biography of queen elizabeth second

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Queen Elizabeth II

By: History.com Editors

Updated: April 25, 2023 | Original: May 23, 2018

Queen Elizabeth II served from 1952 to 2022 as reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) and numerous other realms and territories, as well as head of the Commonwealth, the group of 53 sovereign nations that includes many former British territories. Extremely popular for nearly all of her long reign, the queen was known for taking a serious interest in government and political affairs, apart from her ceremonial duties, and was credited with modernizing many aspects of the monarchy.

Childhood and Education of a Princess

When Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the elder daughter of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was born on April 21, 1926, she apparently had little chance of assuming the throne, as her father was a younger son of King George V.

But in late 1936, her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry an American divorcée, Wallis Simpson. As a result, her father became King George VI, and 10-year-old “Lilibet” (as she was known within the family) became the heir presumptive to the throne.

Though she spent much of her childhood with nannies, Princess Elizabeth was influenced greatly by her mother, who instilled in her a devout Christian faith as well as a keen understanding of the demands of royal life. Her grandmother, Queen Mary, consort of King George V, also instructed Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret in the finer points of royal etiquette.

Educated by private tutors, with an emphasis on British history and law, the princess also studied music and learned to speak fluent French. She trained as a Girl Guide (the British equivalent of the Girl Scouts) and developed a lifelong passion for horses.

As queen, she kept many thoroughbred racehorses and frequently attended racing and breeding events. Elizabeth’s famous attachment to Pembroke Welsh corgis also began in childhood, and she owned more than 30 corgis over the course of her reign.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Margaret spent much of World War II living apart from their parents in the Royal Lodge at Windsor Castle, a medieval fortress outside London. In 1942, the king made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the 500 Grenadier Guards, a Royal Army regiment.

Two years later, he named her as a member of the Privy Council and the Council of State, enabling her to act on his behalf when he was out of the country.

In 1947, soon after the royal family returned from an official visit to South Africa and Rhodesia, they announced Elizabeth’s engagement to Prince Philip of Greece, her third cousin (both were great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) and a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. She had set her sights on him when she was only 13, and their relationship developed through visits and correspondence during the war.

Though many in the royal circle viewed Philip as an unwise match due to his lack of money and foreign (German) blood, Elizabeth was determined and very much in love. She and Philip wed on November 20, 1947 , at Westminster Abbey .

Their first son, Charles (Prince of Wales, then King Charles III ) was born in 1948; a daughter, Anne (Princess Royal) arrived two years later. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's third child and second son, Prince Andrew, was born in 1960 and the couple's youngest child, Prince Edward, was born in 1964.

Elizabeth and Phillip were married for an extraordinary 73 years, until the Prince died in April 2021 at the age of 99.

Behind‑the‑Scenes Photos of Queen Elizabeth’s 1947 Wedding

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Queen Elizabeth II: 15 Key Moments in Her Reign

Revisit some of the most historic moments in the reign of Britain’s record‑setting monarch.

Queen Elizabeth’s First Televised Broadcast Presented a New Type of Monarch

The 1957 Christmas Day address humanized the monarch and acknowledged a shift in the position's role from aloof ruler to accessible figurehead.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation

With her father’s health declining in 1951, Elizabeth stepped in for him at various state functions. After spending that Christmas with the royal family, Elizabeth and Philip left on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, making a stopover in Kenya en route.

They were in Kenya on February 6, 1952, when King George VI succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 56, and his 25-year-old daughter became the sixth woman in history to ascend to the British throne. Her formal coronation as Queen Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey.

In the first decade of her reign, Elizabeth settled into her role as queen, developing a close bond with Prime Minister Winston Churchill (the first of 15 prime ministers she would work with during her reign), weathering a foreign affairs disaster in the Suez Crisis of 1956 and making numerous state trips abroad.

In response to pointed criticism in the press, the queen embraced steps to modernize her own image and that of the monarchy, including televising her annual Christmas broadcast for the first time in 1957.

Elizabeth and Philip had two more children, Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964). In 1968, Charles was formally invested as the Prince of Wales , marking his coming of age and the beginning of what would be a long period as king-in-waiting.

Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, marking her 25 years on the throne, proved a bright spot in an era of economic struggles. Always a vigorous traveler, she kept a punishing schedule to mark the occasion, traveling some 56,000 miles around the Commonwealth, including the island nations Fiji and Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, the British West Indies and Canada.

Royal Scandals

In 1981, all eyes were on the royal family once again as Prince Charles wed Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Though the couple soon welcomed two sons, William and Harry , their marriage quickly imploded, causing considerable public embarrassment for the queen and the entire royal family.

In 1992, Elizabeth’s 40th year on the throne and her family’s “Annus Horribilis” (according to a speech she gave that November) both Charles and Diana and Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah Ferguson, separated, while Princess Anne and her husband, Mark Phillips, divorced.

A fire also broke out at Windsor Castle that same year, and amid public outcry over the use of government funds to restore the royal residence, Queen Elizabeth agreed to pay taxes on her private income. This was not required by British law, though some earlier monarchs had done so as well.

At the time, her personal fortune was estimated at $11.7 billion. In another modernizing measure, she also agreed to open the state rooms at Buckingham Palace to the public for an admission fee when she was not in residence.

Response to Lady Diana's Death

After Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, Diana remained incredibly popular with the British (and international) public. Her tragic death the following year triggered a tremendous outpouring of shock and grief, as well as outrage at the royal family for what the public saw as its ill treatment of the “People’s Princess.”

Though Queen Elizabeth initially kept the family (including Princes William and Harry) out of the public eye at Balmoral, the unprecedented public response to Diana’s death convinced her to return to London, make a televised speech about Diana, greet mourners and allow the Union Jack to fly at half-mast above Buckingham Palace.

‘Annus Horribilis’: Why Queen Elizabeth II Called 1992 a Horrible Year

Marriage troubles for three out of her four children, humiliating press, a racy book and a fire at Windsor Castle all added to the year's misery.

Why Princess Diana’s 1995 BBC Interview Shocked the World

The interview, in which Princess Diana talked about her struggles with mental health and her marriage, rocked the royal family and generated empathy among the public.

Princess Diana’s Death

Lady Diana Spencer: From Teacher to Princess Diana was born on July 1, 1961, to Edward John Spencer and his wife Frances. At the time of her birth, in Britain’s peerage system, her father held the title of Viscount Althorp. Her parents were divorced in 1969, when she was eight, and her father won sole […]

A Modern Monarchy

The queen’s popularity, and that of the entire royal family, rebounded during the first decade of the 21st century. Though 2002 marked Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee—50 years on the throne—the death of her mother (the beloved Queen Mum) and sister early that year cast a pall on the celebrations.

In 2005, the queen enjoyed public support when she gave her assent to Prince Charles’ once-unthinkable marriage to his longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles.

In her seventh decade on the throne, Queen Elizabeth presided over the pomp and circumstance of another royal wedding at Westminster Abbey, that of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in April 2011. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are in line to become Britain’s next king and queen, continued the line of succession with their children, Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) and Prince Louis (born 2018).

In September 2015, Elizabeth surpassed the record of 63 years and 216 days on the throne set by Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandmother) to become the longest-reigning British monarch in history. A consistent presence by his wife’s side and one of Britain’s busiest royals for much of her reign, Prince Philip stepped down from his royal duties in 2017, at the age of 96. That same year, the royal couple celebrated 70 years of marriage, making theirs the longest union in the history of the British monarchy. Philip died in 2021, at the age of 99. 

In May 2018, Prince Harry wed the American actress Meghan Markle , a biracial divorcée. The couple had a son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2019, and a daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in 2021. Harry and Meghan announced they would be stepping back from senior royal duties in January 2020 and subsequently relocated to Los Angeles.

Rumors swirled at various times that Queen Elizabeth would step aside and let Prince Charles take the throne. In 2017, she delegated some of her royal obligations, such as the official Remembrance Day ceremony, to him, fueling speculation that she was preparing to bequeath the throne to her eldest son. Instead, she remained a consistent, stable presence at the head of Britain’s reigning family until her peaceful death on September 8, 2022 at her beloved country residence, Balmoral Castle. 

In the final years of her reign, she continued many of her official duties, public appearances and spent plenty of time outside with her beloved dogs and horses. Two days before her death, she officially installed a new prime minister, Liz Truss.

HISTORY Vault: Profiles: Queen Elizabeth II

Chart the unexpected rise and record-breaking reign of Queen Elizabeth II, which unfolded in the turbulent modern history of the English monarchy.

Her Majesty the Queen, The Royal Household website . Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth the Queen ( Penguin Random House, 2012 ). Queen Elizabeth II – Fast Facts, CNN . “Will Queen Elizabeth Give Prince Charles the Throne in 2018?” Newsweek .

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Biography Online

Queen Elizabeth II Biography

She served as the longest-serving British monarch for over 70 years presiding over continual change both within the Royal Family, Great Britain and the Commonwealth.

Elizabeth was the eldest child of Prince Albert, the Duke of York (later George VI) and his wife Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother). Her father Prince Albert was second in line to the throne until his elder brother Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 – pushing the shy Prince Albert into an unexpected role of King. King George VI rose to the challenge though he died early in 1952.

Elizabeth was educated at home, along with her sister Princess Margaret. During the Second World War, they were evacuated to Balmoral and later Windsor Castle. Towards the end of the war in 1945, Elizabeth joined the Women’s Royal Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she served as a driver and mechanic. After the war, she increasingly stepped into her role of performing public service and made her first overseas trip to South Africa in 1947. Shortly before her 21st birthday, she said:

“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

Yet, there were still high points for the Royal Family, such as her ‘Silver Jubilee’ in 1977 and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981. By the 1990s, the media had a widespread fascination with Princess Diana , but as their marriage broke down, the Queen was increasingly perceived as being out of touch. In 1992, she famously declared the year to be her ‘ annus horribilus ‘ The year saw media headlines dominated by the marriage breakup of Charles and Diana, a fire in Windsor, and other criticisms of the Royal Family.

“1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘ Annus Horribilis ‘.” (Christmas address, 1992)

In 1996, Princess Diana died in a car crash, and temporarily there was public dismay as the Queen appeared distant and refused to fly the flag at half-mast. But, after the Queen later expressed admiration for Princess Diana the hostility evaporated. Nevertheless, the relationship between Princess Diana and the Queen was best described as being ‘cool’.

“In tomorrow’s world we must all work together as hard as ever, if we’re truly to be United Nations.”

After the difficulties of the 1990s, the 2000s saw a resurgence in her popularity as the Royal Family put many difficulties behind them, and they were able to celebrate good news. If 1992 was her annus horribilus , 2012, was perhaps her annus mirabilis . Firstly, in April, Prince William married Kate Middleton to widespread public enthusiasm. Then in summer, her Golden Jubilee was widely celebrated and popular despite the wet weather. Finally, in July 2012, she took part in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics – which was a huge global success.

During her time as Head of State, Queen Elizabeth has sought to refrain from interfering in political issues and provide a moderating influence on the nation.

“We are a moderate, pragmatic people, more comfortable with practice than theory.” (30 April 2002)

She is a committed Christian and often mentions her religious beliefs in her Christmas addresses. However, in her role as Head of the Church of England, she has stated that she is committed to protecting the rights of all different faiths.

“The concept of our established Church is occasionally misunderstood and, I believe, commonly under-appreciated. Its role is not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of other religions. Instead, the Church has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country.”

– During a speech at Lambeth Palace, 15/02/2012.

Despite passing 90 years, she remained in relatively good health and continued to serve.

Elizabeth II passed away on 8 September 2022 causing an outpouring of love and good wishes for her unique reign and life of duty and service. Her funeral at Westminster Abbey on 19 September attracted heads of state from around the world. It was the first state funeral since Winston Churchill and huge crowds came to see her final journey to Windsor Castle where she was buried next to her husband Prince Phillip.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Queen Elizabeth II”, Oxford, UK  www.biographyonline.net , 30/01/2013. Updated 20 September 2022.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family

Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family: at Amazon.com

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Queen Elizabeth II's Life and Reign

The Queen ruled for longer than any other Monarch in British history, becoming a much loved and respected figure across the globe. Over 70 years, Her Majesty was a dedicated Head of the Commonwealth, linking more than two billion people worldwide.

When Her Majesty acceded to the throne aged just 25, her life changed overnight from that of a young naval wife and mother to a busy Head of State. She was to become known for her sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service, and was an important figurehead for the UK and the Commonwealth during times of both crisis and celebration.

The working Queen

Travel in the UK and overseas dominated much of Her Majesty’s working life. Before she became Queen, she had said, “There is none of my father's subjects from the oldest to the youngest whom I do not wish to greet.” During her reign, she visited every realm and every region of the UK, returning to some many times over.

Though much of Her Majesty’s daily working life was spent in contact with her UK and Commonwealth ministers and representatives, it was her presence in these places during her many official visits which carried the most significance for those who lived there.

State duties

The Queen’s famous red boxes carried the State papers which Her Majesty was presented with every day of her working life. Her duties included formally agreeing to make bills into Acts of Parliament, or laws.

She also had a special relationship with her Prime Ministers, meeting with them on a regular - usually weekly - basis. She was famously able to ‘encourage or warn’ whilst always remaining politically neutral.

The Queen was served by 15 UK Prime Ministers during her reign, beginning with Winston Churchill in 1952, as well as many Prime Ministers across her Realms.

As Head of State, she also acted as diplomat and hostess, welcoming over 110 Presidents and Prime Ministers to the UK on official visits. 

The Queen saw public and voluntary service as one of the most important elements of her work. Her Majesty had links - as Royal Patron or President - with over 500 charities, professional bodies and public service organisations. These varied from well-established international charities to smaller bodies working in a specialist area or on a local basis only.

As Head of the Armed Forces, Her Majesty had strong links to Naval ships, army regiments, and air squadrons both in the UK and throughout all her realms.   

