queen elizabeth biography ks1

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

Next Page >>>

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

Back to Biography for Kids

• Create new account
• Reset your password

Register and get FREE resources and activities

Ready to unlock all our resources?

Queen Elizabeth I

Who was Queen Elizabeth I?

Elizabeth I was one of the most famous queens England ever had. She was the last Tudor monarch (a monarch is a king or queen).

Elizabeth I was King Henry VIII ’s youngest daughter, and her mother was Anne Boleyn.

The 44 years in which Elizabeth I ruled England are called the Golden Age, because England was very prosperous. 

Top 10 facts

• Elizabeth was born on 7 September 1533. Her mother was Anne Boleyn,  Henry VIII ’s second wife. 
• Elizabeth had a half-sister, Mary, and a half-brother, Edward. Both ruled England before she became queen.
• Elizabeth I was the last Tudor monarch – she never married.
• Elizabeth I is famous for having red hair, like her father Henry VIII.
• During Elizabeth I's reign lots of English explorers searched for new lands and treasures. The explorer Sir Francis Drake   was knighted by Elizabeth for services to his country.
• The time when Elizabeth I was Queen is known as England’s Golden Age.
• In 1588 the King of Spain, Philip I, sent a fleet of ships called the Armada to invade England , but they were defeated. Elizabeth gave a famous speech to encourage her troops at Tilbury.
• Elizabeth I wore thick white makeup to cover up scars on her face leftover from when she had smallpox.
• There were quite a few plots to assassinate Elizabeth I and put her cousin Mary Queen of Scots on the throne instead. The most famous is the Babington Plot.
• Elizabeth I died on 24 March 1603. She is buried in Westminster Abbey.
• 7 September 1533 Elizabeth I was born in Greenwich
• 17 November 1558 Queen Mary I died
• 15 January 1559 Elizabeth I was officially crowned queen (coronated)
• 1562 Elizabeth I became very ill with smallpox
• 1577-1580 Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world

• 1583 The Throckmorton Plot was discovered
• 1584 The Bond of Association became law, meaning that anyone involved in a plot to assassinate Elizabeth I and rule England instead would be put to death
• 1586 The Babington Plot was organised, and discovered by Sir Francis Walsingham

• 8 February 1587 Mary Queen of Scots was executed at Fotheringay Castle in Northamptonshire

• 1596-1597 The Spanish sent two more Armadas, and both were defeated
• 30 November, 1601 Elizabeth I gave her Golden Speech to Parliament
• 24 March 1603 Elizabeth I died

Boost Your Child's Learning Today!

• Let us create a tailored plan for your child
• English & maths resources added each week to your plan
• Watch your child leap ahead in their learning & confidence

Did you know?

• Elizabeth I did a lot of travelling around England. You may spot signs saying ‘Queen Elizabeth I slept here’ around the country!
• Elizabeth could speak six languages!
• Elizabeth I had red hair. She wore a wig because that’s what rich people in Tudor times did, and even her wig was red.
• Elizabeth I is also called the Virgin Queen because she never married. Her other nickname is Good Queen Bess.
• The time when Elizabeth I was queen is also called the Elizabethan Era.
• The state of Virginia in America is named after Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen.
• Elizabeth I signed her name in a very pretty way, with lots of zigzags at the end of the first ‘e’ and ‘z’ and an uppercase ‘R’ at the end – the R stands for ‘regina’, which is the Latin word for queen. 
• None of Queen Elizabeth I’s dresses are still around today, but we know what she wore because of what we can see in paintings. Her clothes were very beautiful, and decorated with jewels and pretty designs.
• Smallpox was a very serious disease in Tudor times that gave people blisters all over their face and skin. Elizabeth I caught it too – she got better, but had scars on her face that she covered with white makeup for the rest of her life.

Have a look through the gallery and see if you can spot all the following:

• A painting of Queen Elizabeth I around 1565-1570
• A portrait of Queen Elizabeth I around 1573-1575
• Queen Elizabeth I, painted by an unknown artist around 1585-1595
• Queen Elizabeth I in 1588, painted after the Spanish Armada victory
• Queen Elizabeth I around 1600
• King Henry VIII
• Anne Boleyn
• Queen Mary I
• King Edward VI
• Sir Francis Drake

Elizabeth I’s mother, Anne Boleyn, was put to death by Henry VIII, Elizabeth’s father. Princess Elizabeth was only three years old when this happened, so she didn’t really know her mum.

Elizabeth I led England into a Golden Age. Explorers set up colonies overseas, and claimed land in the name of England. There was more trade with foreign countries, which brought in foods and goods that people had never seen before. English literature, music and art also flourished.

Elizabeth I was very interested in helping poor people have a better life. She passed laws that gave poor people and children a chance to work or to learn a new trade, and set up hospitals and orphanages to look after poor people who were too young, old or sick to work. But, if people who were poor, healthy and didn’t want to do any work at all would be punished and sent to prison!

Elizabeth I was known for being a good public speaker. Two of her most famous speeches are:

• The Speech to the Troops at Tilbury in 1588 during the attacks by the Spanish Armada
• The Golden Speech in 1601, which was like a farewell speech to government leaders – she spoke about how she much she loved working with them, and serving England.

The Throckmorton plot in the early 1580s was a plan to have Elizabeth I assassinated, and put her cousin Mary Queen of Scots on the throne instead. Mary was Catholic, and had important Catholic nobles helping her in this plan – King Philip II from Spain, Henry I from France, and even the Pope. Sir Francis Throckmorton was a Spaniard who sent messages between Mary Queen of Scots and King Philip II’s ambassador.

It was thanks to Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I’s secretary of state, that the Throckmorton Plot was discovered. He also organised for the Bond of Association to become law in 1584, meaning that anyone who plotted to assassinate Elizabeth I or try to rule England instead would be put to death.

In 1586, Sir Francis Walsingham discovered another plot that also involved assassinating Elizabeth I and having Mary Queen of Scot s rule instead. It was also supported by Philip II from Spain, and led by a man called Sir Anthony Babington. Sir Francis discovered the Babington Plot by reading secret letters between Mary and the plotters – they were written in code, so he had to decipher that first. Mary and the plotters didn’t know that Sir Francis was reading their letters, which were sent back and forth in waterproof cases inside beer barrels.

Because of the Bond of Association, everyone involved with the Babington Plot was arrested and executed in 1586, including Mary Queen of Scots in 1587. Elizabeth I had to approve her cousin’s death warrant, which wasn’t easy.

In 1588, the Spanish sent a fleet of ships to England to try to start a war, but they were defeated by the English at sea. One way that the English fought against them was to set fire to some of their own boats and push them straight into where the Spanish boats were. It meant that the Spanish Armada had to sail in all different directions to protect themselves, which gave English warships a chance to organise themselves for battle.

Sir Francis Drake was the second person to sail around the world, also called circumnavigation. Ferdinand Magellan from Portugal was the first person we know of to sail around the world.

Famous friends:

Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) – Sir Francis Drake was the first English person to sail around the world. He helped to defeat the first Spanish Armada in 1588.

Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1554-1618) – Sir Walter Raleigh was a famous explorer and trader, and began colonies in America. He named the state of Virginia after Elizabeth I.

Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587) – Mary Stuart was Queen Mary I of Scotland, and more famously known as Mary, Queen of Scots. She was involved in plots to assassinate Elizabeth I and take the throne instead. It was because of the last plot – the Babbington Plot – that she was arrested and put to death.

Robert Dudley (1532- 1588) – Robert Dudley was a very close friend of Elizabeth I, and was a trusted advisor. Some people thought Elizabeth I wanted to marry him.

Sir Francis Walsingham (c. 1532-1590) – Sir Francis Walsingham was Elizabeth I’s secretary of state, and is known as her spymaster for his role in stopping plots to have Elizabeth I assassinated. The most famous is the Babington Plot, when he decoded secret messages sent between Mary Queen of Scots and the plotters.

Robert Cecil (1563-1612) – Robert Cecil was William Cecil’s son, and one of Elizabeth I’s advisors. Sir Francis Walsingham trained him to be a spymaster, as he was, and keep the queen safe.

William Cecil (1521-1598) – William Cecil was Elizabeth I’s main advisor. He helped Sir Francis Walsingham stop plots to assassinate Elizabeth I, such as the Babington Plot.

Related Videos

Just for fun...

• There are lots of myths about Elizabeth I . Are any of them true?
• Who is wooing Elizabeth I in a Horrible Histories video?
• Find out about the lives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I and learn a ceremonial tune inspired by the rhythm of a Tudor pavan with a KS1 song
• Follow a step-by-step guide to drawing Elizabeth I
• Take a quiz to see how much you've learned about Elizabeth I

Best children's books about Elizabeth I

Find out more

• Read an introduction to Tudor England  and find out about family life, education, work, city life, religion and court life in Tudor times
• Watch the BBC Bitesize introduction to Elizabeth I for KS1  and the BBC Bitesize videos about the Elizabethan era and the life of Elizabeth I
• A children's guide to Elizabeth I's reign
• Read  detailed biography of Elizabeth I
• Barney Harwood presents a brief guide to the action-packed reign of Elizabeth I in a BBC Schools Radio programme
• Look through an interactive timeline of Elizabeth I's life from the BBC
• Watch an animated video about the life of Elizabeth I
• The National Portrait Gallery has 135 different portraits of Elizabeth I ; you can also see a portrait of Elizabeth I when she was a Princess in 1546
• Queen Elizabeth I’s Golden Speech
• Read children's books about the Tudors and the reign of Elizabeth I
• Elizabeth I, Queen of England
• Listen to Queen Elizabeth I's famous Tilbury speech rallying her troops before the invasion of the Spanish Armada in 1588
• Find out about Elizabeth I and Shakespeare
• Investigate  the issues faced by England’s most famous Tudor Queen , find out about Elizabeth I in her own words and read a collection of documents from Elizabeth I's reign
• Examine Elizabeth I's clothes to find out more about her
• See a 1590 map of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I

See for yourself

• Visit Hatfield House , where Elizabeth I grew up
• Elizabeth I was imprisoned by her sister Mary I in the Tower of London
• See the famous Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I,  on public display in the Queen's Presence Chamber in the Queen's House in Greenwich

Give your child a headstart

• FREE articles & expert information
• FREE resources & activities
• FREE homework help

• DIGITAL MAGAZINE

MOST POPULAR

The life and reign of Queen Elizabeth I

Learn about the life of england’s last tudor queen….

