Queen Elizabeth II sadly passed away on Thursday 8 September surrounded by her family at Balmoral. As the royal family - including Prince William, Princess Anne and Prince Harry - gather at Westminster Abbey for the late monarch's state funeral, we're taking a look back at her historic reign.
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The monarch reached a milestone earlier this year when she celebrated 70 years on the throne. She was the longest reigning British monarch since she surpassed the tenure of Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, back in 2015.
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"Inevitably a long life can pass by many milestones — my own is no exception — but I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness," Queen Elizabeth II said at the time.
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The longest reigning monarch in world history is French King Louis XIV, who remains in the top spot after serving for more than 72 years. He took to the throne at age four and died in 1715.
How old was the Queen when she was crowned?
The Queen was crowned on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at 25 years old following the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952.
Queen Elizabeth II with the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace for her coronation in 1952
It was her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who broke the sad news of her father's death while the royal couple were in Kenya on a Commonwealth tour on 7 February 1952. He took her into the garden to tell her as they walked slowly up and down the lawn and they later flew the 4,000 miles back to Britain to start a new royal era.
When asked by her private secretary what she wanted to be called after she became Queen, she simply replied: "My own name, Elizabeth, of course."
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The death of Queen Elizabeth II was confirmed at 6.30pm on Thursday 8 September 2022, in a statement from the Palace that read: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
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