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The Queen’s Patronages and charities covered a wide range of initiatives, from creating opportunities for young people, to preserving wildlife and the environment. As Royal Patron or President Her Majesty provided vital publicity for the work of these organisations, and allowed their enormous contributions to society to be recognised.

Recognising achievement across the Commonwealth

Her Majesty supported and encouraged achievement in many different ways. The UK honours system enabled her to confer titles such as MBEs, OBEs and CBEs on people from all walks of life in public recognition of their merit, service or bravery. Recommendations were made by the Prime Minister’s Office, but it was The Queen (and members of the Royal Family working on her behalf) who presented tens of thousands of people with their insignia over the course of her reign. “Some of them are very cleverly discovered,” she said. “That’s very important, that the system does discover people who do unsung things, that perhaps the local people know about but nobody else does, and that’s very satisfactory.”

There were also Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, receptions and other awards given in her name. This allowed her to say ‘thank you’ to just some of those who had made a significant contribution to the life of the nation.

In 2014 The Queen’s Young Leaders programme was launched. The programme aimed to find exceptional young people who were addressing challenges facing their communities, and to support them in practical ways to ensure that they reached their full potential.

Family and faith

For most of her working life, The Queen was supported by The Duke of Edinburgh who accompanied her on visits in the UK and overseas, and was by her side for all of her ceremonial duties, from the State Opening of Parliament to State Visits and annual Remembrance events.

Her Majesty raised four children whilst undertaking her duties as Queen, later welcoming grandchildren and great-grandchildren to the Royal Family.

The Duke of Edinburgh was – in her own words – her ‘strength and stay’ during her reign, whilst other members of the Royal Family offered vital support through their work in the UK and overseas including accompanying her on many engagements and tours or performing duties on her behalf. In her later years, The Prince of Wales accompanied her to the State Opening of Parliament and Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings.

During her exceptionally busy Golden Jubilee year, The Queen thanked her family for their support, saying:

Our children, and all my family, have given me such love and unstinting help over the years, and especially in recent months.

The Queen was also buoyed by her Christian faith, often reflecting on the perspective and solace it had brought her, particularly during her annual Christmas Broadcasts. For her 2014 broadcast she spoke of  what she had learnt from the teachings of Jesus, "For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing. Christ's example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people of whatever faith or none."

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Queen Elizabeth II: The Life of Britain’s Longest-Reigning Monarch

Facts, information and articles about Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022.

Queen Elizabeth II, or Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of the House of Windsor, was the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom and the head of the Commonwealth. She was the longest-serving monarch in British history, having served for nearly 70 years. She had presided over some of the momentous changes in her country’s history, including the end of the British empire, a number of royal scandals, several wars, and the U.K. joining the European Union and then leaving it after the Brexit referendum. Her 70-year reign was the longest of any British monarch and the second-longest in the world after King Louis XIV, who took the French throne in 1643 at age 5 and ruled for 72 years.

April 21, 1926, London, England

Sept. 8, 2022, Balmoral, Scotland

Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

COuntries Where She Was Head of State

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom.

King Charles III

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Queen elizabeth ii’s early life.

Princess Elizabeth of York was born in 1926 during the reign of George V. Her father was the Prince Albert, the Duke of York, the second in line to the throne. Thus Elizabeth was not widely expected to assume the throne — her uncle, Edward, Prince of Wales, was the heir apparent, and her own father showed little inclination for public life. Elizabeth’s mother was Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, the youngest daughter of an earl, who was married to Prince “Bertie” in a love match. Elizabeth’s sister, Margaret, was born in 1930.

In 1936, George V died and Prince Albert became King Edward VIII.

The family’s hopes for a relatively quiet life were dashed later that same year, however, when Edward VIII’s affair with American socialite Wallis Simpson provoked a constitutional crisis. Edward abdicated on Dec. 10, 1936, and Prince Albert became King George VI. Princess Elizabeth became the first in line to the British throne. George VI proved to be a capable leader during World War II , boosting morale and acting a symbol of British determination to defeat Nazi Germany.

During the war, Princess Elizabeth took part in public events to help the war effort, famously including training as a driver and mechanic for the Auxiliary Territorial Service at age 19. She earned the equivalent of the rank of captain.

On Nov. 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Their first child, Prince Charles, was born Nov. 14, 1948.

Coronation ANd Early Reign

In February 1952, King George VI died while Elizabeth and Philip were on tour in Kenya. Princess Elizabeth immediately flew back to London. On April 9, 1952, at the suggestion of Prime Minister Winston Churchill and her grandmother, Elizabeth announced that the name of the royal family would be the House of Windsor. She was formally crowned Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey.

After World War II, the British empire began formally dissolving, and several British colonies left the Commonwealth, and the organization struck “British” from its official name. As part of her Christmas speech in 1953, Queen Elizabeth said she envisioned a new role for the group, “an entirely new conception — built on the highest qualities of the spirit of man: friendship, loyalty and the desire for freedom and peace.”

During the early decades of Queen Elizabeth’s rule, the royal family endured a series of personal scandals as the royals started to become seen as fair targets of media attention. Princess Margaret’s life and failed marriages were frequent tabloid fodder, as was her husband’s infamously blunt tongue. In many ways, Queen Elizabeth II is arguably history’s longest-serving celebrity.

Princess Diana

In July 29, 1981, Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in a lavish wedding that created a worldwide media frenzy. Princess Diana quickly proved a popular royal, but the Princess Di fandom later proved to have consequences for Queen Elizabeth.

In 1982, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher send British troops to a British island off Argentina in the Falkland Islands War. Elizabeth’s son, Prince Andrew, served as a military helicopter pilot. That same year, an intruder broke into Buckingham Palace and managed to get into the queen’s bedroom, where she kept him busy in conversation until security could apprehend him.

Meanwhile, as reports of animosity between Thatcher and the queen grew, the relationship between Prince Charles and Princess Diana grew strained, providing plenty of fodder for tabloids. Support for the royal family also dipped, with more and more Britons questioning whether it was an obsolete institution.

ANNUS HORRIBILIS

In 1992, which Queen Elizabeth dubbed her “horrible year,” a series of setbacks befell her, including personal tribulations and divorces among her children, a fire at Windsor Castle, and increased oversight over royal finances by the government.

By the end of the year, Prince Charles and Princess Diana had separated, but public scrutiny of their relationship only intensified. Revelations of affairs on both sides emerged, and in 1996, they divorced. The following summer, August 1997, Diana died after a Paris car crash with her boyfriend, Egyptian billionaire scion Dodi Fayed.

What followed was a crisis for the royal family as it and the British government struggled to find a way to deal with the death of a popular figure who held an entirely new place in the history of the royal family — the estranged former spouse of the heir apparent. Queen Elizabeth’s initial response was widely seen as cold and insensitive, but she managed to assuage public anger with an unprecedented live television address about her former daughter-in-law.

21st Century Queen

Enjoying revived popularity, the queen celebrated her Golden Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of her reign, in 2002. In 2007, she became the country’s longest-serving monarch, surpassing Queen Victoria.

Starting in 2013, increasing health issues meant she could no longer attend many official events, including as head of the Commonwealth, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, she moved to Windsor Castle and limited her contact with people to protect her health. On April 9, 2021, Prince Philip died, and the queen sat alone at his funeral service because of COVID precautions

Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee officially started in February 2022, but she tested positive for the coronavirus later that month and was forced to isolate. She recovered but began making even fewer public appearances since.

Marriages of William and Harry

Further turning a global spotlight on the British monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II’s grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry stepped outside of tradition when choosing their brides. In April 2011, Prince William, the elder son of Charles and Diana, married Catherine Middleton, who was a commoner. Despite her less-pedigreed family history, however, Kate, now the duchess of Cambridge, did come from wealth. Her parents were self-made millionaire business owners. William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, went a step further in breaking the mold. In May 2018, he married American actress Meghan Markle, who starred in the legal drama series “Suits.” Meghan, now duchess of Sussex, was also previously divorced and part Black, both being unusual in the royal family.

In 2020, Meghan and Harry spurred controversy by stepping down as working members of the royal family and moving back to America. The following year, Meghan gave a bombshell interview to Oprah Winfrey in which she said she felt mistreated and subjected to racism by the royal family.

Waning Health and Death

Despite Markle’s claims, public support for the British monarchy remained strong. Prince William spoke out in defense of his family, and asserted that its members were “very much not racist.” Queen Elizabeth II remained an enduringly popular figure.

In early September of 2022, it was announced that the queen was under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle, and that her children and Prince William, Prince Harry and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (Prince Charles’ second wife) had traveled to Scotland to be with her. Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8, 2022, in Balmoral Castle. Upon her death, King Charles III ascended to the throne.

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Queen Elizabeth II: A lifetime of devotion and service

The funeral of Britain's longest-ruling monarch concludes a life exemplified by a personal motto of "I serve."

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch died on September 8, setting off a series of well-planned events to mark her passing. The culmination of these events is the state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday and her subsequent interment at King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle. The people of the United Kingdom and leaders from around the world will gather in London to pay their respects to the late queen and bid a final farewell.

The beginning of an era

Queen Elizabeth II sat at her desk, undertaking her first duties as monarch. Just hours before, she had been Elizabeth Windsor; now she was queen of the United Kingdom, head of the Commonwealth of Nations, and sovereign of the Commonwealth realms.

It was 1952, and she was in mourning. But despite her grief, the young queen shouldered her new responsibility with grace—and her signature stiff upper lip. “She was sitting erect, fully accepting her destiny,” her private secretary later recalled. When he asked her which name she would reign under, she said “My own, of course.”

Over the seven decades that followed, Queen Elizabeth II would leave an unmistakable impression on her nation and the rest of the world. Her road to the throne was a twisted one; her reign beset by crises and social cataclysms. But her destiny was to rule through triumph and sorrow, conflict and almost unthinkable change. Along the way, she would become the longest-ruling British monarch—linking past and present and emerging as an indelible figure on the world stage.

A twist of royal fate

Born in London on April 21, 1926, Elizabeth was the granddaughter of a king and daughter of a duke—the newest member of the House of Windsor. Despite her royal pedigree, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary didn’t seem destined to the British throne. She was third in line to the monarchy, but it was widely assumed that her uncle Edward would become king, marry, and produce royal heirs of his own. History had other plans for Elizabeth.

When she was nine years old, her uncle took the throne as Edward VIII according to plan. Less than a year later he abdicated, abandoning the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite. Elizabeth’s father would become king, and suddenly Elizabeth was next in line to helm Britain’s hereditary monarchy.

The lonely princess

Elizabeth had been raised quietly along with her younger sister, Princess Margaret. But when she became heir to the throne, her future reign indelibly shaped young Elizabeth’s life. Privately educated in Buckingham Palace and overseen by a beloved governess, she was tutored in her future duties by leading scholars and in religion by the archbishop of Canterbury. She learned from her father, too: Shy, stuttering George VI nonetheless addressed his people regularly and insisted on staying in London during the Blitz of World War II.

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Elizabeth was a lonely but dutiful young girl—one biographer noted that her loud cries during her christening as a baby were “the last recorded instance of her surrendering to anything like a tantrum.” But the war opened up her horizons.

In 1940, she made her first public speech at age 14, addressing children who had been separated from their parents during the war. “We children at home are full of cheerfulness and courage,” she said. “We are trying . . . to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war.”

Love and war

The teenage princess took part in the war effort in another way, too. In 1945, Elizabeth made history when she became the first woman in the royal family to serve full-time in Britain’s military as a truck driver and mechanic. When the war ended later that year, she wore her uniform and slipped into the celebrating crowds, blending in with the revelers as she basked in the joy and relief of peace.

By then, the seeds of what would become a seven-decade romance had been sown. Elizabeth and Margaret spent much of World War II at Windsor Castle. Elizabeth’s third cousin, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark often stayed there when he was on leave from the Royal Navy. After the war, their relationship bloomed.

The dashing, blunt prince—who was exiled to England as an infant amid political strife in Greece and became naturalized as Philip Mountbatten in 1947—was an unlikely match for the reserved queen-to-be. He was relatively poor and seemingly rootless, his childhood marked by instability and trauma. But Elizabeth was captivated, reportedly falling in love at age 13. “She had a protective shell around her, and he brought her out of it,” said one observer. They married in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947.

The young queen

As a young wife and mother—Charles III was born in 1948 and Princess Anne followed in 1950—Elizabeth began to step into her aging father’s shoes. In 1952, she undertook a world tour in King George VI’s stead. During a brief getaway with Philip in Kenya, word arrived that her father had died. The 25-year-old was now a queen.

Elizabeth II, Britain’s 61st monarch, would reign over a vast empire and serve as head of the Church of England. At the time of her accession, Britain had more than 70 territories overseas. She was sovereign and head of state of the Commonwealth realms, including Canada and Australia, and the second Head of the Commonwealth of the Commonwealth of Nations, an association of sovereign states mostly linked to the United Kingdom through a history of British colonial rule. But her role was mostly symbolic: Though technically head of state and church, under the United Kingdom’s constitutional monarchy she possessed no ability to pass or enforce laws and was responsible for serving as a national figurehead, not a politician.

Elizabeth considered her responsibility as monarch a sacred duty. “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong,” she said in a radio address on her 21st birthday, when her father was still king. She would spend the rest of her life living up to that promise.

A glittering coronation

As she mourned her father and acclimated to life as queen, Elizabeth prepared for perhaps the most memorable of the many royal appearances she was to make during her long life: Her coronation, held in Westminster Abbey in June 1953, hewed to time-honored tradition.

The day of the ceremony, the demure young queen, wearing an elaborate white satin dress, took a carriage from Buckingham Palace to the abbey. Inside the abbey, she was blessed and anointed with oil, decked with royal robes, and given a scepter and an orb.

Finally, after a nearly five-pound crown studded with jewels was placed on her head, she received the homage of the royal family and the peerage. Prince Philip was the first to kneel before her, pledging to be her “liege man of life and limb.”