Meet one of the most powerful women in British and Tudor history in our Elizabeth I facts!

Elizabeth I facts

Who was elizabeth i.

Elizabeth as a young Princess.

Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 17th November 1558 to 24th March 1603. She’s regarded as one of the greatest monarchs of England.

Born  7th September 1533 , Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife,  Anne Boleyn . Henry already had a daughter, Mary – Elizabeth’s half-sister – with his first wife Catherine of Aragon .

Elizabeth had a pretty tough upbringing. When she was just two years old, her father had her mother beheaded – yikes! – and Elizabeth removed from the line of succession (her right to inherit the throne). She also had her title downgraded from ‘Princess’ to ‘Lady’. Aww, poor little thing…

Following her mother’s execution, Elizabeth was neglected by her father. Why? Henry was desperate for a male heir to succeed him.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable  Queen Elizabeth I primary resource ? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

It wasn’t until Henry married his sixth wife, Catherine Parr , that Elizabeth was welcomed back into the family. Catherine felt it was important for father and daughter to be reunited, and insured that Elizabeth received a good education, including learning the art of public speaking – a skill that would prove very useful to her in future!

Elizabeth’s coronation procession outside Westminster Abbey in 1559.

It would still be many years, however, until Elizabeth would sit on the throne. When Henry VIII died, he left his nine-year-old son,   King Edward VI , to rule England – quite a big job for a little boy! But after Edward’s untimely death, Henry’s eldest daughter, Mary I , reigned until she died in 1558 .

Finally, it was Elizabeth’s turn. The third of Henry’s children to inherit the throne, she was to reign for much longer than her half-brother and half-sister.

Her coronation on 15th January 1559 was an impressive, expensive celebration. Elizabeth gladly received flowers and congratulations from ordinary people in the street – just like our queen does today. A carpet was laid down for Elizabeth to walk on to Westminster Abbey , and people cut out pieces as mementos of the day.

What was Elizabeth I like?

Elizabeth I in her coronation robes.

Elizabeth proved to be a very different ruler to her older half-sister, Mary, who had dealt out harsh punishments to those who disagreed with her attempts to restore England to Catholicism (the Roman Catholic faith) – earning her the nickname ‘Bloody Mary’.

During Elizabeth’s reign, she sought to return the country from Catholicism to Protestantism (another form of the Christian religion), like her father had done before her. But t hankfully , Elizabeth proved to be a more tolerant ruler than Mary and tried to make England a fairer place for everyone.

Elizabeth was a very clever, quick-witted ruler and is famed for her great skills of persuasion. She rarely failed to get her own way, and surrounded herself with carefully-chosen ministers who would help her rule. But Elizabeth also had a reputation for leaving important decisions to the very last minute – much to the annoyance of her ministers!

Many people in the 16th century believed that a woman wasn’t fit to rule, but Elizabeth was quick to prove them wrong! She could be as cunning and ruthless a leader as any king who came before her, and she was a strong, formidable leader. Elizabeth did, however, have a weakness for flattery and she could be extremely vain – every portrait was carefully inspected to make sure she looked her absolute best!

Why did Elizabeth I never marry?

Elizabeth I sits on her throne in Parliament.

Over the years of Elizabeth’s rule, she was often encouraged to marry. Her advisors thought she needed a husband to support her and an heir to succeed her .

In 1566 , Parliament even tried to force Elizabeth’s hand by refusing to give her any more money until she married. Elizabeth refused to back down, saying, “I am already bound unto a husband which is the Kingdom of England”. The issue was never raised again!

The Queen felt strongly about her reasons not to marry. If she married a foreign prince to create a link with another European country, it may have benefitted the other country more than England and made her less powerful . If she married an Englishman, it may have caused conflict between her ministers and advisors.

Despite her feelings, she was not short of offers! Many men proposed but Elizabeth always kept them waiting. This meant she could get the support she needed from them and keep them loyal, too!

Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots

The ‘Babington Plot’ sought to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and place Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne.

Mary and Elizabeth, first cousins and Queens of their respective countries, had a rocky relationship that dominated English-Scottish politics for 20 years.

Mary was the granddaughter of Margaret , the older sister of Henry VIII. She was the Queen of Scotland from 1543  until  1567 , when she became very unpopular and was forced to abdicate (give up the throne). The next year she came to England, hoping to be welcomed by Elizabeth. But instead, she received a rather frosty reception, to say the least…

Mary was a Catholic, and many Catholics thought she should be Queen of England. Elizabeth, aware that she could be a threat to her throne, kept Mary prisoner for 19 years .

Many advisors encouraged Elizabeth to execute Mary, Queen of Scots, to prevent any uprisings and rebellions from people who wanted Mary on the English throne. Elizabeth refused for many years. Not only was Mary family but she was a fellow queen, and the last thing Elizabeth wanted was to encourage the execution of monarchs!

However, things changed when Francis Walsingham – one of Elizabeth’s most important ministers – uncovered a plot to overthrow Elizabeth in 1686 . Walsingham’s spies discovered that Mary was sending messages to Catholic plotters. Using some clever tactics, they intercepted one of the letters and faked Mary’s handwriting at the end of it, asking for the identities of the plotters. Sneaky!

Elizabeth could no longer put off Mary’s execution. She was found guilty of treason and beheaded in 1587 .

The Spanish Armada

The Armada Portrait, which Elizabeth I had painted after her victory over the Spanish. The wrecked Spanish fleet can be seen in the window behind her. 

Mary’s execution angered Catholics in Europe. The Pope encouraged King Philip II of Spain to invade England, remove Elizabeth and make the country Catholic again.

In 1588 , Philip sent a fleet of 130 ships, known as the Spanish Armada ,   to England. The English fleet met the Armada in the English Channel, and sent burning ships into the midst of the Spanish ships, forcing them to split up and scatter. The Spanish retreated, intending to sail around the British Isles and back to Spain. But a terrible storm wrecked many of the ships off Scotland and Ireland – a storm that King Philip II would later refer to as the ‘ Protestant wind ‘.

This was a great triumph for Elizabeth – she even commissioned a portrait of her celebrating the victory (above). The English believed that this showed that God approved of the Queen. However, the war against Spain was far from over, and would last for another 19 years.

Elizabeth I knights the explorer Sir Francis Drake.

Elizabeth’s reign is looked back on as a ‘ Golden Age ‘ in British history. It was a time of great exploration by men such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh , who discovered new lands and set up new colonies overseas. Poetry, music and literature flourished, and London opened its first theatres. Playwrights such as William Shakespeare were hugely popular, especially with the Queen, who attended the first performance of Shakespeare’s ‘ A Midsummer Night’s Dream ’.

In 1601, near the end of her reign, Elizabeth gave what is known as the ‘ Golden Speech ‘ to her politicians. In it she expressed her love for her country and subjects, and said, “ There is no jewel, be it of never so high a price, which I set before this jewel; I mean your love .”

Who succeeded Elizabeth I?

King James VI of Scotland.

By the early 1600s, Elizabeth’s health had been failing for some time. Frail and melancholy over the deaths of many of her close friends and advisors, she would stand for hours, refusing to rest. She was balding, had bad breath due to her rotting teeth – eww ! – and spent a lot of her time expressing regret over decisions she’d made during her reign – especially the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.

On 24th March 1603  Elizabeth I died, having reigned for 44 years as a very popular queen. As she had no children, and therefore no direct heir to the throne, she was the last Tudor monarch . Following her death, Mary, Queen of Scots’ son – James VI of Scotland – was named King James I of England .

The cause of her death was never determined. But whilst no theory has been proven, many people think Elizabeth may have had blood poisoning from the make-up she wore. Make-up in the Tudor era was full of toxic ingredients such as lead – and Elizabeth famously wore a lot of it!

What is Elizabeth I remembered for?

Elizabeth is often remembered as a powerful and clever monarch, known for her sumptuous costumes, sparkling jewellery, beautiful appearance and magnificent portraits. She reigned England at a time when religious opinion was divided, yet, for the most part, she managed to maintain peace and prosperity, and reign over a ‘Golden Age’.

She’s also remembered for being a different kind of queen. She was only the second queen in English history to rule in her own right (the first was her half-sister, Mary) – during a time when people believed that women weren’t able to rule as well as men. But Elizabeth didn’t let that stop her! She was clever and cunning and proved that women can be just as powerful as men!

Her refusal to marry lead to her being remembered as the ‘ Virgin Queen .’ She knew that marriage would mean sharing power with her husband, and even becoming the less powerful of the two. There were rumours of Elizabeth having relationships with men at court, but none were ever proven true – making her even more of a mystery!

Lastly, she is arguably the most famous child of Henry VIII. Desperate for a male heir, Henry disowned Elizabeth as a child and beheaded her mother – and in the process, hugely underestimated his daughter’s potential to become one of the most influential queens in British history.

What do you think of our Elizabeth I facts? Let us know by leaving a comment, below!

Leave a comment.

