Her Early Life
Athough born a princess, Queen Elizabeth II was not originally in direct line to the throne. Had Edward VIII not abdicated in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson in 1936, his younger brother George Elizabeth's father would not have been crowned King, thus making the young princess heir presumptive.
The first child of the Duke and Duchess Of York, Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, and christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in the chapel at Buckingham Palace. Educated at home with her younger sister Princess Margaret, she later went on to serve during World War II as a subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she reached the rank of Junior Commander.
In 1947, she married a handsome young naval officer, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, a distant cousin she met when she was just 13 and the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. Their first child, Prince Charles, was born in 1948 and his sister Princess Anne came along two years later.
Her Coronation
When her father's illness forced him to abandon a proposed visit to Australia and New Zealand in 1952, the Princess, accompanied by Prince Philip, undertook the journey in his place. On February 6, while in Kenya on the first stage of her trip, she received the news of King George VI's death and her own accession to the throne.
The coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, and was broadcast on radio around the world and - at the young Queen's request - on television, bringing the splendour of the event to hundreds of thousands of people in a way never before thought possible.
When the Queen's youngest sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, were born in 1960 and 1964 respectively, they were the first children to be born to a reigning monarch since Queen Victoria. The Queen has experienced the marriage break-ups of three of her four offspring, and the demise of Charles and Andrew's relationships, combined with a major fire at Windsor Castle, led her to describe 1992 as an annus horribilis in her Christmas speech for that year.
Her Reign
Queen Elizabeth reigned for 70 impressive years. During her time on the throne, the royal travelled across the globe for countless official engagements. She visited nearly every country in the Commonwealth and made many repeat visits.
In 2022, the late Queen celebrated a huge milestone – her Platinum Jubilee. After becoming the longest reigning British monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed a four-day long celebratory extravaganza surrounded by her loved ones. From a joyous balcony appearance to a carnival procession and a star-studded Party at the Palace, the Queen's jubilee weekend will forever go down in history as an unforgettable celebration.
Her Legacy
Queen Elizabeth sadly died at the age of 96 on the 8 September 2022. In the weeks that followed, there was a huge outpouring of grief across the globe. On 19 September, the royal family gathered inside Westminster Abbey for Her Majesty's state funeral.
The emotional service - which was watched by millions around the world - saw the Queen's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren pay tribute to a much-loved monarch.
The late monarch's legacy of kindness nonetheless lives on. Kindness was at the heart of everything she did: whether it was something she said, a small gesture or her charitable work.
Upon her death, Queen Elizabeth's eldest son, Prince Charles, ascended the throne aged 73. His historic coronation took place on 6 May 2023.