Admiring subjects lined the streets of London to celebrate. They weren’t the only ones to take in the grandeur—at the queen’s insistence, television cameras were allowed inside the church for the first time, and the coronation was broadcast live. An estimated three-quarters of the population of Britain, more than 20 million people, tuned in for the ceremony, and millions more watched from other countries. Her coronation was the world’s first must-see television event and ushered in a new, modern monarchy.

Her changing empire

The British Empire of the queen’s forebears was changing rapidly as countries asserted their independence in the postwar years. Elizabeth continued to serve as constitutional monarch of a growing number of Commonwealth realms. And as head of the Commonwealth of Nations, she presided over a loose group of mostly former British colonies that had abandoned their colonial relationships with Britain.

After the coronation, Elizabeth and Philip embarked on an unprecedented tour of the Commonwealth. During the trip, the pair traveled more than 40,000 miles and visited 13 countries. It was the first time a reigning monarch had visited either Australia or New Zealand.

The Commonwealth would become one of Elizabeth’s most enduring projects. She embraced the association’s diversity and fostered close relationships with its leaders. The Commonwealth “bears no resemblance to the Empires of the past,” she said. “It is an entirely new conception, built on the highest qualities of the spirit of man: friendship, loyalty, and the desire for freedom and peace. To that new conception of an equal partnership of nations and races I shall give myself heart and soul every day of my life.”

Royal duties

A busy travel schedule made up just part of the queen’s royal duties. Though the British sovereign must remain externally neutral on matters of state, they retain the right to appoint prime ministers and call a general election. Although those duties are usually no more than ceremonial, they remain a key part of protocol. Monarchs can also advise—or be advised by—their prime ministers.

During her weekly visits with Prime Minister Winston Churchill in her first years as queen, Elizabeth received his tutelage and shared in his notorious sense of fun. Her private secretary recalled hearing “peals of laughter” during their audiences, and the queen wrote that she was “profoundly grateful” for his guidance during her first years as sovereign.

A “priggish schoolgirl”

Despite her outward neutrality, the queen had her detractors—and soon learned that, in times of national strife, the monarchy could be harshly criticized. The first gauntlet came after the Suez Crisis, Britain’s disastrous, short-lived invasion of Egypt in 1956. The brief fiasco resulted in a decline in the U.K.’s global status and fueled a political and economic crisis.

After Anthony Eden, the prime minister who had given the invasion the green light, resigned, Elizabeth came under fire for relying on the advice of an insular group of royal insiders in choosing Eden’s successor. In 1957, Lord Altrincham, the influential editor of the National and English Review, published sharp criticism of Elizabeth and her “tweedy” advisers. Then he launched into a personal attack on the queen herself, complaining about everything from her voice to her “priggish schoolgirl” demeanor.

The criticism—and the debate it generated—prompted the queen to make lasting changes. Though the queen kept the monarch’s prerogative to appoint prime ministers, she would defer to political parties’ choice of prime minister for the rest of her life. And, in a nod toward equality, the queen eventually did away with the custom of presenting upper-crust debutantes at court, a long-standing tradition seen by some as evidence of a privilege unfairly extended to an elite minority.

A troubled nation

British society was changing and so was the monarchy. During her reign, Elizabeth faced a seemingly endless parade of crises, from economic malaise in the 1970s and 1980s to the international woes of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic in the 21st century. But some events hit closer to home than others.

One such event was the Aberfan mine disaster in 1966, a landslide in which 144 people, many of them schoolchildren, were killed. After refusing to visit the Welsh community until more than a week after the incident, Elizabeth faced deep criticism for what some saw as leaving her subjects in the lurch. The queen reportedly considered her bungled response to the disaster to be the biggest regret of her reign.

The Troubles, a three-decades-long conflict between nationalists and unionists in Northern Ireland, was another crucible. The violence left more than 3,600 dead and more than 30,000 injured. The Troubles also touched Elizabeth personally: Her second cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten was assassinated by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1979. It would take until 2011 for Elizabeth to make an official state visit to the Republic of Ireland, where she offered her sympathy to the victims of the Troubles. Despite her words—the closest a member of the Royal Family ever came to apologizing for Britain’s reprisals during the conflict—tensions continued to simmer in Northern Ireland, especially in the throes of Brexit, which threatened trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Pomp and circumstance

As a mother of four—Prince Andrew was born in 1960 and Prince Edward in 1964—the queen hewed carefully to her symbolic duties. Every year, she presided at the State Opening of Parliament, delivering a speech to the assembled members of the Houses of Commons and Lords. (During her reign she missed only three appearances; twice while pregnant with her younger sons and once in 2022 as concerns for her health increased.)

State events were filled with pitfalls of procedure and etiquette. But for the queen, there was a practical annoyance: the weight of her nearly five-pound Imperial State Crown. “You can’t look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up. Because if you did, your neck would break—it would fall off,” she told the BBC in a 2018 documentary. “So there are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise they’re quite important things.” As the queen aged, she began wearing a lighter-weight diadem to Parliament instead.

Another tradition was the royal Christmas message, a speech broadcast first by radio, then by television to a worldwide audience. During the annual messages, which her grandfather first instituted, Elizabeth offered thanks and encouragement to the people of the Commonwealth and commented on the most pressing issues of the time.

And then there were the jubilees—anniversary celebrations of the queen’s ever lengthening rule. The queen would often travel throughout the Commonwealth of Nations during jubilee years, and she used the jubilee celebrations as chances to greet her subjects and focus on the unity and progress of her nation and the Commonwealth.

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In 1969, she presided over a very personal ceremony: the investiture of her oldest son, Charles, as Prince of Wales. As her son knelt before her at Caernarfon Castle, she placed a jewel-studded coronet on his head and presented him to the Welsh people as their prince.

Family matters

Over the years, the queen survived multiple assassination attempts. But those were arguably less traumatic than the family conflicts that rocked her personal life and shook public confidence in the monarchy.

The queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, caused a furor when tabloids published photos of her cavorting with her lover in 1976. Though Margaret’s subsequent divorce scandalized the family, Elizabeth gave it her blessing. It was just a preview of the strife to come.

The fallout of the tempestuous marriage and separation of Charles III and Princess Diana led Elizabeth to refer to 1992 as her “annus horribilis,” a year that also included a catastrophic fire at Windsor Castle, the divorce of Princess Anne, and the separation of Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah.

When Diana died in a tragic car crash while being pursued by paparazzi in 1997, her former mother-in-law was condemned for her seeming lack of emotion. But in private, the queen expressed her grief, writing to a friend that Diana’s death was “dreadfully sad.” In the aftermath, she protected and cared for her grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

A stiff upper lip

Elizabeth’s troubles didn’t end then. Her son Prince Andrew was linked to infamous American financier Jeffrey Epstein and accused of sexually assaulting a minor Epstein had allegedly trafficked. Under increasing public pressure and after a widely criticized television interview in which Prince Andrew downplayed Epstein’s actions and denied any wrongdoing, he stepped down from public life in November 2019 and returned his royal patronages and military titles to the queen in January 2022.

In January 2020, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, announced they would step back from the royal family and become financially independent. They also alleged that Meghan, who is biracial, had received racist treatment from members of the royal inner circle. Though the couple’s retreat to the United States reportedly came as a blow to the queen, the monarch retained a relationship with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from afar and was said to have been “overjoyed” that the pair named their second child Lilibet.

Another blow came in 2021, when Philip, the longest-serving royal consort in British history, died at age 99. Images of the queen sitting alone at her husband’s funeral, which was kept small to conform with the British government’s coronavirus-era restrictions, vividly illustrated the queen’s loss. But through it all, she presented a placid face to the world.

Intensely private though she was, the queen was also known to be warm and witty. She doted on her corgis and relished her summer retreats to Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she could go on long walks and picnics, drive her Range Rover, and visit with her royal ponies. A committed horsewoman, she was a fixture at horse shows and races and could be spotted in the saddle into her 90s.

But for the woman who committed to serving her country at the age of just 25, her country was never far from her thoughts. She remained active and involved in public events into her mid-90s and never turned away from her responsibilities as queen. “These are the things that, at her age, she shouldn’t be doing, yet she’s carrying on and doing them,” her grandson Prince Harry said in a 2012 interview. So, what did the resilient queen make of her own boundary-breaking life? She reportedly joked, “I have to be seen to be believed.”

Elizabeth could find the humor in her complicated destiny. And for those who loved her—her millions of subjects, her loving family, and her fans around the world—she was much more than a figurehead. “In the days when it was a man’s world, it was very difficult for her to . . . make a difference,” her grandson Prince William said in a 2019 interview. “And she’s done it. In her own very unique, distinct way.”

To the end, she retained the calm resolve of the young woman who accepted her royal fate so many years before—a life of duty and service, accomplished as no one but Elizabeth could.

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The life and legacy of Britain’s longest-serving monarch

LONDON — She was born a royal but with little hope of wearing the crown. 

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, known by her family as Lilibet , was born April 21, 1926 — third in line to the throne after her uncle and her father. But a scandalous royal love affair changed the course of Lilibet’s life and paved the way for her to become the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch, a much-admired symbol of comfort and continuity and arguably the most famous woman in the world. 

Elizabeth’s reign lasted from the industrial age to the internet age — 70 years of endurance and stoicism in which she met generations of legendary, mostly male, global leaders and helped steer Britain through the loss of its empire and its emergence as a midsized multicultural nation.

Follow NBC News’ live coverage here

From a young queen to the grandmother of the nation, decade after decade she smiled, waved, shook hands and chatted with a vast number of her subjects and admirers, despite family scandals and the tragedy of a dead princess.  

Her cool, reliable cheerfulness made her overwhelmingly popular with the British public.

Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday . Her eldest son, Charles, is now king.

On the eve of World War II, her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 after his marriage proposal to an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson, erupted in a scandal that engulfed the royal family and embroiled the country’s politicians. 

Elizabeth’s father became a reluctant King George VI, making Elizabeth the direct heir to the crown. 

Elizabeth assumed the throne in 1952 at the age of 25 after the sudden death of her father in his sleep at 56. In the 70 years since, she worked with 15 British prime ministers and met every U.S. president during her time as queen except Lyndon Johnson. The vast majority of Britons have never known another monarch, and she remained overwhelmingly popular until her death.

She reigned against the backdrop of vast cultural and political transformations — the end of Britain’s age of deference and its empire, and the advent of globalization and the multimedia age. Throughout, she and her family experienced unprecedented levels of public exposure and, at times, a fractious relationship with the media.

Elizabeth also oversaw the monarchy’s evolution into a champion of a diminished United Kingdom at home and abroad, and she worked tirelessly to keep the crown relevant in a changing world. A source of unending fascination to many, she’s been the subject of movies, plays and TV series, including “The Crown,” “The Queen,” and “The Royal House of Windsor.”

“She has throughout her reign managed to make people feel that she is the spirit and the soul of the country,” said Clive Irving, the author of “The Last Queen: How Queen Elizabeth II Saved the Monarchy.” “She gives over a maternal feeling. She’s a safe pair of hands at the top. No one else has ever been able to convey that as she did.”

That was evident most recently during the pandemic, when early on the queen addressed the U.K. in a rare broadcast to urge her subjects to show the same “self-discipline” and “quiet good-humored resolve” that characterized previous generations.

The queen, whose image adorns stamps, money and mailboxes, is more than a mere figurehead: She played an essential role in the functioning of the U.K. as a constitutional monarchy. After an election, it is the U.K.’s monarch who calls on the political parties to form a government. The monarch also must give assent to all legislation passed by Parliament, and meets weekly with the prime minister to discuss government matters. They are legally allowed to “advise and warn” the government’s ministers.

Crucial to what is widely seen as a successful reign was Elizabeth’s ability to appear ubiquitous and at the same time remain an enigma. She accomplished this by avoiding expressing her political views or making controversial statements in public — no mean feat for someone constantly in the limelight. This meant keeping her own counsel during thousands of events, appearances and speeches, according to Philip Murphy, the director of history and policy at the University of London.

“She has an incredible capacity for repeating the same sorts of rather dull official events which clearly mean an awful lot to other people,” said Murphy. “So much of being a constitutional monarch is the repetition of boring regimes, and there’s something about her that has never rebelled against that. She would call that a sense of duty.”

During the war, Elizabeth and her sister went to live in Windsor, while their parents stayed in London despite the heavy bombardment from German bombers. She made her first radio address in 1940, speaking to other children who had been separated from their families to keep them safe. 

Toward the end of the conflict, the princess joined the all-female Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a mechanic. 

It was during the war that the young royal began to date her future husband.  

Philip , her third cousin, was a Greek prince but had spent most of his childhood in the U.K. His family fled Greece after a revolution and were largely penniless. The couple first crossed paths in 1934 at a family wedding and then met again in 1939 when she was 13 and he was 18. While he was stationed abroad during the war, they wrote letters to each other, but his background and her youth were a cause of concern to other members of the royal family. 

During their courtship, Philip and Elizabeth would go out driving in Philip’s tiny MG sports car, as well as dancing at London nightclubs. The couple announced their engagement in July 1947 after Elizabeth returned from her first trip abroad to South Africa. They wed that November, and Philip renounced his Greek title and became a British citizen.

Two years later, they moved to Malta, where Philip was stationed with the British Navy and she lived as an officer’s wife, far from the public eye. Royal observers have speculated that these were some of the happiest years of Elizabeth’s life, a time when she was able to drive her own car and mingle with other officers’ wives without the layers of security and protocol that have defined her reign. 

Their relative freedom was cut short when King George, who’s health had long been precarious, suddenly deteriorated. At the time of his death in February 1952, Elizabeth was in Kenya on a royal tour with Philip. After word reached an aide, Philip broke the news to Elizabeth during a walk.

Royal experts say it was Elizabeth’s husband, five years her senior, who helped guide the young queen in the early years.

“She was so young when she ascended the throne,” royal biographer Ingrid Seward said, adding that Elizabeth followed much of the tradition her father had established. “Everything was completely archaic. It was so old-fashioned. I think more than anyone, Prince Philip helped move the monarchy up.”