Your comment will be checked and approved shortly.

WELL DONE, YOUR COMMENT HAS BEEN ADDED!

This text about queen Elizabeth was amazing now I know a lot more facts.

HiyaaaAaaaaaaaa

Cool stuff :)

I like your facts about Elizabeth the first.

[…] today’s History lesson I have made a quiz on kahoot! You need to read this page all about Queen Elizabeth’s life, and then answer the quiz questions on kahoot! using this […]

lol so good

CUSTOMIZE YOUR AVATAR

More like monarchy.

10 Facts About Queen Victoria!

Queen Victoria’s children

15 fun facts about Queen Elizabeth II

The life and reign of King Henry VIII

Sign up to our newsletter

Get uplifting news, exclusive offers, inspiring stories and activities to help you and your family explore and learn delivered straight to your inbox.

You will receive our UK newsletter. Change region

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

COUNTRY * Australia Ireland New Zealand United Kingdom Other

By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and will receive emails from us about news, offers, activities and partner offers.

You're all signed up! Back to subscription site

Type whatever you want to search

More Results

You’re leaving natgeokids.com to visit another website!

Ask a parent or guardian to check it out first and remember to stay safe online.

You're leaving our kids' pages to visit a page for grown-ups!

Be sure to check if your parent or guardian is okay with this first.

Resources you can trust

Elizabeth I biography and comprehension (KS1)

A non-fiction comprehension based on the life of Elizabeth I. Children read the simple biography of the Tudor queen and then answer questions which require retrieval and inference.

They go on to create their own fact file of Queen Elizabeth I using information from the text, draw a portrait of themselves in the style of the Armada portrait of the queen, and design a medal inspired by a medal celebrating the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

Suitable for KS1.

All reviews

Resources you might like.

• Español NEW

Elizabeth II facts for kids

• Charles III
• Anne, Princess Royal
• Prince Andrew, Duke of York
• Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime and 15 at the time of her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch , the longest recorded of any female head of state in history, and the second-longest verified reign of any sovereign in history.

Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth ). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII , making Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten , a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage lasted 73 years until his death in 2021 . They had four children: Charles , Anne , Andrew , and Edward .

When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa , Pakistan , and Ceylon (known today as Sri Lanka ), as well as Head of the Commonwealth . Elizabeth reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union . The number of her realms varied over time as territories gained independence and some realms became republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include state visits to China in 1986, Russia in 1994, and the Republic of Ireland in 2011, and meetings with five popes .

Significant events include Elizabeth's coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver , Golden , Diamond , and Platinum jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively. She faced occasional republican sentiment and media criticism of her family, particularly after the breakdowns of her children's marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992, and the death of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales , in 1997. She was served by more than 170 prime ministers across her realms. Throughout her lifetime, support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom remained consistently high, as did her personal popularity. Elizabeth died aged 96 at Balmoral Castle , Aberdeenshire, on 8 September 2022, and was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and of 14 other sovereign countries from 6 February 1952 until her death. Her reign of 70 years and seven months was the longest of any British monarch .

Elizabeth was born in Mayfair , London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth ). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII , making Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War , serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten , a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage lasted 73 years until his death in April 2021. They had four children together: Charles, King of the United Kingdom ; Anne, Princess Royal ; Prince Andrew, Duke of York ; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex .

When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa , Pakistan , and Ceylon (known today as Sri Lanka ), as well as Head of the Commonwealth . Elizabeth reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union . The number of her realms varied over time as territories have gained independence and some realms have become republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include state visits to China in 1986, Russia in 1994, the Republic of Ireland in 2011, and visits to or from five popes.

Significant events include Elizabeth's coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver , Golden , Diamond , and Platinum jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively. Elizabeth was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch , the oldest and longest-serving incumbent head of state , and the second-longest verifiable reigning sovereign monarch in world history . She faced occasional republican sentiment and media criticism of her family, particularly after the breakdowns of her children's marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992, and the death of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales , in 1997. However, support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom remained consistently high, as did her personal popularity. Elizabeth died on 8 September 2022 .

Second World War

Accession and coronation, continuing evolution of the commonwealth, acceleration of decolonisation, silver jubilee, press scrutiny and thatcher premiership, turbulent 1990s and annus horribilis, golden jubilee, diamond jubilee and longevity, covid-19 pandemic, platinum jubilee, beliefs, activities and interests, media depiction and public opinion, titles and styles.

Elizabeth was born at 02:40 ( GMT ) on 21 April 1926, during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King George V . Her father, the Duke of York (later King George VI ), was the second son of the King. Her mother, the Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother ), was the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne , at whose London home (17 Bruton Street, Mayfair ) she was delivered by Caesarean section . She was baptised by the Anglican Archbishop of York, Cosmo Gordon Lang, in the private chapel of Buckingham Palace on 29 May, and named Elizabeth after her mother; Alexandra after her paternal great-grandmother , who had died six months earlier; and Mary after her paternal grandmother . Called "Lilibet" by her close family, based on what she called herself at first, she was cherished by her grandfather, George V, whom she affectionately called "Grandpa England", and her regular visits during his serious illness in 1929 were credited in the popular press and by later biographers with raising his spirits and aiding his recovery.

Elizabeth's only sibling, Princess Margaret , was born in 1930. The two princesses were educated at home under the supervision of their mother and their governess , Marion Crawford. Lessons concentrated on history, language, literature, and music. Crawford published a biography of Elizabeth and Margaret's childhood years entitled The Little Princesses in 1950, much to the dismay of the royal family. The book describes Elizabeth's love of horses and dogs, her orderliness, and her attitude of responsibility. Others echoed such observations: Winston Churchill described Elizabeth when she was two as "a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant." Her cousin Margaret Rhodes described her as "a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved".

Heir presumptive

During her grandfather's reign, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the British throne , behind her uncle Edward and her father. Although her birth generated public interest, she was not expected to become queen, as Edward was still young and likely to marry and have children of his own, who would precede Elizabeth in the line of succession. When her grandfather died in 1936 and her uncle succeeded as Edward VIII, she became second in line to the throne, after her father. Later that year, Edward abdicated, after his proposed marriage to divorced socialite Wallis Simpson provoked a constitutional crisis. Consequently, Elizabeth's father became king, taking the regnal name George VI . Since Elizabeth had no brothers, she became heir presumptive . If her parents had subsequently borne a son, he would have been heir apparent and above her in the line of succession, which was determined by male-preference primogeniture at the time.

Elizabeth received private tuition in constitutional history from Henry Marten, Vice-Provost of Eton College , and learned French from a succession of native-speaking governesses. A Girl Guides company, the 1st Buckingham Palace Company, was formed specifically so she could socialise with girls her own age. Later, she was enrolled as a Sea Ranger.

In 1939, Elizabeth's parents toured Canada and the United States. As in 1927, when they had toured Australia and New Zealand, Elizabeth remained in Britain, since her father thought her too young to undertake public tours. She "looked tearful" as her parents departed. They corresponded regularly, and she and her parents made the first royal transatlantic telephone call on 18 May.

In September 1939, Britain entered the Second World War . Lord Hailsham suggested that Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret should be evacuated to Canada to avoid the frequent aerial bombings of London by the Luftwaffe . This was rejected by their mother, who declared, "The children won't go without me. I won't leave without the King. And the King will never leave." The princesses stayed at Balmoral Castle , Scotland, until Christmas 1939, when they moved to Sandringham House , Norfolk. From February to May 1940, they lived at Royal Lodge , Windsor, until moving to Windsor Castle , where they lived for most of the next five years. At Windsor, the princesses staged pantomimes at Christmas in aid of the Queen's Wool Fund, which bought yarn to knit into military garments. In 1940, the 14-year-old Elizabeth made her first radio broadcast during the BBC 's Children's Hour , addressing other children who had been evacuated from the cities. She stated: "We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well."

In 1943, Elizabeth undertook her first solo public appearance on a visit to the Grenadier Guards , of which she had been appointed colonel the previous year. As she approached her 18th birthday, parliament changed the law so she could act as one of five Counsellors of State in the event of her father's incapacity or absence abroad, such as his visit to Italy in July 1944. In February 1945, she was appointed as an honorary second subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service with the service number of 230873. She trained as a driver and mechanic and was given the rank of honorary junior commander (female equivalent of captain at the time) five months later.

At the end of the war in Europe, on Victory in Europe Day , Elizabeth and Margaret mingled incognito with the celebrating crowds in the streets of London. Elizabeth later said in a rare interview, "We asked my parents if we could go out and see for ourselves. I remember we were terrified of being recognised ... I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall , all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief."

During the war, plans were drawn up to quell Welsh nationalism by affiliating Elizabeth more closely with Wales. Proposals, such as appointing her Constable of Caernarfon Castle or a patron of Urdd Gobaith Cymru (the Welsh League of Youth), were abandoned for several reasons, including fear of associating Elizabeth with conscientious objectors in the Urdd at a time when Britain was at war. Welsh politicians suggested she be made Princess of Wales on her 18th birthday. Home Secretary Herbert Morrison supported the idea, but the King rejected it because he felt such a title belonged solely to the wife of a Prince of Wales and the Prince of Wales had always been the heir apparent. In 1946, she was inducted into the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.

Princess Elizabeth went on her first overseas tour in 1947, accompanying her parents through southern Africa. During the tour, in a broadcast to the British Commonwealth on her 21st birthday, she made the following pledge: "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." The speech was written by Dermot Morrah , a journalist for The Times .

Elizabeth met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark , in 1934 and again in 1937. They were second cousins once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark and third cousins through Queen Victoria . After meeting for the third time at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in July 1939, Elizabeth—though only 13 years old—said she fell in love with Philip, and they began to exchange letters. She was 21 when their engagement was officially announced on 9 July 1947.

