Prince Philip. He impressed her by jumping over a tennis net--and charmed her over ginger cookies and lemonade.

The Queen had two birthdays: one on April 21, her official birthday, and one in June. The reason? To deal with Britain's unpredictable weather, the monarch had a second celebration in summer so a parade would not be interrupted by bad weather.

If you ever wondered what the Queen watched on her day off, it turns out that she enjoyed The Crown, a TV show based on the life of the Queen herself!

The Queen didn't have to pay taxes, however, she contributed voluntarily since 1992.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth were married 73 years. At parties, he liked to catch her eye across the crowded room, raise a glass, then wink at her.

Just like the Queen didn't need a license to drive, she also didn't need a passport to travel.

She frequently wore colorful outfits, so even people standing at the back of the crowd as she passed might catch a glimpse of her umbrella or hat.

She loved to drive--and drove herself to church and around her country estates.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the opening ceremony included a James Bond spoof. The director was all set to cast Helen Mirren as the Queen, but then Elizabeth volunteered to act in it herself.

When she was 17, she joined the British army during World War 2, and was trained as a mechanic. That's where she learned to drive--and work on engines!

Elizabeth wasn't a stickler for protocol. Before the royal wedding, Prince William received an official list of 777 guests, none of whom he knew. His granny told him to "bin" the list--and create a new one, starting with his friends' names.

Most afternoons, she enjoyed a slice of chocolate cake along with a gin and tonic.

She doted on her grand- and great-grandkids, but she could also be strict. As a boy, William and another cousin almost injured their cousin Zara. The Queen "came charging over and gave us the most almighty bollocking,” he told Skye News.

Queen Elizabeth was pretty computer savvy. She Skyped with her granddaughter Zara. She also--amazingly--sent her first email in 1976, according to the U.K.'s news site the Independent.

Queen Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947, right after the war. Because everything was rationed, the future queen paid for the materials of her wedding dress by collecting coupons, the Independent reported.

Like many moms, the Queen had a favorite kid. Hers was Prince Andrew, her third-born. He became known as her "love child" because she seemed so smitten by him.

If the Queen was ever low on cash, she needn't bother waiting in line for an ATM at the bank. She had a personal ATM in the basement of Buckingham Palace.

Queen Elizabeth had to fight to marry Prince Philip, because her father, King George VI, had reservations about him. The late Sir Edward Ford, who was assistant private secretary from 1952-67, had said, “Some were very concerned. The line was slightly tenuous at that point. So, it was only natural that the older generation—friends of the King like Lord Salisbury—were concerned that who the Queen was with was totally and utterly suitable. So they were sniffing around to see what he was like.” Looks like he passed the test with flying colors!