That was particularly evident in the way he helped revamp the royal estates — the land and holdings belonging to the crown — making their operations profitable, she said.

Philip’s influence on the monarchy as an institution was mirrored in their personal lives, as well.

In one of her more revealing speeches about her husband on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary in 1997, the queen referred to his “constant love and help” and said, “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.”

Philip, who retired from his official royal duties in 2017, died in April 2021 at the age of 99. He and Elizabeth were married for 73 years.

In addition to Prince Charles, Elizabeth is survived by two sons, Princes Andrew and Edward; a daughter, Princess Anne; four grandsons; four granddaughters; and 12 great-grandchildren.

Over her 70-year reign , the queen eased the U.K. into its new post-World War II role, which had been diminished after the loss of its colonies around the world.

The queen placed a strong emphasis on her position as the head of the Commonwealth , a loose alliance of more than 50 countries, many of which are former British colonies.

“The queen had to work out how to manage decline — the dissolution of the empire, coming to terms with diminished power — but she also understood that diminished power does not have to mean diminished quality,” Irving said.

Her extensive travels around the globe, many on her beloved royal yacht Britannia, helped raise the profile of the U.K. and brought a dose of glamor to the places she visited. In 1961, she visited the former British colony of Ghana, which had gained independence just a few years earlier in 1957. During that trip, a charm offensive in one of the first members of the Commonwealth , she was filmed dancing with the country’s leader, Kwame Nkrumah, at a time when segregation still existed in the U.S.

Like with so much else that the queen does, it was her actions and not her words that carried weight. 

“A man could not have done it,” historian Nat Nunoo Amarteifio said in the BBC documentary “The Queen: Her Commonwealth Story.” “Here is our president, being respected enough by the queen of England for her to put her arms around him.”

While she was lauded for her work abroad, she was also praised for opening up the royal household and giving the public a glimpse of the family’s life at home.

A 1969 documentary, “Royal Family,” revealed the royal couple’s private life for the first time, showing Elizabeth and Philip having dinnertime conversations and engaging in other regular activities, including barbecuing.

“People realized they weren’t gods. They were real people,” Seward said. “A lot of people said this was a turning point.”

While the queen’s steady consistency was largely considered a boon for the monarchy, her children and grandchildren’s lives have occasionally been a thorn in the side of monarchists. 

Most recently, her grandson Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan , accused an unnamed member of the royal family of asking how dark the skin of their children would be. The couple gave up their royal duties and left the U.K. in 2020. 

Just before their departure, the queen was faced with a growing scandal around her son Prince Andrew’s friendship with the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew stepped down from his public duties in support of the queen in November 2019, and she stayed largely silent on the topic.  

Despite the recent challenges facing the monarchy, its popularity has remained high. That hasn’t always been the case. 

In the early 1990s, Charles’ rocky marriage to Princess Diana was all over the news, eventually ending in divorce in 1992. In one of the queen’s most famous speeches marking the 40th anniversary of her ascension, she referred to 1992 as an “annus horribilis,” or disastrous year. Speaking just days after a blaze destroyed a large part of her Windsor Castle residence, the queen made a plea for understanding, saying that “most people try to do their jobs as best they can, even if the result is not always entirely successful.”  

Five years later, when Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris and the world mourned, Elizabeth was criticized for staying silent for days and hunkering down at her home in Scotland with Charles and Diana’s sons, her grandsons Princes William and Harry. Satisfaction with the way she was doing her job dipped to 66 percent after that, according to the U.K. polling company Ipsos Mori. (At the time of her 60th anniversary on the throne in 2012, her popularity had risen to 90 percent.)

“I think that was an extremely challenging time for the monarchy, because people couldn’t understand why the royal family weren’t responding as they wanted to,” Seward said of Diana’s death. “In times of great tragedy, they just always lock down. ... They don’t grieve in public. And people wanted more than that.”

When the queen finally returned to London nearly a week later, she paid tribute to Diana . “I for one believe there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death,” Elizabeth said.

She acknowledged in a 1997 speech that the monarchy “exists only with the support and consent of the people.” 

In September 2015, she became the longest-serving monarch in British history, surpassing her great-great-grandmother Victoria’s record of 63 years, 216 days.

“Inevitably a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception,” the queen noted at the time.

While she carried on working until the end, meeting foreign dignitaries, visiting cities around the U.K., supporting charities and promoting her kingdom at home and abroad, she had canceled a number of appearances and events toward the end. 

Perhaps the greatest measure of Elizabeth’s success in carrying the House of Windsor into the future will be how it continues on in her absence. Charles, 73, now becomes king , a role he’s been groomed for since birth. 

At his 70th birthday celebration, in November 2018, Elizabeth called him “a dedicated and respected heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history — and a wonderful father.”

Yet his popularity is nowhere near as high as his mother’s, coming in sixth on YouGov’s royal popularity ranking, behind his sister, Anne.

While most Britons “love” the queen, Irving said, “the question is how relevant does the monarchy remain after the queen.”

Rachel Elbaum is a London-based editor, producer and writer. 

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Elizabeth II: Facts & Related Content

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica , and create and manage the relationships between them.

Did You Know?

• The Princess Elizabeth became an honorary colonel of the Grenadier Guards regiment in 1942.
• The surname Windsor proudly retained by Queen Elizabeth II was first assumed by the British royals during World War I.
• Princess Elizabeth was christened in a lace gown originally worn by Queen Elizabeth I.

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A timeline of Queen Elizabeth’s life

LONDON (AP) — Key milestones in the life of Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at age 96 after serving more than seven decades on the throne.

READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, dies at 96

• April 21, 1926: Born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary in Mayfair, London, the first child of the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later called the Queen Mother.
• Dec. 10, 1936: Elizabeth becomes heir-apparent to the throne after her uncle King Edward VIII abdicates and her father becomes king.
• Oct. 13, 1940: Elizabeth makes first public speech at age 14 on the BBC Children’s Hour to reassure children who had been separated from their parents during the Blitz.
• 1945: Elizabeth is made a Subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, serving for Britain during World War II.
• Nov. 20, 1947: Elizabeth marries Prince Philip Mountbatten of Greece and Denmark at Westminster Abbey.
• Nov. 14, 1948: Prince Charles, now Prince of Wales, heir-apparent to the throne, is born.
• Aug. 15, 1950: Elizabeth’s second child and only daughter, Anne, the Princess Royal, is born.
• Feb. 6, 1952: Elizabeth becomes queen upon the death of her father George VI.
• June 2, 1953: Crowned in a grand coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. She sets out on a tour of the Commonwealth, visiting places including Bermuda, Fiji, Tonga, Australia, and Gibraltar.
• Feb. 19, 1960: Elizabeth’s third child, Prince Andrew, is born.
• March 10, 1964: Elizabeth’s fourth child, Prince Edward, is born.
• May 1965: Elizabeth makes a historic visit to West Germany, the first German visit by a British monarch in 52 years.

• 1977: Elizabeth celebrates her Silver Jubilee, which marks 25 years on the throne.
• 1992: Elizabeth has what she describes as an “annus horribilis,” or a “horrible year.” The year sees marriages for three of her four children end. Also that year, a fire damages Windsor Castle. Public outcry over the cost of repairs amid a recession prompts the queen to volunteer to pay income taxes.
• Aug. 31, 1997: Princess Diana dies in a car crash in Paris. Under public pressure to demonstrate her grief, Elizabeth makes an unprecedented television broadcast in tribute to Diana’s memory.
• 2002: Elizabeth marks 50 years of reign with her Golden Jubilee. The year also sees the deaths of Elizabeth’s mother and her sister, Margaret.
• Dec. 20, 2007: Elizabeth becomes the longest-living British monarch, overtaking Victoria.
• May 2011: Elizabeth makes a historic visit to Ireland — the first visit by a British monarch since Irish independence.
• 2012: Elizabeth marks 60 years of her reign with a Diamond Jubilee .
• Sept. 9, 2015: Elizabeth surpasses Queen Victoria and becomes the longest-serving monarch in British history.
• June 11, 2016: Britain celebrates Elizabeth’s official 90th birthday with three days of national festivities.

READ MORE: King Charles III will succeed Queen Elizabeth II. Who is next in line to take the throne?

• Feb. 6, 2017: Elizabeth becomes the first British monarch to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee , marking 65 years on the throne.
• March 2020: Elizabeth and Philip move from Buckingham Palace in London to Windsor Castle at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
• April 9, 2021: Prince Philip, Elizabeth’s husband of 73 years, dies at age 99 .
• Oct. 20, 2021: Elizabeth spends a night in a London hospital undergoing health tests. She cancels major engagements in subsequent months, on doctors’ orders to only undertake light duties.
• Feb. 6, 2022: Elizabeth becomes first British monarch to reach a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years as sovereign.
• June 2022: Elizabeth makes limited public appearances during a four-day holiday weekend celebrating her Platinum Jubilee .
• Sept. 6, 2022: Elizabeth meets Boris Johnson and Liz Truss at her summer holiday home in Scotland to oversee the handover of power from the outgoing prime minster to his successor. The ceremonies, traditionally held at Buckingham Palace in London, were moved to Balmoral for the first time in the queen’s reign in light of her mobility problems.
• Sept. 8, 2022: Elizabeth dies at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at age 96. Her eldest son becomes King Charles III.

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Queen Elizabeth II: Her life before she took the crown

When Princess Elizabeth was born it was never expected that she would become Queen.

Her father was King George V's second son, so it was thought she would live the life of a very minor royal.

But when her uncle unexpectedly quit the throne, he laid the path for her to become the longest-serving monarch in UK history.

With no male siblings, the stage was set for Elizabeth to one day take the crown.

Unlike most royal babies of the time Elizabeth wasn't born in a palace or a castle.

She was born in a house in Mayfair, where there's now a Cantonese restaurant, and was nicknamed Lilibet.

When she was born her parents were the Duke and Duchess of York but 10 years later they became king and queen.

Grandpa England was what Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret called their granddad, King George V.

They first made appearances on the Buckingham Palace balcony with their grandparents.

Even at a young age, she would greet the public with her famous royal wave.

Elizabeth's dad unexpectedly became king when his brother gave up the throne to marry an American divorcee.

It meant that she had to be home-schooled and taught subjects such as constitutional history.

Even though she was a princess, she didn't have many friends her own age so a Girl Guides company was created at the palace.

During World War II Elizabeth made her first public speech to the children of the Commonwealth.

Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret hoped to reach many children who were living away from home because of the war.

"When peace comes, remember it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place."

Elizabeth joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service during the war and was known as Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor.

She trained as a driver and drove a military truck.

The princess was sometimes referred to as No 230873 while she served.

Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten two years after the war.

The princess had to collect clothing ration coupons for her dress, like every other bride in Britain at the time.

Unlike others, her wedding service was broadcast to 200 million people around the world.

Prince Charles was born in 1948.

Elizabeth and Philip went on to have three more children, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

Their family would continue to grow, with eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Upon the death of her father in 1952, Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II.

She was crowned a year later in Westminster Abbey and broadcast a speech to the Commonwealth.

"Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust," she said.

Obituary: A long life marked by a sense of duty

Queen Elizabeth II: A life in pictures

This is the moment history stops

King Charles III, the new monarch

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Of the many pupils fondly remembered by Horace Smith, Royal Riding Master throughout the reigns of six British Monarchs, one young rider was always held in the very highest esteem. At the age of 12, having already distinguished herself as a gifted and eager horsewoman, Princess Elizabeth confided to her teacher that, had she not been born to be Queen, she would “like to be a lady living in the country with lots of horses and dogs”.

These youthful remarks are revealing indeed, demonstrating not only a genuine passion for an aspect of Royal life that outsiders often dismiss as mere pomp and ceremony, but also for a remarkable degree of prescience and acuity. Even as a child, Princess Elizabeth understood the full significance of the role into which she had been born; and yet coupled with that awareness was an ardent desire to lead a simple, traditional country life. Little could the Princess have imagined then just how prophetic her words would be; for it is perhaps this blend of her sense of regal duty with a love of simple pleasures that came so uniquely to characterise the style of Elizabeth II’s reign.

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London at 17 Bruton Street, at 2.40am on April 21, 1926. She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, subsequently King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. With the Victorian era not three decades past, it might appear peculiar that Elizabeth’s parents applied so thoroughly modern a manner of bringing up their daughter – for, from the outset, it was decided that the Princess’s life was to be as normal as possible.

No longer was the future Monarch to be sheltered from her people’s concerns by Royal excess and opulence; instead, she was to understand the inescapable reality of a nation still coming to terms with the loss of so many of its sons in the First World War. She was born in the year of the General Strike, and British society was undergoing a profound change. Accordingly, the Duke and Duchess of York were determined that Elizabeth should neither be shielded nor spoilt.

Much of the Princess’s early years were spent at the family home at 145 Piccadilly. Her parents’ commitment to providing the future Queen with an appreciation of both her privileges and her responsibilities was absolute. Yet Princess Elizabeth’s first year of life proved a rather solitary affair. Duty-bound to undertake an official visit to Australia in order to open its new Commonwealth Parliament, her parents were obliged to leave her in the hands of her nanny, Clara “Alla” Knight. This early separation was not as traumatic as one might expect – on the contrary, it served to forge an unbreakable bond between Elizabeth and her grandparents. King George V and Queen Mary were immediately entranced by their granddaughter, and proudly informed her parents of every new tooth and word.

When the Yorks returned in June 1927, they found a loving, confident, and slightly mischievous child. “Tillabet”, as the Princess referred to herself, was always ready to amuse. During that year’s Christmas party for the tenants of the Sandringham Estate, she clambered on to the dining table and proceeded to pelt the guests with cracker after cracker, handed to her by her mother.

Her well-developed sense of fun was equally evident in the games that she persuaded her grandfather to play with her. The Archbishop of Canterbury was once utterly discombobulated when, upon attending an audience with George V, he found the King crawling on all fours across the floor, pretending to be a horse, and the young Princess taking the role of groom.