The engagement was not without controversy; Philip had no financial standing, was foreign-born (though a British subject who had served in the Royal Navy throughout the Second World War), and had sisters who had married German noblemen with Nazi links. Marion Crawford wrote, "Some of the King's advisors did not think him good enough for her. He was a prince without a home or kingdom. Some of the papers played long and loud tunes on the string of Philip's foreign origin." Later biographies reported that Elizabeth's mother had reservations about the union initially, and teased Philip as "The Hun". In later life, however, the Queen Mother told biographer Tim Heald that Philip was "an English gentleman".

Before the marriage, Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles, officially converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism , and adopted the style Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten , taking the surname of his mother's British family. Shortly before the wedding, he was created Duke of Edinburgh and granted the style His Royal Highness . Elizabeth and Philip were married on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey . They received 2,500 wedding gifts from around the world. Elizabeth required ration coupons to buy the material for her gown (which was designed by Norman Hartnell) because Britain had not yet completely recovered from the devastation of the war. In post-war Britain, it was not acceptable for Philip's German relations, including his three surviving sisters, to be invited to the wedding. Neither was an invitation extended to the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII.

Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles , on 14 November 1948. One month earlier, the King had issued letters patent allowing her children to use the style and title of a royal prince or princess, to which they otherwise would not have been entitled as their father was no longer a royal prince. A second child, Princess Anne , was born on 15 August 1950.

Following their wedding, the couple leased Windlesham Moor, near Windsor Castle, until July 1949, when they took up residence at Clarence House in London. At various times between 1949 and 1951, the Duke of Edinburgh was stationed in the British Crown Colony of Malta as a serving Royal Navy officer. He and Elizabeth lived intermittently in Malta for several months at a time in the hamlet of Gwardamanġa, at Villa Guardamangia, the rented home of Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten . Their two children remained in Britain.

George VI's health declined during 1951, and Elizabeth frequently stood in for him at public events. When she toured Canada and visited President Harry S. Truman in Washington, D.C., in October 1951, her private secretary, Martin Charteris, carried a draft accession declaration in case of the King's death while she was on tour. In early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip set out for a tour of Australia and New Zealand by way of Kenya. On 6 February 1952, they had just returned to their Kenyan home, Sagana Lodge, after a night spent at Treetops Hotel, when word arrived of the death of George VI and Elizabeth's consequent accession to the throne with immediate effect. Philip broke the news to the new queen. She chose to retain Elizabeth as her regnal name; thus she was called Elizabeth II, which offended many Scots, as she was the first Elizabeth to rule in Scotland. She was proclaimed queen throughout her realms and the royal party hastily returned to the United Kingdom. Elizabeth and Philip moved into Buckingham Palace.

With Elizabeth's accession, it seemed probable that the royal house would bear the Duke of Edinburgh's name, in line with the custom of a wife taking her husband's surname on marriage. Lord Mountbatten advocated the name House of Mountbatten . Philip suggested House of Edinburgh , after his ducal title. The British prime minister, Winston Churchill, and Elizabeth's grandmother, Queen Mary , favoured the retention of the House of Windsor , so Elizabeth issued a declaration on 9 April 1952 that Windsor would continue to be the name of the royal house. The Duke complained, "I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his own children." In 1960, the surname Mountbatten-Windsor was adopted for Philip and Elizabeth's male-line descendants who do not carry royal titles.

Amid preparations for the coronation, Princess Margaret told her sister she wished to marry Peter Townsend , a divorcé‚ 16 years Margaret's senior and with two sons from his previous marriage. The Queen asked them to wait for a year; in the words of her private secretary, "the Queen was naturally sympathetic towards the Princess, but I think she thought—she hoped—given time, the affair would peter out." Senior politicians were against the match and the Church of England did not permit remarriage after divorce. If Margaret had contracted a civil marriage , she would have been expected to renounce her right of succession . Margaret decided to abandon her plans with Townsend.

Despite the death of Queen Mary on 24 March 1953, the coronation went ahead as planned on 2 June, as Mary had requested before she died. The coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, with the exception of the anointing and communion , was televised for the first time. On Elizabeth's instruction, her coronation gown was embroidered with the floral emblems of Commonwealth countries.

From Elizabeth's birth onwards, the British Empire continued its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations . By the time of her accession in 1952, her role as head of multiple independent states was already established. In 1953, the Queen and her husband embarked on a seven-month round-the-world tour, visiting 13 countries and covering more than 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometres) by land, sea and air. She became the first reigning monarch of Australia and New Zealand to visit those nations. During the tour, crowds were immense; three-quarters of the population of Australia were estimated to have seen her. Throughout her reign, the Queen had made hundreds of state visits to other countries and tours of the Commonwealth ; she was the most widely travelled head of state.

In 1956, the British and French prime ministers, Sir Anthony Eden and Guy Mollet , discussed the possibility of France joining the Commonwealth. The proposal was never accepted and the following year France signed the Treaty of Rome , which established the European Economic Community , the precursor to the European Union . In November 1956, Britain and France invaded Egypt in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to capture the Suez Canal . Lord Mountbatten said the Queen was opposed to the invasion, though Eden denied it. Eden resigned two months later.

The absence of a formal mechanism within the Conservative Party for choosing a leader meant that, following Eden's resignation, it fell to the Queen to decide whom to commission to form a government. Eden recommended she consult Lord Salisbury , the Lord President of the Council. Lord Salisbury and Lord Kilmuir, the Lord Chancellor , consulted the British Cabinet , Churchill, and the Chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, resulting in the Queen appointing their recommended candidate: Harold Macmillan .

The Suez crisis and the choice of Eden's successor led, in 1957, to the first major personal criticism of the Queen. In a magazine, which he owned and edited, Lord Altrincham accused her of being "out of touch". Altrincham was denounced by public figures and slapped by a member of the public appalled by his comments. Six years later, in 1963, Macmillan resigned and advised the Queen to appoint the Earl of Home as prime minister, advice she followed. The Queen again came under criticism for appointing the prime minister on the advice of a small number of ministers or a single minister. In 1965, the Conservatives adopted a formal mechanism for electing a leader, thus relieving her of involvement.

In 1957, Elizabeth made a state visit to the United States, where she addressed the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the Commonwealth. On the same tour, she opened the 23rd Canadian Parliament, becoming the first monarch of Canada to open a parliamentary session. Two years later, solely in her capacity as Queen of Canada, she revisited the United States and toured Canada. In 1961, she toured Cyprus , India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Iran. On a visit to Ghana the same year, she dismissed fears for her safety, even though her host, President Kwame Nkrumah , who had replaced her as head of state, was a target for assassins. Harold Macmillan wrote, "The Queen has been absolutely determined all through ... She is impatient of the attitude towards her to treat her as ... a film star ... She has indeed ' the heart and stomach of a man ' ... She loves her duty and means to be a Queen." Before her tour through parts of Quebec in 1964, the press reported extremists within the Quebec separatist movement were plotting Elizabeth's assassination. No attempt was made, but a riot did break out while she was in Montreal; the Queen's "calmness and courage in the face of the violence" was noted.

Elizabeth gave birth to her third child, Prince Andrew , on 19 February 1960, which was the first birth to a reigning British monarch since 1857. Her fourth child, Prince Edward , was born on 10 March 1964.

In addition to performing traditional ceremonies, the Queen had also instituted new practices. Her first royal walkabout, meeting ordinary members of the public, took place during a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1970.

The 1960s and 1970s saw an acceleration in the decolonisation of Africa and the Caribbean . More than 20 countries gained independence from Britain as part of a planned transition to self-government. In 1965, however, the Rhodesian prime minister, Ian Smith , in opposition to moves towards majority rule, unilaterally declared independence while expressing "loyalty and devotion" to Elizabeth, declaring her " Queen of Rhodesia ". Although the Queen formally dismissed him, and the international community applied sanctions against Rhodesia, his regime survived for over a decade. As Britain's ties to its former empire weakened, the British government sought entry to the European Community, a goal it achieved in 1973.

The Queen toured Yugoslavia in October 1972, becoming the first British monarch to visit a communist country. She was received at the airport by President Josip Broz Tito , and a crowd of thousands greeted her in Belgrade.

In February 1974, the British prime minister, Edward Heath , advised the Queen to call a general election in the middle of her tour of the Austronesian Pacific Rim , requiring her to fly back to Britain. The election resulted in a hung parliament ; Heath's Conservatives were not the largest party, but could stay in office if they formed a coalition with the Liberals . When discussions on forming a coalition foundered, Heath resigned as prime minister and the Queen asked the Leader of the Opposition , Labour's Harold Wilson , to form a government.

A year later, at the height of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, the Australian prime minister, Gough Whitlam , was dismissed from his post by Governor-General Sir John Kerr, after the Opposition-controlled Senate rejected Whitlam's budget proposals. As Whitlam had a majority in the House of Representatives , Speaker Gordon Scholes appealed to the Queen to reverse Kerr's decision. She declined, saying she would not interfere in decisions reserved by the Constitution of Australia for the Governor-General. The crisis fuelled Australian republicanism.

In 1977, Elizabeth marked the Silver Jubilee of her accession. Parties and events took place throughout the Commonwealth, many coinciding with her associated national and Commonwealth tours . The celebrations re-affirmed the Queen's popularity, despite virtually coincident negative press coverage of Princess Margaret's separation from her husband, Lord Snowdon . In 1978, the Queen endured a state visit to the United Kingdom by Romania's communist leader, Nicolae Ceaușescu , and his wife, Elena , though privately she thought they had "blood on their hands". The following year brought two blows: one was the unmasking of Anthony Blunt , former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, as a communist spy; the other was the assassination of her relative and in-law Lord Mountbatten by the Provisional Irish Republican Army .