By 1936, the elderly Monarch was dead, and “Tillabet” had become “Lilibet”, the affectionate name by which she is known to her family to this very day. She had gained a little sister, five years previously, with the birth of Princess Margaret. Princess Elizabeth was initially educated at home, although the Duchess of York had always harboured the hope that one day her daughter would attend public school, and thus learn about matters both intellectual and social. This, however, was not to be, as the new King, Edward VIII, had decided that it would not do for a Princess to be educated alongside commoners, and thus Elizabeth received the entirety of her instruction in private.

Given contemporary circumstances, it may well have been the case that the King was merely trying to minimise the level of press scrutiny on the affairs of the Royal Family. His relationship with Wallis Simpson was soon to become the United Kingdom’s most popular source of common gossip, and there can be little doubt that he was apprehensive as to the public reaction when news of her divorce came to light. By the end of 1937, Elizabeth’s life had changed dramatically: Edward VIII had abdicated, her father had been crowned King George VI, and she was Heiress Presumptive to the Throne.

Despite the requisite move to Buckingham Palace, and the ever-increasing pressure of life as the daughter of the King, the 11-year-old Elizabeth was essentially unchanged. Her propensity for pranks and play had been replaced by a more mature and responsible attitude to life and duty, but her formidable sense of humour remained very much intact.

As befitted an Heiress Presumptive, she took it upon herself to discover all she could about the matters that would one day form the basis of her ruling life. She began to attend lessons in constitutional history at Eton College, one of England’s most illustrious and intellectually demanding public schools. Soon, her love of all things historical led her to broaden her education in order to take in the history of Europe. A famous anecdote recounts the occasion on which Princess Marie Louise apologised to her fellow guests at a dinner party held at Windsor Castle for having spoken for so long about her life. With her customary warmth and sincerity, Princess Elizabeth answered: “But Cousin Louise, it’s history, and therefore so thrilling!”

The Princess’s idyllic days of study and self-improvement were soon to be curtailed by the menacing shadow that had fallen over Europe. Hitler’s National Socialist Party, in power since 1933, held Germany in its thrall, and, once again unified with Austria, was threatening to drag the world into another bloody conflict. When war came in September 1939, the people of Great Britain dug deeply, and pulled together as never before. The arbitrary divisions of class were rapidly cast aside as London was pounded by the full force of Germany’s Luftwaffe aircraft.

Princess Elizabeth decided it was time to show that she was ready to assume the full weight of her Royal responsibilities. Realising the need to boost morale, she became the patron of organisations whose work she valued. Already President of charities such as the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children in Hackney, east London, and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, she embarked on a series of national visits with the King and Queen. She first bore the full weight of regal office at the age of 18, in 1944, when, during the King’s absence on a tour of the Italian battlefields, she performed many of the official duties of Head of State.

That August, standing at her mother’s side, Princess Elizabeth received an address from the House of Commons, and replied on behalf of the Crown. In 1945, the year in which she flew for the first time, the teenage Princess took a courageous decision: fiercely desirous of showing that she was resolved to do her bit for the war effort, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Services as Second Subaltern No. 230873, a rank equivalent to second lieutenant. It was at this time that Elizabeth truly began to fulfil her mother’s ambitions for her. Her contemporaries frequently remarked not only on how at ease she appeared, but also on what a capable driver she was!

By the end of the Second World War, the Heiress Presumptive to the British Throne had risen through the military hierarchy to become a Junior Commander and a fully qualified driver. Meanwhile, Hitler’s expansionist fantasies had been crushed by the Allies. Happier times, thankfully, were ahead. In 1947, Princess Elizabeth made her first official overseas visit to South Africa. That year, she took a pledge of dedication to the people of the Commonwealth.

The Princess’s role in service had demonstrated that “Lilibet” was now a mature and natural leader. Furthermore, she had achieved her majority. It was with little surprise, but much joy, that the public was informed of her engagement to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, son of Prince Andrew of Greece and great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. The couple had known each other for many years, and thus Prince Philip was the obvious and most popular match for Elizabeth, in the eyes of both senior courtiers and the British public. Even the characteristically fickle British press conceded that this was “clearly a match of choice not arrangement”.

They married on November 20, 1947, in Westminster Abbey. The couple were rapturously welcomed wherever they went by a nation sincerely proud of its Monarchy. This happiness was only enhanced by the announcement on November 14, 1948, that Princess Elizabeth had given birth to Prince Charles, a baby who was, by all accounts, the perfect likeness of George V, his great-grandfather. Two years later, a sister for the Prince, Princess Anne, was born.

The influence of Princess Elizabeth’s mother was obvious in her maternal attitude towards her children. Conscious of the impact and significance of the War, Elizabeth was convinced that her children needed to be modern Princes and Princesses, and resolved that they, like her, would not be shielded or spoilt, and that they would attend public school.

But as a new generation of the Royal Family was born, another began to fade. By 1952, King George VI was so seriously ill that Princess Elizabeth and her husband stepped in to take his place on a State visit to Australia and New Zealand. On their way there, in Kenya, the Heiress Presumptive was brought the news that her beloved father was dead, and that she had acceded to the Throne.

On June 2, 1953, as news of the Commonwealth’s conquest of Mount Everest arrived, the Princess returned to Westminster Abbey, in which she had been married just a few years earlier, to be crowned “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith”.

Princess Elizabeth had become Queen Elizabeth II, but she had never quite ceased to be “Lilibet” – the little girl who knew both her duty and her own mind, and was determined to be the best and the most “normal” regent that she could.

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Elizabeth II

Introduction.

At the age of just 25, Elizabeth II became queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . She came to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952. In 2015 she became the longest-reigning British monarch.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London, England, on April 21, 1926. The royal family belongs to the House of Windsor . Windsor is used as the family name, though the members of the family are known mostly by their given names. Elizabeth’s father was the second son of King George V, who died in 1936. George V’s oldest son reigned as King Edward VIII for only a short time. Then he surprised the world by giving up the throne. Elizabeth’s father took over as King George VI. As a result, the 10-year-old Elizabeth became next in line for the throne. The young princess began training for her future duties. She also studied history, languages, and music at home with her younger sister, Margaret Rose.

Marriage and Family

On February 6, 1952, King George VI died. Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II. Her coronation, or crowning ceremony, took place on June 2, 1953.

In 2002 Elizabeth reached her Golden Jubilee, or 50 years as queen. Only two other British monarchs had had a Golden Jubilee— George III in 1809 and Victoria in 1887. Both of those were celebrated with parties and fireworks displays. To mark Elizabeth’s anniversary in 2002, events were held throughout the United Kingdom.

Ten years later the queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years on the British throne. The official anniversary was in February 2012, but the major festivities took place in early June. The organized events included a parade of boats on the Thames River and a concert at Buckingham Palace, the queen’s home. In cities throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, people gathered to light a series of 2,012 beacons. (The Commonwealth is an association of countries that once were part of the British Empire.) On the final day of the celebration the queen appeared at several lunches, receptions, and a church service at Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Finally, a procession carried her back to Buckingham Palace, where she greeted the people of London from the balcony.

Queen Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her son Charles then became king of the United Kingdom.

Elizabeth’s funeral was held on September 19. Before that, thousands of people waited hours in line to walk past her casket. They came from all over the country to honor the queen. Her funeral took place in Westminster Abbey. After the ceremony her casket was brought to her burial place in Saint George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

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Home > New Materials > Book Lists > Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life and Reign

Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life and Reign

Queen Elizabeth II, who died September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, was the longest-serving monarch in British history. While she was not in direct line for the throne at birth, she became heir apparent at the age of 10 when the abdication of King Edward VIII, her uncle, made her father the monarch. A devotion to service—which began before she ascended the throne—was the hallmark of her reign. As a teenager during WWII, she made radio broadcasts to boost the morale of the British public, and after turning 18, she joined the women’s branch of the British army, where she was trained to become an auto mechanic. In a speech marking her 21st birthday Elizabeth said, "I declare before you that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service, and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."

When Elizabeth II traveled the globe, although she did not make political pronouncements, her official presence at events had the force of diplomatic statements. She participated in approximately 300 public events each year. She held weekly meetings with prime ministers, fifteen during the course of her reign, beginning with Winston Churchill and ending with Liz Truss just two days before her death.

There were some light-hearted events, too, like the queen’s tea with Paddington Bear. And she opened the 2012 Olympics with an elaborate video showing her being whisked away to a helicopter by Daniel Craig, portraying James Bond, where a stunt double dressed like Elizabeth parachuted into the opening ceremonies.

Queen Elizabeth II did not cut back on her appearances and duties until her final year, and then only on medical advice. For her Silver Jubilee in 1977, she reflected on her early promise of service: "Although that vow was made in my salad days, when I was green in judgment, I do not regret nor retract one word of it.”

All titles in this minibibliography can be requested from your local cooperating library. The digital talking-book titles can be downloaded through BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) . Contact your local cooperating library to register for BARD. Registered users can also download titles on iOS and Android devices using the BARD Mobile app. To find your local cooperating library, go to www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/find-a-local-library or call toll-free 888-NLS-READ (888-657-7323)

Queen Elizabeth II

Prince philip, king charles iii, other family members, elizabeth: a biography of britain's queen by sarah bradford.

An in-depth portrait of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Offers inside views--including scandals--of her parents and other forebears, sister, husband, and four children. Tells how she copes with the pressures of being head of state, wife, and mother in an era of tumultuous political and social change. 1996. Download DB51345

Royal Sisters: Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret by Anne Edwards

This dual biography intertwines the lives of Elizabeth II, who would become queen, and Margaret, who would forever remain in her shadow. Edwards shows how quickly they developed different personalities. Elizabeth became serious and reserved, while Margaret retained her feisty spirit. It also discusses the sisterly loyalty that has sustained them throughout life. 1990. Download DB33196

Queen of the World by Robert Hardman

A biography of Queen Elizabeth II, monarch of the United Kingdom, that focuses on her active role in international affairs as a diplomat, stateswoman, pioneer, and peace-broker. 2019. Download DB104603

Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II by Robert Lacey

Overview of the monarchy of Great Britain from Queen Victoria in the nineteenth century to Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee in 2002. Explores the crown's uneasy relationship with the press and Elizabeth's endurance of criticism over the misbehavior of members of her family. 2002. Download DB54923

The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II by Ben Pimlott

The author describes how Elizabeth II, who was never expected to become queen, was thrust toward the role after her uncle's abdication as king. Pimlott suggests that through no fault of Elizabeth's, political and social upheavals and scandals involving her children have come to threaten the existence of the monarchy since she began her reign in 1952. 1997. Download DB47203

Queen and Country: The Fifty-Year Reign of Elizabeth II by William Shawcross

British historian recounts the life and times of Great Britain's queen from her 1952 ascent to the throne to her 2002 Golden Jubilee. Describes how Elizabeth II adjusted to modern times the ancient monarchy she inherited, surviving notable challenges, among them the tabloid reports of her family's affairs. 2002. Download BR14333

Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith

Biography of Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (born 1926) by the author of Diana in Search of Herself (RC 48833). Covers her childhood, coronation, and work ethic. Includes anecdotes about palace intrigues and her relationships with family, friends, and politicians. Concludes with Queen Elizabeth II's 2012 Diamond Jubilee. Bestseller. 2012. Download DB74430

Young Elizabeth by Kate Williams

An account of Queen Elizabeth II's life as a young adult, her public life, her work with the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, and her forward-looking thinking upon rising to the crown. Examines how the young queen carved out a role distinct from that of her parents and grandparents. 2012 Download DB84815

Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II by Philip Eade

Biography of Great Britain's prince consort Philip (born 1921), the grandson of King George I of Greece. Describes Philip's childhood in Greece, France, Nazi Germany, and England. Continues through his 1947 marriage to Princess Elizabeth II of England and her 1952 ascension to the throne. 2011. Download DB76642

Philip, the Man Behind the Monarchy by Unity Hall

Analyzes and documents the difficult life of Prince Philip, husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Hall views Philip, as an intriguing mix of ambition and dedication who decided early on to marry Elizabeth, thus carving out a career for himself. Hall also asserts that while Elizabeth and Philip are very different personalities, they are, and always have been, devoted to each other. 1987. Download DB28905

Prince Charles by Anthony Holden

Heir to the world's only surviving major monarchy and to one of the greatest fortunes on earth is viewed as a complex, conservative figure who has become an accomplished ambassador for Britain overseas. Download DB14027

Prince Charles by Sally Bedell Smith

A biography of Prince Charles. Using years of research and hundreds of interviews, the author sheds light on the death of Diana, Charles's marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne. Begins with his lonely childhood, follows his years at school, his many pursuits, and his complicated familial relationships. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2017. Download DB88248

Diana's Boys: William and Harry and the Mother They Loved by Christopher P. Andersen

Portraits of the princes William and Harry, with and without their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Andersen describes the boys' development from hellions to seemingly well-adjusted adolescents, and the roles of Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, and Camilla Parker Bowles after Diana's death. He also looks at the women in William's life. Bestseller. 2001. Download DB52908

Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown

A portrait of the famous English royal, sister to Queen Elizabeth II, drawn through interviews, parodies, dreams, parallel lives, diaries, announcements, lists, catalogues, and essays. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2017. Download DB91978

Spare by Harry, Prince. Duke of Sussex

"It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is that story at last. Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight. At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love. Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief." -- Provided by publisher.; Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2023. Download DB112017

Battle of Brothers: William and Harry–The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult by Robert Lacey

The biographer who wrote Sir Walter Raleigh (DB11467) explores the relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry throughout their childhood and as adults. He reflects on their former closeness and later estrangement, as well as the role that their vastly different futures may have played in their dynamic. 2020. Download DB103291

Diana, William, and Harry by James Patterson and Chris Mooney

"From the moments William and Harry are born into the House of Windsor, they become their young mother's whole world. I've got two very healthy, strong boys. I realize how incredibly lucky I am, Diana reminds herself every morning. But even the Princess of Wales questions, Am I a good mother? Diana's faced with a seemingly impossible challenge: one son destined to be King of England and another determined to find his own way. She teaches them to honor royal tradition, even while daring to break it. "Sometimes I'd like a time machine..." Diana says as William and Harry grow up, never imagining they'd have less than a lifetime together. Even after she's gone, her sons follow their mother's lead—and her heart. As the years pass and William and Harry grow into adulthood and form families of their own, they carry on Diana's name, her likeness, and her incomparable spirit." -- Provided by publisher.; Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2022. Download DB110618

Game of Crowns: Elizabeth, Camilla, Kate, and the Throne by Christopher P. Andersen

An examination of the lives, loves, and relationships among the women of the early twenty-first century British royal family—Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla Parker Bowles, and Kate Middleton. Discusses their backgrounds and both the similarities and differences in the trajectories of their lives. 2016. Download DB88655

Royal Service: My Twelve Years as Valet to Prince Charles by Stephen P. Barry

The man who traveled around the globe with Prince Charles for twelve years prior to the royal marriage takes readers into Buckingham Palace and reveals what it was really like to be a commoner living and working side-by-side with royalty. His candid memoir details the differences with clarity, humor, and affection. 1983. Download DB19617

Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner

A memoir from a close member of the royal circle and lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, who was a friend of Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth II since childhood. Describes her experiences witnessing landmark moments in royal history and shares intimate stories from her time as Princess Margaret's closest confidante. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020. Download DB98917

HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style by Elizabeth Holmes

Journalist examines the lives and fashion choices of members of the British royal family—Queen Elizabeth II; Princess Diana; Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge; and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. Holmes analyzes the ways the royals use fashion to convey messages about values, interests, and priorities. 2020. Download DB101938

At Home with the Royal Family by Paul James and Peter Russell

Russell, a former butler to the royal household, and James, a "veteran chronicler of the members of royalty," offer details of behind-the-palace-walls life. This is not a sampler of royal gossip, but an informed account of the day-to-day running of the court explained with thorough knowledge and ingratiating humor. 1986. Download BR07326

The Other Side of the Coin by Angela Kelly

"When Angela Kelly and The Queen are together, laughter echoes through the corridors of Buckingham Palace. Angela has worked with The Queen and walked the corridors of the Royal Household for twenty-five years, initially as Her Majesty's Senior Dresser and then latterly as Her Majesty's Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe and In-house Designer. As the first person in history to hold this title, she shares a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen. In The Other Side of the Coin , The Queen has personally given Angela her blessing to share their extraordinary bond with the world. Whether it's preparing for a formal occasion or brightening Her Majesty's day with a playful joke, Angela's priority is to serve and support. Sharing charming anecdotes of their time spent together, this revealing book provides memorable insights into what it's like to work closely with The Queen, to curate her wardrobe and to discover a true and lasting connection along the way. 'The book documents the unique working relationship between Her Majesty The Queen and the woman who has been her Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser for more than two decades: Angela Kelly. It gives a rare insight into the demands of the job of supporting the Monarch, and we gain privileged insight into a successful working relationship, characterized by humor, creativity, hard work, and a mutual commitment to service and duty. Angela is a talented and inspiring woman, who has captured the highlights of her long career with The Queen for us all to share.'" -- Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019. Download DB112661

The Queen & Her Court: A Guide to the British Monarchy Today by Jerrold M. Packard

A close look at the royal family, their lives, personalities, associates, and residences. Also explains various titles and ranks and what they signify, how to address members of the nobility, and customs surrounding the royal family and the court. 1981. Download BR05279

The Rise and Fall of the House of Windsor by A.N. Wilson

According to Queen Elizabeth II, 1992 was an "annus horribilis." In that year, the family that was supposed to represent the ideal family of stability, to which the British could look for example, suffered many changes. Wilson looks at the House of Windsor in its crisis by examining the influence of the press, royal marriages, religion, and the Constitution. 1993. Download DB37913

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Queen Elizabeth II Biography

Birthday: April 21 , 1926 ( Taurus )

Born In: Mayfair, London, England

Queen Elizabeth II was the queen of the UK and the other Commonwealth realms. She reigned for 70 years and seven months, which is the and was the longest reign of any British monarch in history. She was revered by her subjects for her administrative acumen and unequivocal empathy towards all factions of the society. Mesmerized by her larger-than-life persona, filmmaker Michael Waldman once quipped, “The more time I spent filming our queen, the more I was struck by the strange idiosyncrasies of her life.” The fact that she was the only female royal to have joined the military services and served in the military during ‘World War II,’ bears testimony to her loyalty and devotion towards her country and countrymen. Post the tumultuous phase of the ‘Second World War,’ Elizabeth ushered England into an era of hope and prosperity. Patron of innumerable charitable organizations, Elizabeth II has also been subjected to various controversies. She faced media criticism after the breakdowns of her children's marriages and the death of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales.

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Also Known As: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary

Died At Age: 96

Spouse/Ex-: Duke of Edinburgh (m. 1947), Prince Philip

father: George VI , King George VI

mother: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon , Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

siblings: Princess Margaret

children: Charles, Charles, Prince of Wales , Duke of York, Earl of Wessex, Prince Andrew, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Prince Edward, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Prince of Wales, Princess Anne

Born Country: England

Philanthropists Empresses & Queens

Height: 1.63 m

Died on: September 8 , 2022

Personality: ISFJ

City: London, England

You wanted to know

How long did queen elizabeth ii reign as the queen of england.

Queen Elizabeth II reigned as the Queen of England for 70 years. 

What was Queen Elizabeth II's favorite breed of dog?

Queen Elizabeth II had a preference for Corgis as her favorite breed of dog.

Did Queen Elizabeth II have a favorite residence?

Buckingham Palace was considered Queen Elizabeth II's primary and favorite residence.

What were some of Queen Elizabeth II's hobbies?

Some of Queen Elizabeth II's hobbies included horseback riding and reading.

What was Queen Elizabeth II's official title?

Queen Elizabeth II's official title was "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."

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Elizabeth II was born Princess Elizabeth of York on 21 April 1926, in Mayfair, London, England, United Kingdom, to Albert Frederick Arthur George (George VI) and Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon. Elizabeth II is the grand-daughter of King George V and Queen Mary.

Elizabeth, along with her sister Margaret, started her education at home, and learned history, French, mathematics, geography, dancing, singing, and art.

Her unruffled childhood took a decisive turn when her grandfather King George V passed away and her uncle Edward VIII abdicated the throne to be with his lady love and twice divorcee Wallis Simpson. Consequently, Elizabeth’s father was crowned king and she became the crown princess and next in line to the throne.

At the outbreak of the ‘Second World War,’ London was subjected to heavy bombardment. Subsequently, Elizabeth and her sister were shifted to ‘Balmoral Castle,’ Scotland where they stayed until the Christmas of 1939. They were later sent to ‘Sandringham House,’ Norfolk amidst growing concern over their safety.

Until May 1940, she stayed at the ‘Royal Lodge,’ Windsor, and was later shifted to ‘Windsor Castle,’ where she spent several years

She was appointed the colonel-in-chief of the ‘Grenadier Guards’ in 1942. A year later, she made her first solo public appearance and visited the infantry regiment. She also served as one of the five counselors of state in July 1944 when her father King George VI went on a trip to Italy.

Princess Elizabeth started accompanying her parents on official trips within England as well as abroad.

She was inducted into the ‘Welsh Gorsedd of Bards’ at the ‘National Eisteddfod of Wales’ in 1946. A year later, on her first official trip with her parents, she traveled to various Southern African countries.

In 1951, owing to her father’s declining health, she visited Canada and the USA in his stead.

When she was on a trip to Kenya, Australia, and New Zealand along with her husband, her father King George VI passed away. Subsequently, she was proclaimed as the sovereign of the Commonwealth realms in February 1952.

After her return from Kenya, it was anticipated that the royal house would bear the name of her husband and henceforth be known as the ‘House of Mountbatten.’

However, at the insistence of Queen Mary and the then-British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Elizabeth retained the name ‘House of Windsor.’ Her coronation took place at ‘Westminster Abbey’ on 2 June 1953. It was the first ever coronation ceremony to be televised.

During an impasse within the ‘Conservative Party,’ the queen was bestowed with the responsibility of appointing the leader of the party. Paying heed to the advice of the British cabinet and Winston Churchill, she appointed Harold Macmillan.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the African and the Caribbean countries were rapidly decolonizing and becoming sovereign states. During the Australian constitutional crisis, her decision not to interfere in the constitutional matter of the country helped speed up Australian Republicanism.

Following the victory of the 1991 ‘Gulf War,’ the queen addressed a joint session of the United States Congress, becoming the first British monarch to do so. During her speech in 1992, she described the year as ‘annus horribilis,’ meaning the horrible year; the year commemorated her 40th anniversary as the queen.

In 2002, the queen celebrated her golden jubilee as monarch, and embarked on a trip across her realm, starting from Jamaica in the Caribbean. In 2010, she addressed the ‘United Nations’ for the second time. A year later, she visited the Republic of Ireland, becoming the first British monarch to do so.

2012 witnessed Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee as the queen of England. In July 2012, she opened the ‘Olympics’ and ‘Paralympic’ games. Later in the year, she also became the first sovereign, after King George III, to participate in the peace-time Cabinet meeting.

She became the first British monarch to celebrate sapphire jubilee (65th anniversary) in 2017.

In 2018, the leaders of the Commonwealth of Nations announced that she will be succeeded by Charles as head of the Commonwealth.

While riding a horse near the ‘Buckingham Palace,’ as part of a parade during her birthday celebrations in June 1981, she was shot by a teenager named Marcus Sarjeant. The next year, another man broke into her personal bedchamber with an intention of hurting her. Fortunately, she didn’t get hurt on both the occasions.

After Princess Diana’s death in 1997, her silence generated a lot of speculations. Also, the rumor that she had declined a public funeral for Diana hurt public sentiment.

Media reports claimed that the queen was “exasperated and frustrated” by the policies of the then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair; a claim that generated a lot of controversy.

Elizabeth got married to Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, her second cousin through King Christian IX of Denmark and third cousin through Queen Victoria, on 20 November 1947 at ‘Westminster Abbey.’

Her first son, Prince Charles, was born on 14 November 1948. A couple of years later, she gave birth to Princess Anne. Prince Andrew was born in 1960 and Prince Edward, her fourth child, was born in 1964.

In 1969, she declared Prince Charles as her successor and bestowed upon him the title ‘Prince of Wales.’ Prince Charles got married to a 19-year-old Diana Spencer in 1981.

Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's marriage lasted 73 years until the death of Prince Philip on 9 April 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022, at her Balmoral retreat in the Scottish highlands. She was 96, and succeeded by her son Charles III.

With the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, 'Operation London Bridge' was set in motion. It is the name of a funeral plan for the Queen. The plan 'Operation London Bridge' includes her death announcement, the period of official mourning and the details of her funeral. This plan was created more than 60 years ago and revised several time before her death. Along with 'Operation London Bridge,' there is an additional plan detailing the action if the Queen were to die in Scotland. This is called 'Operation Unicorn.'

On 4 April 2013, Queen Elizabeth II received an honorary ‘BAFTA’ for supporting the film industry. She was called "the most memorable Bond girl yet" at the award ceremony.

Queen Elizabeth II had a strong affinity for Corgis and owned several of them during her reign.

She was the first British monarch to have sent an email, which she did in 1976 during a visit to an army base.

The Queen was fluent in French and often used the language during her diplomatic engagements with French-speaking leaders.

She held the record for the longest-reigning British monarch, surpassing Queen Victoria's reign in 2007.

Queen Elizabeth II was known for her practical fashion sense, often opting for bright colors and bold patterns to ensure she stood out in a crowd.

See the events in life of Queen Elizabeth II in Chronological Order

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20 of the Best Books About Queen Elizabeth II

From exhaustive biographies, to illustrated coffee table books, and dishy accounts from former palace staffers.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

On the one year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's passing, you may find yourself wanting to deepen your knowledge of the longest-reigning female monarch in world history. There's a wealth of books out there to delve into. From exhaustive biographies, to illustrated coffee table books, to dishy accounts from former palace staffers, here are 20 of the best books you can read about the queen.

Sally Bedell Smith Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch

Angela Kelly The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe

To be fascinated by the Queen is to be fascinated by her wardrobe, and The Other Side of the Coin is a must-read for anyone wanting the inside scoop on those impeccably coordinated suits. Angela Kelley is the Queen’s personal dresser , and was given permission to share this exclusive glimpse into the royal costuming process, complete with never-before-seen images.

Hearst Home Town & Country: The Queen: A Life in Pictures

This carefully curated coffee table book from T&C was created by longtime royal reporter Victoria Murphy. The photographic tribute to Queen Elizabeth II features more than 300 photographs from the seven decades of her reign, spotlighting significant moments from both her public and private spheres, all accompanied by commentary and context from Murphy. The collection encompasses her coronation, her marriage to Prince Philip, her numerous royal tours around the world, her evolving wardrobe through the years, the births of her children and grandchildren, and much more.

Ingrid Seward My Husband and I: The Inside Story of the Royal Marriage

If you were gripped by season two of The Crown ’s deep dive into Elizabeth and Philip’s once-troubled marriage , you’ll want to prioritize this one. Seward delves into the couple’s 70-year long marriage with a lightness of touch, detailing their courtship and ups and downs as well as their formidable bond.

Robert Lacey The Crown, The Official Companion

If while watching The Crown , you're simultaneously fact-checking each episode, this is the book for you. Written by the show's historical consultant, Robert Lacey, it offers an in-depth look at the true story behind the drama. While this volume only addresses seasons two and three, hopefully Lacey will offer a season four version soon.