According to Paul Martin Sr., by the end of the 1970s the Queen was worried the Crown "had little meaning for" Pierre Trudeau , the Canadian prime minister . Tony Benn said the Queen found Trudeau "rather disappointing". Trudeau's supposed republicanism seemed to be confirmed by his antics, such as sliding down banisters at Buckingham Palace and pirouetting behind the Queen's back in 1977, and the removal of various Canadian royal symbols during his term of office. In 1980, Canadian politicians sent to London to discuss the patriation of the Canadian constitution found the Queen "better informed ... than any of the British politicians or bureaucrats". She was particularly interested after the failure of Bill C-60, which would have affected her role as head of state.

During the 1981 Trooping the Colour ceremony, six weeks before the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, six shots were fired at the Queen from close range as she rode down The Mall, London , on her horse, Burmese. Police later discovered the shots were blanks. The 17-year-old assailant, Marcus Sarjeant, was sentenced to five years in prison and released after three. The Queen's composure and skill in controlling her mount were widely praised. That October the Queen was the subject of another attack while on a visit to Dunedin , New Zealand. Christopher John Lewis, who was 17 years old, fired a shot with a .22 rifle from the fifth floor of a building overlooking the parade, but missed. Lewis was arrested, but never charged with attempted murder or treason , and sentenced to three years in jail for unlawful possession and discharge of a firearm. Two years into his sentence, he attempted to escape a psychiatric hospital with the intention of assassinating Charles, who was visiting the country with Diana and their son Prince William .

From April to September 1982, the Queen's son, Prince Andrew, served with British forces in the Falklands War , for which she reportedly felt anxiety and pride. On 9 July, she awoke in her bedroom at Buckingham Palace to find an intruder, Michael Fagan, in the room with her. In a serious lapse of security, assistance only arrived after two calls to the Palace police switchboard. After hosting US president Ronald Reagan at Windsor Castle in 1982 and visiting his California ranch in 1983, the Queen was angered when his administration ordered the invasion of Grenada , one of her Caribbean realms, without informing her.

Intense media interest in the opinions and private lives of the royal family during the 1980s led to a series of sensational stories in the press, not all of which were entirely true. As Kelvin MacKenzie, editor of The Sun , told his staff: "Give me a Sunday for Monday splash on the Royals. Don't worry if it's not true—so long as there's not too much of a fuss about it afterwards." Newspaper editor Donald Trelford wrote in The Observer of 21 September 1986: "The royal soap opera has now reached such a pitch of public interest that the boundary between fact and fiction has been lost sight of ... it is not just that some papers don't check their facts or accept denials: they don't care if the stories are true or not." It was reported, most notably in The Sunday Times of 20 July 1986, that the Queen was worried that Margaret Thatcher 's economic policies fostered social divisions and was alarmed by high unemployment, a series of riots, the violence of a miners' strike , and Thatcher's refusal to apply sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa. The sources of the rumours included royal aide Michael Shea and Commonwealth Secretary-General Shridath Ramphal , but Shea claimed his remarks were taken out of context and embellished by speculation. Thatcher reputedly said the Queen would vote for the Social Democratic Party —Thatcher's political opponents. Thatcher's biographer, John Campbell, claimed "the report was a piece of journalistic mischief-making". Reports of acrimony between them were exaggerated, and the Queen gave two honours in her personal gift—membership in the Order of Merit and the Order of the Garter —to Thatcher after her replacement as prime minister by John Major . Brian Mulroney , Canadian prime minister between 1984 and 1993, said Elizabeth was a "behind the scenes force" in ending apartheid.

In 1986, the Queen paid a six-day state visit to China, becoming the first British monarch to visit the country. The tour included the Forbidden City , the Great Wall of China , and the Terracotta Warriors . At a state banquet, the Queen joked about the first British emissary to China being lost at sea with Queen Elizabeth I's letter to the Wanli Emperor, and remarked, "fortunately postal services have improved since 1602". The Queen's visit also signified the acceptance of both countries that sovereignty over Hong Kong would be transferred from the United Kingdom to China in 1997.

By the end of the 1980s, the Queen had become the target of satire. The involvement of younger members of the royal family in the charity game show It's a Royal Knockout in 1987 was ridiculed. In Canada, Elizabeth publicly supported politically divisive constitutional amendments, prompting criticism from opponents of the proposed changes, including Pierre Trudeau. The same year, the elected Fijian government was deposed in a military coup. As monarch of Fiji, Elizabeth supported the attempts of Governor-General Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau to assert executive power and negotiate a settlement. Coup leader Sitiveni Rabuka deposed Ganilau and declared Fiji a republic.

In the wake of coalition victory in the Gulf War , the Queen became the first British monarch to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress in May 1991.

On 24 November 1992, in a speech to mark the Ruby Jubilee of her accession to the throne, Elizabeth called 1992 her annus horribilis (a Latin phrase, meaning "horrible year"). Republican feeling in Britain had risen because of press estimates of the Queen's private wealth—contradicted by the Palace—and reports of affairs and strained marriages among her extended family. In March, her second son, Prince Andrew, separated from his wife, Sarah , and Mauritius removed Elizabeth as head of state; her daughter, Princess Anne, divorced Captain Mark Phillips in April; angry demonstrators in Dresden threw eggs at the Queen during a state visit to Germany in October; and a large fire broke out at Windsor Castle, one of her official residences, in November. The monarchy came under increased criticism and public scrutiny. In an unusually personal speech, the Queen said that any institution must expect criticism, but suggested it might be done with "a touch of humour, gentleness and understanding". Two days later, Prime Minister John Major announced plans to reform the royal finances, drawn up the previous year, including the Queen paying income tax from 1993 onwards, and a reduction in the civil list. In December, Prince Charles and his wife, Diana, formally separated. At the end of the year, the Queen sued The Sun newspaper for breach of copyright when it published the text of her annual Christmas message two days before it was broadcast. The newspaper was forced to pay her legal fees and donated £200,000 to charity. The Queen's solicitors had taken action against The Sun five years earlier for breach of copyright, after it published a photograph of her daughter-in-law the Duchess of York and her granddaughter Princess Beatrice . The case was solved with an out-of-court settlement that ordered the newspaper to pay $180,000.

In January 1994, the Queen broke the scaphoid bone in her left wrist as the horse she was riding at Sandringham House tripped and fell. In October 1994, she became the first reigning British monarch to set foot on Russian soil. During the four-day visit, which is considered to be one of the most important foreign trips of the Queen's reign, she and Philip attended events in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In October 1995, the Queen was tricked into a hoax call by Montreal radio host Pierre Brassard impersonating Canadian prime minister Jean Chrétien . The Queen, who believed that she was speaking to Chrétien, said she supported Canadian unity, and would try to influence Quebec's referendum on proposals to break away from Canada.

In the year that followed, public revelations on the state of Charles and Diana's marriage continued. In consultation with her husband and John Major, as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury , George Carey, and her private secretary, Robert Fellowes, Elizabeth wrote to Charles and Diana at the end of December 1995, suggesting that a divorce would be advisable.

In August 1997, a year after the divorce, Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris . The Queen was on holiday with her extended family at Balmoral. Diana's two sons, Princes William and Harry , wanted to attend church, so the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh took them that morning. Afterwards, for five days the royal couple shielded their grandsons from the intense press interest by keeping them at Balmoral where they could grieve in private, but the royal family's silence and seclusion, and the failure to fly a flag at half-mast over Buckingham Palace, caused public dismay. Pressured by the hostile reaction, the Queen agreed to return to London and address the nation in a live television broadcast on 5 September, the day before Diana's funeral. In the broadcast, she expressed admiration for Diana and her feelings "as a grandmother" for the two princes. As a result, much of the public hostility evaporated.

In October 1997, Elizabeth and Philip made a state visit to India, which included a controversial visit to the site of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre to pay her respects. Protesters chanted "Killer Queen, go back", and there were demands for her to apologise for the action of British troops 78 years earlier. At the memorial in the park, she and the Duke paid their respects by laying a wreath and stood for a 30‑second moment of silence . As a result, much of the fury among the public softened and the protests were called off.

In November of that year, the Queen and her husband held a reception at Banqueting House to mark their golden wedding anniversary. Elizabeth made a speech and praised Philip for his role as a consort, referring to him as "my strength and stay".

On the eve of the new millennium , the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh boarded a vessel from Southwark , bound for the Millennium Dome . Before passing under Tower Bridge , the Queen lit the National Millennium Beacon in the Pool of London using a laser torch. Shortly before midnight, she officially opened the Dome. During the singing of Auld Lang Syne , the Queen held hands with the Duke and British prime minister Tony Blair .

In 2002, the Queen marked her Golden Jubilee , the 50th anniversary of her accession. Her sister and mother died in February and March respectively, and the media speculated on whether the Jubilee would be a success or a failure. She again undertook an extensive tour of her realms, beginning in Jamaica in February, where she called the farewell banquet "memorable" after a power cut plunged the King's House, the official residence of the governor-general , into darkness. As in 1977, there were street parties and commemorative events, and monuments were named to honour the occasion. One million people attended each day of the three-day main Jubilee celebration in London, and the enthusiasm shown for the Queen by the public was greater than many journalists had anticipated.

In 2003, the Queen sued Daily Mirror for breach of confidence and obtained an injunction which prevented the outlet from publishing information gathered by a reporter who posed as a footman at Buckingham Palace. The newspaper also paid £25,000 towards her legal costs. Though generally healthy throughout her life, in 2003 the Queen had keyhole surgery on both knees. In October 2006, she missed the opening of the new Emirates Stadium because of a strained back muscle that had been troubling her since the summer.

In May 2007, citing unnamed sources, The Daily Telegraph reported that the Queen was "exasperated and frustrated" by the policies of Tony Blair, that she was concerned the British Armed Forces were overstretched in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that she had raised concerns over rural and countryside issues with Blair. She was, however, said to admire Blair's efforts to achieve peace in Northern Ireland. She became the first British monarch to celebrate a diamond wedding anniversary in November 2007. On 20 March 2008, at the Church of Ireland St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh , the Queen attended the first Maundy service held outside England and Wales.

Elizabeth addressed the UN General Assembly for a second time in 2010, again in her capacity as Queen of all Commonwealth realms and Head of the Commonwealth. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon , introduced her as "an anchor for our age". During her visit to New York, which followed a tour of Canada, she officially opened a memorial garden for British victims of the September 11 attacks . The Queen's 11-day visit to Australia in October 2011 was her 16th visit to the country since 1954. By invitation of the Irish president, Mary McAleese , she made the first state visit to the Republic of Ireland by a British monarch in May 2011.

The Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee marked 60 years on the throne, and celebrations were held throughout her realms, the wider Commonwealth, and beyond. She and her husband undertook an extensive tour of the United Kingdom, while her children and grandchildren embarked on royal tours of other Commonwealth states on her behalf. On 4 June, Jubilee beacons were lit around the world. While touring Manchester as part of her Jubilee celebrations, the Queen made a surprise appearance at a wedding party at Manchester Town Hall, which then made international headlines. In November, the Queen and her husband celebrated their blue sapphire wedding anniversary (65th). On 18 December, she became the first British sovereign to attend a peacetime Cabinet meeting since George III in 1781.

The Queen, who opened the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, also opened the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in London, making her the first head of state to open two Olympic Games in two countries. For the London Olympics, she played herself in a short film as part of the opening ceremony, alongside Daniel Craig as James Bond . On 4 April 2013, she received an honorary BAFTA for her patronage of the film industry and was called "the most memorable Bond girl yet" at the award ceremony.

On 3 March 2013, Elizabeth stayed overnight at King Edward VII's Hospital as a precaution after developing symptoms of gastroenteritis . A week later, she signed the new Charter of the Commonwealth. Because of her age and the need for her to limit travelling, in 2013 she chose not to attend the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for the first time in 40 years. She was represented at the summit in Sri Lanka by Prince Charles. On 20 April 2018, the Commonwealth heads of government announced that she will be succeeded by Charles as Head of the Commonwealth , which she stated was her "sincere wish". She underwent cataract surgery in May 2018. In March 2019, she gave up driving on public roads, largely as a consequence of a car crash involving her husband two months earlier.

The Queen surpassed her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, to become the longest-lived British monarch on 21 December 2007, and the longest-reigning British monarch and longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state in the world on 9 September 2015. She became the oldest current monarch after King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia died on 23 January 2015. She later became the longest-reigning current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state following the death of King Bhumibol of Thailand on 13 October 2016, and the oldest current head of state on the resignation of Robert Mugabe on 21 November 2017. On 6 February 2017, she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee , and on 20 November, she was the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary. Philip had retired from his official duties as the Queen's consort in August 2017.

On 19 March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United Kingdom, the Queen moved to Windsor Castle and sequestered there as a precaution. Public engagements were cancelled and Windsor Castle followed a strict sanitary protocol nicknamed "HMS Bubble". On 5 April, in a televised broadcast watched by an estimated 24 million viewers in the UK, she asked people to "take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again." On 8 May, the 75th anniversary of VE Day , in a TV broadcast at 9   p.m.—the exact time at which her father George VI had broadcast to the nation on the same day in 1945—she asked people to "never give up, never despair". In October, she visited the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Wiltshire, her first public engagement since the start of the pandemic. On 4 November, she appeared masked for the first time in public, during a private pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, to mark the centenary of his burial. In 2021, she received her first and second COVID-19 vaccinations in January and April respectively.

Prince Philip died on 9 April 2021 , after 73 years of marriage, making Elizabeth the first British monarch to reign as a widow or widower since Queen Victoria. She was reportedly at her husband's bedside when he died, and remarked in private that his death had "left a huge void". Due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place in England at the time, the Queen sat alone at Philip's funeral service, which evoked sympathy from people around the world. In her Christmas broadcast that year, she paid a personal tribute to her "beloved Philip", saying, "That mischievous, inquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him".

Despite the pandemic, the Queen attended the 2021 State Opening of Parliament in May, and the 47th G7 summit in June. On 5 July, the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the UK's National Health Service , she announced that the NHS will be awarded the George Cross to "recognise all NHS staff, past and present, across all disciplines and all four nations". In October 2021, she began using a walking stick during public engagements for the first time since her operation in 2004. Following an overnight stay in hospital on 20 October, visits to Northern Ireland, the COP26 summit in Glasgow, and the 2021 National Service of Remembrance were cancelled on health grounds.

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee began on 6 February 2022, marking 70 years since she acceded to the throne on her father's death. On the eve of the date, she held a reception at Sandringham House for pensioners, local Women's Institute members and charity volunteers. In her Accession Day message, Elizabeth renewed her commitment to a lifetime of public service, which she had originally made in 1947.

Later that month, the Queen had "mild cold-like symptoms" and tested positive for COVID-19, along with some staff and family members. She cancelled two virtual audiences on 22 February, but held a phone conversation with Prime Minister Boris Johnson the following day. On 28 February, she was reported to have recovered and spent time with her family at Frogmore. On 7 March, the Queen met Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau at Windsor Castle, in her first in-person engagement since her COVID diagnosis. She later remarked that COVID infection "leave[s] one very tired and exhausted ... It's not a nice result."

The Queen was present at the service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey on 29 March, but was unable to attend the annual Commonwealth Day service that month or the Royal Maundy Service in April. She missed the State Opening of Parliament in May for the first time in 59 years. (She did not attend in 1959 and 1963 as she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively.) In her absence, Parliament was opened by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge as Counsellors of State. On 17 May, the Queen officially opened the Elizabeth line in central London.

During the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Queen was largely confined to balcony appearances, and missed the National Service of Thanksgiving. For the Jubilee concert, she took part in a sketch with Paddington Bear, that opened the event outside Buckingham Palace. On 13 June 2022, she became the second-longest reigning monarch in history among those whose exact dates of reign are known, with 70 years, 127 days reigned—surpassing King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. On 6 September 2022, she appointed her 15th British prime minister, Liz Truss , at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the first time she did not receive a new prime minister at Buckingham Palace during her reign.

The Queen did not intend to abdicate , though she took on fewer public engagements as she grew older and Prince Charles took on more of her duties.

On 8 September 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that Elizabeth was under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle after doctors expressed concern. The statement read: "Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral." Elizabeth's four children, along with her daughters-in-law Camilla and Sophie and grandsons William and Harry, travelled to Balmoral. Her death was confirmed that evening at 18:30 BST , setting in motion Operation London Bridge and, because she died in Scotland, Operation Unicorn .

Her funeral was at Westminster Abbey at 11am BST on 19 September 2022 and she was interred at the King George VI Memorial Chapel , part of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle , later that day.

Public perception and character

Elizabeth rarely gave interviews and little was known of her personal feelings. She did not explicitly express her own political opinions in a public forum, and it is against convention to ask or reveal the monarch's views. When Times journalist Paul Routledge asked the Queen for her opinions on the miners' strike of 1984–85, she replied that it was "all about one man" (a reference to Arthur Scargill), with which Routledge disagreed. Widely criticised in the media for asking the question, Routledge said he was not initially due to be present for the royal visit and was unaware of the protocols. After the 2014 Scottish independence referendum , Prime Minister David Cameron stated that the Queen was pleased with the outcome. She had arguably issued a public coded statement about the referendum by telling one woman outside Balmoral Kirk that she hoped people would think "very carefully" about the outcome. It emerged later that Cameron had specifically requested that she register her concern.

Elizabeth had a deep sense of religious and civic duty, and took her Coronation Oath seriously. Aside from her official religious role as Supreme Governor of the established Church of England , she worshipped with that church and also the national Church of Scotland . She demonstrated support for inter-faith relations and met with leaders of other churches and religions, including five popes: Pius XII , John XXIII , John Paul II , Benedict XVI and Francis . A personal note about her faith often featured in her annual Christmas Message broadcast to the Commonwealth. In 2000, she said:

To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example.

Elizabeth was patron of more than 600 organisations and charities. The Charities Aid Foundation estimated that Elizabeth helped raise over £1.4 billion for her patronages during her reign. Her main leisure interests included equestrianism and dogs, especially her Pembroke Welsh Corgis . Her lifelong love of corgis began in 1933 with Dookie, the first corgi owned by her family. Scenes of a relaxed, informal home life were occasionally witnessed; she and her family, from time to time, prepared a meal together and washed the dishes afterwards.

In the 1950s, as a young woman at the start of her reign, Elizabeth was depicted as a glamorous "fairytale Queen". After the trauma of the Second World War, it was a time of hope, a period of progress and achievement heralding a "new Elizabethan age". Lord Altrincham's accusation in 1957 that her speeches sounded like those of a "priggish schoolgirl" was an extremely rare criticism. In the late 1960s, attempts to portray a more modern image of the monarchy were made in the television documentary Royal Family and by televising Prince Charles's investiture as Prince of Wales. Her wardrobe developed a recognisable, signature style driven more by function than fashion. She dressed with an eye toward what is appropriate, rather than what is in vogue. In public, she took to wearing mostly solid-colour overcoats and decorative hats, allowing her to be seen easily in a crowd. Her wardrobe was handled by a team that includes five dressers, a dressmaker, and a milliner.