Elizabeth and Philip: A Royal Love Story

Similar to Seward's text, this special edition of Town & Country centers on the Queen and Prince Philip's romance, and features the true story of their courtship and 70+ year marriage alongside rarely seen photos of the royal couple.

Sali Hughes Our Rainbow Queen: A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and Her Colorful Wardrobe

This beautiful coffee table book by Welsh journalist Sali Hughes offers a photographic voyage through nine decades of the Queen’s wardrobe, and more importantly her color schemes .

Brian Hoey Not in Front of the Corgis: Secrets of Life Behind the Royal Curtains

Admit it, this one had you at the title. Though this book isn’t exclusively about Queen Elizabeth’s famous collection of corgis (disappointing), it’s still a fun, deliberately lightweight collection of trivia and tidbits about royal life.

Sarah Bradford The Reluctant King: The Life and Reign of George VI, 1895-1952

In order to fully understand Queen Elizabeth, and the turbulent circumstances of her ascension to the throne, you need to understand her father, King George VI. Now most famous as the subject of 2010's The King's Speech , George was forced to become King after his brother abdicated the throne, a saga which Sarah Bradford chronicles in fascinating detail.

The Queen Mother: The Official Biography

As important as King George VI is to Queen Elizabeth's story, the Queen Mother played a far more central role in her daughter's reign, having lived to see its first five decades. William Shawcross’s official biography, published seven years after the Queen Mother's death in 2002, is a weighty tome packed with details and insight into her daily life.

Carol Ann Duffy Jubilee Lines: 60 Poets for 60 Years

Though not technically a book about Queen Elizabeth at all, Jubilee Lines is nevertheless an evocative portrait of her reign. In this collection, published in 2012 for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, 60 poets are each assigned one of the 60 Jubilee years, and write a poem related in some way to the events or reality of that year.

Ben Pimlott The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II

Originally published in 1996, this definitive and acclaimed biography of Queen Elizabeth was updated in 2002 to mark her Golden Jubilee. Written by the late, highly respected historian Ben Pimlott, The Queen was described by The Independent newspaper as “the standard work on its sovereign subject, while The New York Times Book Review called it a “superbly judicious biography of Elizabeth II.”

Pegasus Books Queen of the World: Elizabeth II: Sovereign and Stateswoman

Veteran royal chronicler Robert Hardman focuses his 2019 biography on a specific aspect of Queen Elizabeth – her role as the head of Commonwealth of Nations—and thus avoids retreading familiar ground. Queen of the World was described by the BBC as “an intimate portrait of the Royal commitments at home and abroad.”

Andrew Marr The Diamond Queen: Elizabeth II and Her People

Scottish journalist Andrew Marr has a unique perspective as royal biographer, having once been a diehard republican (i.e. opposed to the existence of monarchy). Now an admirer of the Queen, Marr argues in this biography that “Britain without her would have been a greyer, shriller, more meagre place."

Sarah Bradford Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life In Our Times

In this relatively recent biography of the Queen—published in 2012—Sarah Bradford places the Queen’s life in a broader historical context. Per The Telegraph , the book represents “a familiar story being sparked into new life by a skilled practitioner.”

Marion Crawford The Little Princesses

For a truly one-of-a-kind perspective on the Queen’s formative years, look no further than this extraordinary biography by Marion Crawford, who was governess to the young Elizabeth and her sister Margaret for 17 years (they called her “Crawfie”). The 1950 publication of The Little Princesses caused a stir, and Crawford was reportedly shunned by the royal family for writing it.

Gyles Brandreth Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage

Another option for those fascinated by the Elizabeth/Philip dynamic, this biography by Gyles Brandreth is unusual for being focused primarily on Philip’s perspective.

Catherine Ryan The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II

This beautifully presented coffee table book takes a photo-centric approach to chronicling Queen Elizabeth’s life and reign.

Dickie Arbiter On Duty With The Queen

In his part-autobiography and part-royal biography, former palace spokesman Dickie Arbiter recounts how he went from working in broadcast journalism to being appointed as press secretary to the Royal family in 1988. Given Arbiter’s unparalleled access to the Queen—not to mention Princess Diana—it’s no surprise that this is a compelling, if restrained, read.

Cecil Beaton Queen Elizabeth II: Portraits by Cecil Beaton

Society photographer Cecil Beaton was chosen to take the official photographs of the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, and his portraits became some of the most iconic images from her entire reign. Along with the pictures themselves, this book offers insight into Beaton’s long relationship with the royals, and the role his work played in their public image.

Emma Dibdin is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who writes about culture, mental health, and true crime. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything.

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Queen Elizabeth II

Article by Carolyn Harris

Published Online April 25, 2014

Last Edited September 19, 2022

Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, the United Kingdom and 13 other Commonwealth realms (born 21 April 1926 in London, United Kingdom; died 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland). The Queen reigned since 1952 and was the Head of State of Canada, the United Kingdom and 13 other Commonwealth realms. Elizabeth II was the first monarch to be crowned Queen of Canada. She was the longest reigning monarch in British and Commonwealth history and celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, in 2022.

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street, the London home of her maternal grandparents, Claude and Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. Her parents were Prince Albert, Duke of York (the future George VI) , second son of the reigning King George V and Queen Mary, and the Duchess of York, the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon .

At the time of her birth, she was third in line to the throne, but it seemed unlikely that she would ever become Queen. Her uncle, the future Edward VIII , was unmarried at the time but the public assumed that he would eventually marry and have children of his own. The succession laws of the period dictated that any sons born to the Duke and Duchess of York would precede Elizabeth in the line of succession. Nevertheless, there was public interest in the birth of King George V`s first granddaughter. Elizabeth was christened in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace on 29 May 1926. Her godparents included a former Governor General of Canada , her great-grand-uncle Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught .

When Elizabeth was only eight months old her parents embarked on a six-month world tour, visiting Australia and New Zealand. Although the Duchess of York wrote in her diary that she was "very miserable at leaving the baby," the young Elizabeth remained in the United Kingdom in the care of her grandparents as was customary for royal tours at the time. Despite these periodic absences for royal duties, Elizabeth, her parents, and her younger sister, Princess Margaret Rose (1930–2002), were a close family who enjoyed spending time together. Although George V had a reputation for severity toward his children, he doted on his granddaughter, and she enjoyed a close relationship with all her grandparents.

Abdication Crisis

On 20 January 1936, George V died and Elizabeth’s uncle succeeded to throne as King Edward VIII . He reigned for only 11 months before abdicating on 10 December to marry a twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson. The abdication changed 10-year-old Elizabeth’s life. With the accession of her father as King George VI , she became the heiress presumptive, and the family moved into Buckingham Palace. The young princesses were not happy with the changes that their father’s ascension brought to their lives, which included less privacy and less time with their parents.

Elizabeth and Margaret were educated at home by a governess, Marion Crawford, who taught history, geography , grammar, literature, and composition. They also had additional governesses who taught French, music and dancing . The Queen was fluently bilingual in French and English. Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary, took a strong interest in the education of her granddaughters and took them to museums and historic sites to increase their knowledge of the history and politics of the British Isles. As she grew older, Elizabeth received additional training to prepare her for her future position, including history and political science lessons with the vice provost of Eton College, Sir Henry Marten, and extensive time spent with her father, learning the duties of a constitutional monarch first-hand.

Second World War

Elizabeth and Margaret resided at Windsor Castle, outside London, throughout the Second World War . During this time, Elizabeth continued her education and began to assume official duties. At the age of 14, she made her first radio broadcast, addressing the children of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth as part of the BBC Children’s Hour . Elizabeth carried out her first solo engagement in 1942, inspecting the Grenadier Guards in her capacity as Honorary Colonel-in-Chief on her 16th birthday. She began accompanying her parents on royal engagements throughout the United Kingdom in 1944 and became a Counsellor of State. In 1945, Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a subaltern and rose to the rank of junior commander by the end of the war. 

Elizabeth met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in childhood and first became interested in him when he gave her a tour of the Dartmouth Naval College in 1939. They corresponded throughout the Second World War and Philip spent periods of leave from the Royal Navy at Windsor Castle.

On 9 July 1947, Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Elizabeth and Philip. In Canada, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King summoned the King’s Canadian Privy Council to approve the union of the future Queen of Canada. Elizabeth and Philip were married at Westminster Abbey in London on 20 November 1947. The ceremony was broadcast over BBC radio to an audience of 200 million people around the world, allowing Canada to share in the celebrations. Mackenzie King sent the royal couple antique silver as a wedding gift (in consultation with a former viceregal consort, the Countess of Athlone, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria ), as well as a mink coat for the Princess.

The royal couple’s first child, Prince Charles , was born at Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948. A daughter, Princess Anne, was born on 15 August 1950, followed 10 years later by Prince Andrew (19 February 1960) and later Prince Edward (10 March 1964). Elizabeth expressed her intention to be a hands-on mother and nursed Charles until she caught the measles when he was two months old. George VI ’s declining health, however, meant that Elizabeth assumed a demanding schedule of royal engagements while her children were young. As Queen, her extensive Commonwealth tours resulted in her children spending long periods with nannies and with their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother .

First Tour of Canada

Elizabeth visited Canada for the first time in the autumn of 1951, accompanied by Philip . The royal couple were representing George VI , who had just undergone surgery for lung cancer. There was tremendous popular interest in the tour because Elizabeth and Philip, like William and Catherine in 2011, appeared to be a glamorous young royal couple who would modernize the monarchy . They were the first royal couple to visit Canada via transatlantic aircraft rather than ship and they threw themselves into Canadian pastimes, attending a hockey game at Maple Leaf Gardens and a demonstration of the Calgary Stampede , and square dancing at Rideau Hall . They were well-received by Canadians from all walks of life though Elizabeth appeared to be quieter and more reserved than the gregarious Philip. After her return to the United Kingdom, Elizabeth reflected on her time in Canada: "I am sure that nowhere under the sun could one find a land more full of hope, of happiness and of fine, loyal, generous-hearted people. […] They have placed in our hearts a love for their country and its people which will never grow cold and which will always draw us to their shores."

Accession to the Throne

George VI died on 6 February 1952 while Elizabeth and Philip were representing him on a trip to Kenya. The 25-year-old Princess automatically succeeded to throne as Queen Elizabeth II. The new Queen and her husband immediately returned to the United Kingdom and ascended to the throne in a climate of tremendous public goodwill. Both her father and grandfather had been second sons who were not raised to be King, but Elizabeth had been heiress presumptive from a young age and was extremely popular.

Canada was between Governors General at the time so the Chief Justice, Thibaudeau Rinfret, proclaimed “The High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary” Queen and “Supreme Liege Lady in and over Canada.” In December 1952, the new Queen’s formal Canadian titles were decided at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference in London: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

Elizabeth II was crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 and made history by becoming the first monarch to be crowned Head of the Commonwealth and Queen of Canada. Her dress included symbols from the Commonwealth realms, with embroidered maple leaves representing Canada ( see also Emblems of Canada ).

The Queen’s unprecedented decision to permit television cameras to film the coronation allowed the entire Commonwealth to share in the celebrations. The coronation became the first transatlantic television broadcast as the footage was flown to Canada to be shown on the CBC . Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent attended the coronation in London while Governor General Vincent Massey presided over the celebrations on Parliament Hill , which were attended by 100,000 people. There were additional celebrations across Canada. St. John’s , Newfoundland , held the largest parade in the city’s history and there was a coronation show at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto .

Political Role in Canada

Canada is a constitutional monarchy with a King or Queen as Head of State. The Crown holds the power to govern but this power is entrusted to the government, which is expected to lead on behalf of the people. The Crown serves as a level of government that is above party politics and holds reserve powers such as appointing the Prime Minister , opening Parliament , proroguing Parliament and calling an election. Bills passed by the House of Commons and Senate must receive Royal Assent to become law. In Canada, the Crown is represented by the Governor General at the federal level and Lieutenant-Governors at the provincial level. During her time in Canada, however, the Queen directly exercised her prerogatives as Head of State. In 1957, on her first visit to Canada after her accession, the Queen opened Parliament and delivered the throne speech in person. In 1976, the Queen declared the Olympic Summer Games in Montréal open in her capacity as Canada’s Head of State. In 1977, during her Silver Jubilee tour of Canada, the Queen delivered the Speech from the Throne and opened the third session of the 30th Parliament. In 1982, the Queen signed the Proclamation of the Constitution Act with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The Queen made 22 official visits to Canada, more than any other Commonwealth realm outside the United Kingdom.

Head of the Commonwealth

From the beginning of her reign, the Queen devoted herself to the role of Head of the Commonwealth . She was the most well-travelled monarch in history and visited all Commonwealth nations except Cameroon and Rwanda. The issue of South African apartheid dominated early Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings and allowed the Queen to exert political influence in her role as Head of the Commonwealth. During the 1980s, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney supported economic sanctions against the apartheid regime, measures which British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opposed. The Queen supported Mulroney’s stance as well as the release of future South African President Nelson Mandela from prison.

The Quiet Revolution in Quebec

Until the 1960s, the monarchy was popular in Québec because the Crown was viewed as a protector of minority rights. When the Queen’s parents visited Montréal in 1939, they estimated that two million people had greeted them in the city. In 1953, celebrations were held in Québec City in honour of the Queen’s coronation. However, the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s changed attitudes toward the monarchy, presenting the Queen as a symbol of British oppression. In 1964, the Queen addressed the Québec legislative assembly in French, stating, “I am pleased to think that there exists in our Commonwealth a country where I can express myself officially in French.” Despite these sentiments, the Queen faced crowds of protesters who turned their backs on her and chanted, “Elizabeth, go home.” The police crackdown on these protests became known as “Truncheon Sunday.” In 1977, the Queen delivered a televised address to Canadians stating, “The confederation itself was not a French idea or a British idea,” which The New York Times interpreted as supporting Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau ’s efforts to keep Canada united in response to Quebec separatism .