At the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, the crowds and celebrations were genuinely enthusiastic, but, in the 1980s, public criticism of the royal family increased, as the personal and working lives of Elizabeth's children came under media scrutiny. Her popularity sank to a low point in the 1990s. Under pressure from public opinion, she began to pay income tax for the first time, and Buckingham Palace was opened to the public. Although support for republicanism in Britain seemed higher than at any time in living memory, republican ideology was still a minority viewpoint and the Queen herself had high approval ratings. Criticism was focused on the institution of the monarchy itself, and the conduct of the Queen's wider family, rather than her own behaviour and actions. Discontent with the monarchy reached its peak on the death of the former Princess of Wales, Diana, although Elizabeth's personal popularity—as well as general support for the monarchy—rebounded after her live television broadcast to the world five days after Diana's death.

In November 1999, a referendum in Australia on the future of the Australian monarchy favoured its retention in preference to an indirectly elected head of state. Many republicans credited Elizabeth's personal popularity with the survival of the monarchy in Australia. In 2010, Prime Minister Julia Gillard noted that there was a "deep affection" for the Queen in Australia and another referendum on the monarchy should wait until after her reign. Gillard's successor, Malcolm Turnbull , who led the republican campaign in 1999, similarly believed that Australians would not vote to become a republic in her lifetime. "She's been an extraordinary head of state", Turnbull said in 2021, "and I think frankly, in Australia, there are more Elizabethans than there are monarchists". Similarly, referendums in both Tuvalu in 2008 and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2009 saw voters reject proposals to become republics.

Polls in Britain in 2006 and 2007 revealed strong support for the monarchy, and in 2012, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year, her approval ratings hit 90 percent. Her family came under scrutiny again in the last few years of her life due to her grandson Harry and his wife Meghan 's exit from the monarchy and subsequent move to the United States. Whilst not as universal as it once was, various polling suggested the popularity of the monarchy remained high in Great Britain during the Platinum Jubilee, with the Queen's personal popularity remaining particularly strong. As of 2021 she remained the third most admired woman in the world according to the annual Gallup poll, her 52 appearances on the list meaning she had been in the top ten more than any other woman in the poll's history.

Elizabeth was portrayed in a variety of media by many notable artists, including painters Pietro Annigoni, Peter Blake , Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy , Terence Cuneo, Lucian Freud , Rolf Harris , Damien Hirst , Juliet Pannett and Tai-Shan Schierenberg. Notable photographers of Elizabeth included Cecil Beaton , Yousuf Karsh , Anwar Hussein, Annie Leibovitz , Lord Lichfield, Terry O'Neill , John Swannell and Dorothy Wilding. The first official portrait photograph of Elizabeth was taken by Marcus Adams in 1926.

Elizabeth's personal wealth was the subject of speculation for many years. In 1971, Jock Colville, her former private secretary and a director of her bank, Coutts , estimated her wealth at £2 million (equivalent to about £20 million in 2021 ). In 1993, Buckingham Palace called estimates of £100 million "grossly overstated". In 2002, she inherited an estate worth an estimated £70 million from her mother. The Sunday Times Rich List 2020 estimated her personal wealth at £350 million, making her the 372nd richest person in the UK. She was number one on the list when it began in the Sunday Times Rich List 1989 , with a reported wealth of £5.2 billion, which included state assets that were not hers personally, (approximately £9.32 billion in today's value).

The Royal Collection, which includes thousands of historic works of art and the Crown Jewels , is not owned personally but was described as being held in trust by the Queen for her successors and the nation, as were her official residences, such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle , and the Duchy of Lancaster, a property portfolio valued at £472 million in 2015. The Paradise Papers , leaked in 2017, show that the Duchy of Lancaster held investments in the British tax havens of the Cayman Islands and Bermuda . Sandringham House in Norfolk and Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire were personally owned by the Queen. The Crown Estate – with holdings of £14.3 billion in 2019 – is held in trust and could not be sold or owned by her in a personal capacity.

Titles, styles, honours, and arms

• 21 April 1926 – 11 December 1936: Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York
• 11 December 1936 – 20 November 1947: Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth
• 20 November 1947 – 6 February 1952: Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh
• 6 February 1952 – 8 September 2022: Her Majesty The Queen

Elizabeth held many titles and honorary military positions throughout the Commonwealth , was sovereign of many orders in her own countries, and received honours and awards from around the world. In each of her realms, she had a distinct title that follows a similar formula: Queen of Saint Lucia and of Her other Realms and Territories in Saint Lucia, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories in Australia, etc. In the Channel Islands and Isle of Man , which are Crown Dependencies rather than separate realms, she was known as Duke of Normandy and Lord of Mann , respectively. Additional styles include Defender of the Faith and Duke of Lancaster .

When conversing with the Queen, the correct etiquette was to address her initially as Your Majesty and thereafter as Ma'am (pronounced), with a short 'a' as in jam .

From 21 April 1944 until her accession, Elizabeth's arms consisted of a lozenge bearing the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom differenced with a label of three points argent, the centre point bearing a Tudor rose and the first and third a cross of St George. Upon her accession, she inherited the various arms her father held as sovereign. The Queen also possessed royal standards and personal flags for use in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand , Jamaica, and elsewhere.

• This page was last modified on 20 February 2024, at 12:05. Suggest an edit .

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, sitting on the throne for 71 years. She was succeeded by King Charles III in 2022.

Who Was Queen Elizabeth II?

Quick facts, early life and family tree, ascension to the crown and coronation, husband prince philip, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, family scandals and losses, death and funeral, latest news: one year since her death.

On the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, King Charles shared an unreleased photo of the late queen. “In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us,” he said in a statement. Additionally, Prince William and Princess Kate attended a private church service in Wales to commemorate her life, and Prince Harry visited the chapel at Windsor Castle , where the queen is buried. Planning for a memorial to Elizabeth is underway. The targeted unveiling is 2026, the year she would have turned 100.

Queen Elizabeth II became queen of the United Kingdom on February 6, 1952, at age 25 and was crowned on June 2, 1953. She was the mother of Prince Charles , who ascended to the throne after her death, as well as the grandmother of Princes William and Harry . As the longest-serving monarch in British history, she tried to make her reign more modern and sensitive to a changing public while maintaining traditions associated with the crown. Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022, at age 96.

FULL NAME: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary BORN: April 21, 1926 DIED: September 8, 2022 BIRTHPLACE: London, England, United Kingdom PARENTS: King George VI and Queen Mother Elizabeth SPOUSE: Prince Philip CHILDREN: King Charles III , Princess Anne , Prince Andrew , and Prince Edward ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Taurus

Queen Elizabeth II was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, in London. Her parents were then known as the Duke and Duchess of York. Prince Albert—later known as King George VI —was the second son of Queen Mary and King George V . Her mother was Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon .

Elizabeth had ties with most of the monarchs in Europe. Her British ancestors include Queen Victoria (ruled 1837 to 1901) and King George III (ruled 1760 to 1820).

At the time of her birth, most people didn’t realize Elizabeth would someday become the queen of the United Kingdom. Nicknamed Lilibet, she got to enjoy the first decade of her life with all the privileges of being a royal without the pressures of being the heir apparent.

Elizabeth’s father and mother divided their time between a home in London and Royal Lodge, the family’s home on the grounds of Windsor Great Park. Elizabeth and her younger sister, Margaret , were educated at home by tutors. Academic courses included French, mathematics, and history, along with dancing, singing, and art lessons.

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Elizabeth and her sister largely stayed out of London, having been relocated to Windsor Castle. From there she made the first of her famous radio broadcasts in 1940, with this particular speech reassuring the children of Britain who had been evacuated from their homes and families. The 14-year-old princess, showing her calm and firm personality, told them “that in the end, all will be well; for God will care for us and give us victory and peace.”

Elizabeth soon started taking on other public duties. Appointed colonel-in-chief of the Grenadier Guards by her father, Elizabeth made her first public appearance inspecting the troops in 1942. She also began to accompany her parents on official visits within Britain.

In 1945, Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service to help in the war effort. She trained side-by-side with other British women to be an expert driver and mechanic. While her volunteer work only lasted a few months, it offered Elizabeth a glimpse into a different, non-royal world. She had another vivid experience outside of the monarchy when she and Margaret were allowed to mingle anonymously among the citizenry on Victory in Europe Day .

When Elizabeth’s grandfather King George V died in 1936, his eldest son (Elizabeth’s uncle) became King Edward VIII . Edward, however, was in love with American divorcée Wallis Simpson and had to choose between the crown and his heart . In the end, Edward chose Simpson and abdicated the crown.

The event changed the course of Elizabeth’s life, making her the heir presumptive to the British crown. Her father was crowned King George VI in 1937, taking on the name George to emphasize continuity with his father. Her mother became Queen Elizabeth.

Fifteen years later, the monarchy changed hands again when King George died. The younger Elizabeth assumed the responsibilities of the ruling monarch on February 6, 1952. At that point, the 25-year-old became Queen Elizabeth II, and her mother became Queen Mother.

Elizabeth was crowned on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey, at the age of 27. For the first time ever, the coronation ceremony was broadcast on television, allowing people from across the globe to witness the pomp and spectacle of the event.

Elizabeth married her distant cousin Philip Mountbatten (a surname adopted from his mother’s side) on November 20, 1947, at London’s Westminster Abbey.

Elizabeth first met Philip, son of Prince Andrew of Greece, when she was only 13. She was smitten with him from the start. The two kept in touch over the years and eventually fell in love.