The Monarchy in English Canada

In English Canada, the monarchy inspired growing indifference rather than hostility during the same period. In 1959, CBC journalist Joyce Davidson commented on NBC’s Today show, “Like most Canadians, I am indifferent to the visit of the Queen,” referring to the Queen and Prince Philip ’s six-week tour that year of all Canada’s provinces and territories. The Canadian public responded with outrage and polling data revealed that the majority of Canadians in 1959 were looking forward to the royal visit.

During the 1960s and 1970s, however, more and more prominent Canadians expressed sentiments similar to those of Davidson. In 1967, the UK High Commissioner in Canada, Sir Henry Lintott, wrote that his conversations with Prime Minister Lester Pearson revealed that he “now believes that the days of the monarchy in Canada are numbered, and that Canada should have her own head of state sooner rather than later.” In the 1970s, there were fewer and fewer public references to the Queen’s role as Canada’s Head of State, contributing to a widespread view that the monarchy was in terminal decline.

Yet the future of the Crown in Canada was protected in 1982 by the Constitution ; section 41(a) stipulated that any changes concerning the office of the Queen, Governor General or Lieutenant-Governor of a province required the assent of all provincial legislatures in addition to the Senate and the House of Commons .

The Crown and Indigenous Peoples

The Crown has enjoyed a special relationship with First Nations in Canada since King George III issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763 , which guaranteed First Nations land rights. As in Québec prior to the Quiet Revolution , many First Nations leaders view the Crown as a protector of minority rights. The Queen’s visits to Canada usually include meetings with First Nations leaders and attendance at cultural events. In 1970, the Queen visited remote communities along the Arctic Circle with Philip and her two eldest children, Charles and Anne. This high-profile tour officially marked the 100th anniversary of the Northwest Territories but it also provided the Queen with the opportunity to engage with the Inuit and to affirm Canada’s sovereignty over the Arctic through her presence in the region. Royal tours of Canada throughout the Queen’s reign have included engagement with Indigenous peoples.

Renewed Interest in Canadian Monarchy

The Queen’s visit to Canada in 2010 began a period of renewed popular interest in the Canadian monarchy that continued through the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of 2012. The Queen and Prince Philip celebrated Canada Day on Parliament Hill before a crowd of 70,000 people. In her bilingual address, the Queen stated, “During my lifetime, I have been a witness to this country for more than half its history since Confederation . I have watched with enormous admiration how Canada has grown and matured while remaining true to its history, its distinctive character and its values.”

Reduced Appearances

Since 2010, the Queen reduced her number of public appearances, especially overseas tours; Prince Philip retired from public engagements in 2017 and died in 2021. In their place, younger generations of the royal family assumed a greater public role. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall (Charles and Camilla) and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Catherine) have undertaken Commonwealth tours traditionally assumed by the Queen and Prince Philip. The Queen last visited Canada in 2010 and Australia in 2011.

In 2011, William and Catherine travelled across Canada on their first overseas tour as a married couple. The success of the 2011 tour demonstrated that there was a bright future for the monarchy beyond the reign of the present Queen. The Queen remained in the United Kingdom for Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012 but the 60th anniversary of her accession was an opportunity for people throughout the Commonwealth to celebrate her reign and achievements. The Queen's children and grandchildren represented her throughout the Commonwealth for the Diamond Jubilee. Charles and Camilla visited Canada for Victoria Day weekend in 2012 and were well received. They also toured Canada for the 150th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation in 2017. William and Catherine marked the 150th anniversary with a 2016 tour of British Columbia and the Yukon .

The COVID-19 Pandemic

During the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic , the Queen and Prince Philip isolated at Windsor Castle. On 5 April 2020, the Queen delivered an address regarding the pandemic to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, stating, “Across the Commonwealth and around the world, we have seen heartwarming stories of people coming together to help others, be it through delivering food parcels and medicines, checking on neighbours or converting businesses to help the relief effort.” The Queen drew parallels between the pandemic and the Second World War in the speech and recalled her first ever radio broadcast to the children of the Commonwealth 80 years earlier. The Queen continued to hold audiences and make public appearances through videoconferencing. After 73 years of marriage, Prince Philip died on 9 April 2021, just months before his 100th birthday. A photograph of the Queen sitting alone at the funeral became one of the iconic images of the pandemic. The Queen received public admiration for following the social distancing regulations then in place in the United Kingdom, holding a small funeral with only 30 mourners. In February 2022, the Queen tested positive for COVID-19 and reduced her schedule to “light duties” at home, cancelling the annual diplomatic reception planned for March 2022.

Military Patronage

During her reign, as Head of State, the Queen was formally Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces and was also honorary Colonel-in-Chief of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s), The Calgary Highlanders, The Canadian Grenadier Guards, The Canadian Forces Military Engineering Branch, The 48th Highlanders of Canada , The Governor General’s Foot Guards, The Governor General’s Horse Guards, The King’s Own Calgary Regiment, Le Régiment de la Chaudière, The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment , The Royal New Brunswick Regiment, The Royal 22e Régiment (The Van Doos) , and the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders. The Queen is also Captain General of the Royal Canadian Artillery.

Philanthropy and Interests

The Queen was patron or president of more than 600 charities and other philanthropic and cultural organizations worldwide, including more than 30 based in Canada. The Queen’s Canadian patronages include the Canadian Cancer Society , the Canadian Red Cross Society , the Canadian Nurses Association, the Canadian Medical Association , Save the Children Canada, the Royal Canadian Humane Association, the Queen’s Plate and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair of Toronto . Successive monarchs and their families have extended royal patronage to hospitals since the 18th century. Current royal patronage of animal welfare organizations (see also Animal Issues ) reflects the Queen’s love of dogs, horseback riding and horse racing .

The Platinum Jubilee

On 9 September 2015, the Queen surpassed the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in British and Commonwealth history. On 6 February 2022, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, the Queen became the first monarch to observe a Platinum Jubilee. On 5 February, the Queen made a historic announcement that looked to the future of the monarchy in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms:

"When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife, Camilla , the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service."

There will be Platinum Jubilee celebrations around the world throughout 2022. In the United Kingdom, there will be a four-day holiday weekend from 2 to 5 June that will include a Platinum Jubilee concert, pageant and service of thanksgiving. In Canada, Platinum Jubilee Gardens will be planted across Canada, individual communities will receive funding for local projects celebrating the Platinum Jubilee, and the Northern Lights 2022 sound and light show on Parliament Hill will showcase the Queen’s presence in Canada over the course of her reign.

Death and Legacy

On 8 September 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen’s doctors were concerned for her health and recommended she remain under medical supervision. This announcement came a day after she pulled out of a Privy Council meeting, which was set to be held virtually. Just two days earlier, on 6 September 2022, the Queen appointed the UK’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral Castle. Traditionally, the Queen met with new prime ministers at Buckingham Palace. However, she had been on a summer holiday at Balmoral since July and had also been having difficulties with mobility. Therefore, it was simpler for the prime minister to travel to Balmoral than for the Queen to travel to London.

The Queen died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral at the age of 96 surrounded by family. After a period of mourning, she was laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on 19 September. The heir to the throne is her eldest son, King Charles III.

Over the course of her record-breaking 70-year-reign, the Queen witnessed unprecedented social, cultural and political change. She led a life of public service and, as monarch, was central to the system of parliamentary democracy in Canada. The Queen was a constant and respected figure in this country as well as in Britain and the wider Commonwealth.

Interested in the monarchy?

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• Royal Family

Further Reading

Arthur Bousfield and Garry Toffoli, Fifty Years The Queen: A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on Her Golden Jubilee (2002); Gyles Brandreth, Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage (2004); John Fraser, The Secret of the Crown: Canada’s Affair with Royalty (2012); Robert Hardman, Our Queen (2011); D. Michael Jackson, The Crown and Canadian Federalism (2013), Jackson and Philippe Lagassé, eds., Canada and the Crown: Essays on Constitutional Monarchy (2014), Jackson and Jennifer Smith, eds., The Evolving Canadian Crown (2012); Andrew Marr, The Diamond Queen (2011); Philip Murphy, Monarchy and the End of Empire: The House of Windsor, the British Government and the Postwar Commonwealth (2013); Ben Pimlott, The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II (1998); David E. Smith, The Invisible Crown: The First Principle of Canadian Government (2013); Sally Bedell Smith, Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch (2012); Nathan Tidridge, Canada’s Constitutional Monarchy (2011).

External Links

British Monarchy The extensively illustrated website of the British Monarchy.

Royal Tour Canada 1957 Queen Elizabeth II on Royal Tour of Canada & USA. A video from British Pathé.

Queen Elizabeth II marries Prince Philip View a vintage news report about the Royal Wedding in which Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey. From YouTube.

Royal Journey A documentary account of the five-week visit of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to Canada and the United States in the fall of 1951. From the National Film Board of Canada.

Queen in Canada Queen Elizabeth II visits Expo '67 in Montreal and Ottawa, Canada. A video from British Pathé.

The Queen's role in Canada A brief description of the Queen’s unique relationship with Canada. From the official website of the British Monarchy.

Recommended

Queen victoria, queen mother (hm queen elizabeth the queen mother), catherine (hrh the princess of wales), 10 interesting facts about queen elizabeth ii, queen elizabeth ii’s golden jubilee — 2002, queen elizabeth ii's diamond jubilee – 2012.

Queen Elizabeth II

• Early Life, Princess, and World War II
• Occupation: Queen of the United Kingdom
• Reign: February 6, 1952 – present
• Born: April 21, 1926 in Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
• Died: September 8, 2022 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
• Best known for: The longest-reigning British monarch

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• Life as Queen, Family, Politics
• Major Events in Reign and Interesting Facts

Back to Biography for Kids

Queen Elizabeth II: The Many Attempts to Assassinate the Royal

But as one of the world’s most visible and symbolic figures, the queen has come under some seriously close calls, as she’s literally faced potential life-or-death threats during her nearly seven decades of rule.

While some attempts played out in front of the public, others took decades to come to light, in order to protect the royal family. Here, we look at a few of the known assassination attempts on Queen Elizabeth II:

A log was placed on the tracks to derail the queen’s train in Australia in 1970

On April 29, 1970, the queen and husband Prince Philip were traveling via rail from Sydney through the Blue Mountains near Lithgow to New South Wales’ Orange when the train struck a log . Fortunately for the royal couple, Albert Rowley was at the wheel and spotted the object, pulling the brakes just in the nick of time. Since the tracks had been checked just an hour prior to the incident, it’s thought that the log was placed there purposefully and timed to the passing of the royal train.

Had the train been going full speed, it could have derailed and flown into the embankment, experts told The Telegraph .

The news didn’t become public until 2009 when a retired detective spoke out about the incident, breaking the decades of silence agreed upon by the cops and press. While the royals and the palace reportedly were unaware of the incident, The Telegraph said that Rowley was given an Imperial Service Medal back in 1974 for the “in recognition of the meritorious service which you have rendered,” as the certificate reads.

A British teen shot blanks at Queen Elizabeth during 1981's Trooping the Color

The annual Trooping the Color is a one of the Brits’ most festive events, with thousands of parading soldiers, musicians and horses in the streets and a RAF fly-by, every June. But at the June 13, 1981, ceremony, 17-year-old Marcus Sarjeant fired six blank shots at Queen Elizabeth in the middle of the festivities.

Riding on a 19-year-old horse, the monarch remained remarkably calm as the police wrestled the shooter to the ground. Sarjeant, who had expressed interest in the shootings of John F. Kennedy and John Lennon , was jailed for five years under the 1842 Treason Act, which hadn’t been used since 1966. He was released in October 1984.

Recounting the incident in 2016, Prince Charles said his mother “has a marvelous way with horses,” according to the BBC . “She’s made with strong stuff.”

Just months later, another 17-year-old shot at the queen in New Zealand

Four months later on October 14, 1981, the queen was visiting New Zealand with Prince Philip, when another 17-year-old had the same idea. Hiding in an empty toilet stall on the fifth floor of a building in Dunedin, John Lewis took aim with a rifle, just as the royals got out of a Rolls-Royce.

Fortunately for the queen, Lewis missed. As it turns out, his weapon couldn’t have shot so far, and he wasn’t exactly in the best physical location to do so. Kiwi police, reportedly worried that the royals would never return, explained the sound as a sign falling over and later also said it was firecrackers.

Lewis then set his sights on Prince Charles, trying to escape from a psychiatric ward to do so. Before he killed himself at 33 in prison, where he was being held for another unrelated crime, he reportedly told his partner of his attempt on the queen, saying, “Damn… I missed.” The incident wasn’t revealed until 1981 .

A man broke into the queen’s bedroom twice in one month in 1982

An intruder in the Queen’s bedroom with a broken piece from a glass ashtray. While the details sound straight out of the murder game Clue, the exact intentions Michael Fagan had when he wandered into Buckingham Palace on July 9, 1982, are unclear — even to himself. He reportedly jumped over railings and scaled a drainpipe and found his way to the queen’s bedroom.

En route, he broke a glass ashtray in an anteroom. “Fagan entered Her Majesty's bedroom at about 7:15 a.m. carrying one piece of the broken ashtray, with which he has said that he intended to slash his wrists in the presence of Her Majesty,” the Times said. “He claimed that he had not entered the palace with this intention but that it formed in his mind for the first time when he saw the ashtray.”

Minutes later, he pulled back the curtains and found the queen sleeping there solo. She successfully stalled him and called for help. Decades later, Fagan seemed to look back on the incident lightheartedly, admitting it was his second time sneaking in there within a month. The following month, a woman broke into the royal residence in the Scottish Highlands while the queen was there.

READ MORE: Michael Fagan: The Intruder Who Broke Into Buckingham Palace

Fate — and her own volition — have often come to the queen’s rescue

There’s no doubt that a degree of risk comes with being out in the public eye the way Her Majesty has been for the greater part of a century. Despite the team she has around her, often the incidents were simply stopped by her own calm and collective nature.

After all, she’s always had her priorities in check, as proven by what she said on her 21st birthday in 1947: “My whole life — whether it be long or short — shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

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