They made an unusual pair. Elizabeth was quiet and reserved, while Philip was boisterous and outspoken. Her father, King George, was hesitant about the match because, while Mountbatten had ties to both the Danish and Greek royal families, he didn’t possess great wealth and was considered by some to have a rough personality.

At the time of their wedding, Great Britain was still recovering from the ravages of World War II, and Elizabeth collected clothing coupons to get fabric for her gown.

The family took on the name Windsor, a move pushed by her mother and Prime Minister Winston Churchill that caused tension with her husband. In 1960, she reversed course, issuing orders that her descendants who didn’t carry royal titles (or needed last names for legal purposes such as weddings) would use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. Over the years, Philip inspired numerous public relations headaches with his off-the-cuff, controversial comments and rumors of possible infidelities.

Philip died on April 9, 2021, at age 99. Days later, Prince Andrew told the media Queen Elizabeth described his death “as having left a huge void in her life.” She had previously said he was her “strength and stay.”

Elizabeth and Philip wasted no time in producing an heir: Their son Charles was born in 1948, the year after their wedding, and their daughter, Anne , arrived in 1950. As queen, Elizabeth had two more children—sons Andrew and Edward —in 1960 and 1964, respectively.

King Charles III

In 1969, Elizabeth officially made Charles her successor by granting him the title of Prince of Wales. Hundreds of millions of people tuned in to see the ceremony on television.

In 1981, Charles, then 32, wed 19-year-old Diana Spencer, who became known as Princess Diana . The wedding drew enormous crowds in the streets of London, and millions watched the proceedings on television. Public opinion of the monarchy was especially strong at that time. Later, rumors surfaced that he was pressured into the marriage by his family.

Now King Charles III, he is married to Queen Camilla .

Princess Anne

Princess Anne began working as a member of the royal family when she was 18 in 1969 and continues today. She is also heavily involved in charity work. A noted equestrian, Anne competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Her mother opened the Games that year, and the rest of the royal family traveled to support Anne.

Previously married to Captain Mark Phillips, she and her current husband, Timothy Laurence, wed in 1992.

Prince Andrew

Andrew was the first child born to a reigning monarch in more than 100 years. In 1979, he joined the British Royal Navy, became a helicopter pilot, and served during the Falkland War in the early 1980s. He became the Duke of York after marrying Sarah Ferguson , though the couple later divorced. Following scandal, Andrew stepped back from public duties in his royal capacity in 2019, a decision that was made permanent in 2022.

Prince Edward

The queen’s youngest child, Edward, worked in theater and television production for many years, at one point through his own production company. Since 2002, he has worked full-time supporting his mother and now brother. Edward is married to Sophie Rhys-Jones. He became the Duke of Edinburgh—a title previously held by his father—in March 2023.

Queen Elizabeth had eight grandchildren and was great-grandmother to 12 in her lifetime.

Her most well-known grandchildren are Charles and Diana’s sons, Prince William , who became second-in-line to the throne at his birth in 1982, and Prince Harry , born in 1984. Elizabeth emerged as a devoted grandmother to her grandsons. Prince William has said that she offered invaluable support and guidance as he and Kate Middleton planned their 2011 wedding.

In addition to Princes William and Harry, the queen’s other grandchildren are: Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, born to Princess Anne; Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York, born to Prince Andrew; and Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, born to Prince Edward. Peter is Elizabeth’s oldest grandchild; he was born in 1977, four years before his sister and five years before Prince William.

William and Kate have three children, who are Elizabeth’s great-grandchildren. The Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed Prince George Alexander Louis in July 2013, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana in May 2015, and Prince Louis Arthur Charles in April 2018. All three are currently in the line of succession directly after their father.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan Markle gave the queen two more great-grandchildren with the birth of their son, Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor , and daughter, Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor , in May 2019 and June 2021, respectively.

Elizabeth’s other great-grandchildren include Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Lena Tindall, August Brooksbank, Lucas Tindall, and Sienna Mozzi.

Elizabeth’s long and mainly peaceful reign was marked by vast changes in her people’s lives, in her country’s power, how Britain is viewed abroad, and how the monarchy is regarded and portrayed. As a constitutional monarch, Elizabeth didn’t weigh in on political matters, nor did she reveal her political views. However, she conferred regularly with her prime ministers.

When Elizabeth became queen, post-war Britain still had a substantial empire, dominions, and dependencies. However, during the 1950s and 1960s, many of these countries achieved independence, and the British Empire evolved into the Commonwealth of Nations. Elizabeth II thus made visits to other countries as head of the Commonwealth and a representative of Britain, including a groundbreaking trip to Germany in 1965. She became the first British monarch to make a state visit there in more than five decades.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Elizabeth continued to travel extensively. In 1973, she attended the Commonwealth Conference in Ottawa, Canada and, in 1976, traveled to the United States for the 200 th anniversary celebration of America’s independence from Britain. More than a week later, she was in Montreal to open the Summer Olympics. In 1979, she traveled to Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, which garnered international attention and widespread respect.

In 1982, Elizabeth worried about her second son, Prince Andrew , who served as a helicopter pilot in the British Royal Navy during the Falklands War. Britain went to war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, a clash that lasted for several weeks. While more than 250 British soldiers died in the conflict, Prince Andrew returned home safe and well, much to his mother’s relief.

In 2011, Elizabeth showed that the crown still had symbolic and diplomatic power when she became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland since 1911 (when all of Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom).

As queen, Elizabeth modernized the monarchy, dropping some of its formalities and making certain sites and treasures more accessible to the public. As Britain and other nations struggled financially, Britain abolished the Civil List in 2012, which was a public funding system of the monarchy dating back roughly 250 years. The royal family continues to receive some government support, but the queen cut back on spending.

Also in 2012, Elizabeth celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years as queen. As part of the jubilee festivities, a special BBC concert was held on June 4 featuring the likes of Shirley Bassey , Paul McCartney , Tom Jones , Stevie Wonder , and Kylie Minogue. Elizabeth was surrounded by family at this historic event, including her husband Philip, son Charles, and grandsons Harry and William.

On September 9, 2015, she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest-ruling monarch, who reigned for 63 years.

Despite the occasional call to step aside for Charles, Elizabeth remained steadfast in her royal obligations as she passed her 90 th birthday in 2016. She continued making more than 400 engagements per year, maintaining her support of hundreds of charitable organizations and programs.

On February 6, 2017, the queen celebrated 65 years on the throne, the only British monarch to ever celebrate her Sapphire Jubilee. The date also marks the anniversary of the death of her father. The queen chose to spend the day quietly at Sandringham, her country estate north of London, where she attended a church service. In London, there were royal gun salutes at Green Park and at the Tower of London to mark the occasion. The Royal Mint also issued eight new commemorative coins in honor of the queen’s Sapphire Jubilee.

Later that year, the monarchy took what was considered a major step toward transitioning to the next generation: On November 12, Charles handled the traditional Remembrance Sunday duty of placing a wreath at the Cenotaph war memorial, as the queen watched from a nearby balcony.

In August 2019, Elizabeth made a rare intrusion into political matters when she agreed to a request by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to suspend Parliament until October 14, less than three weeks before Britain’s planned departure from the European Union.

In 2022, the nation celebrated Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee year. Another milestone for the monarchy, it marked her 70 years on the throne.

Relationship With Prime Ministers

Elizabeth had 15 prime ministers placed into power during her reign, with the queen and PM having a weekly, confidential meeting. (Elizabeth also met about a quarter of all the U.S. presidents in history, most recently receiving Joe Biden for a state visit in June 2021.)

She enjoyed a father-figure relationship with the iconic Winston Churchill and was later able to loosen up a bit and be somewhat informal with Labour leaders Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. In contrast, she and Margaret Thatcher had a very formal, distant relationship, with the PM tending to be a grating lecturer to the queen on a variety of issues.

Tony Blair saw certain concepts around the monarchy as somewhat outdated, though he did appreciate Elizabeth making a public statement after the death of Princess Diana .

Later, Conservative leader David Cameron, who was Elizabeth’s fifth cousin removed, enjoyed a warm rapport with the queen. He apologized in 2014 for revealing in a conversation that she was against the Scottish referendum to seek independence from Great Britain.

Theresa May was described as being tight-lipped about Brexit plans to leave the European Union, with a rumor circulating that Elizabeth was perturbed over not being informed about future exit strategies.

Two days before her death, Elizabeth welcomed her final prime minister, Liz Truss , at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The September 6, 2022, meeting was her final act as monarch.

Threats to Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family

Elizabeth worked tirelessly to protect the image of the monarchy and to prepare for its future. But she saw the monarchy come under attack during her lifetime. The once-revered institution weathered a number of storms, including death threats against the royal family.

In 1979, Elizabeth suffered a significant personal loss when Lord Mountbatten, her husband’s uncle, died in a terrorist bombing. Mountbatten and several members of his family were aboard his boat off the west coast of Ireland when the vessel exploded on August 27. He and three others, including one of his grandsons, were killed. The Irish Republican Army, which opposed British rule in Northern Ireland, took responsibility for the attack.

In June 1981, Elizabeth herself had a dangerous encounter. She was riding in the Trooping the Colour, a special military parade to celebrate her official birthday when a man in the crowd pointed a gun at her. He fired, but fortunately, the gun was loaded with blanks. Other than receiving a good scare, the queen wasn’t hurt.

Elizabeth had an even closer call the following year when an intruder broke into Buckingham Palace and confronted her in her bedroom. When the press got wind of the fact that Prince Philip was nowhere to be seen during this incident, they speculated about the state of the royal marriage.

The marriage of Elizabeth’s son Charles to Diana made headlines for years before the couple announced their separation in 1992, followed by their formal divorce in 1996. In the wake of Diana’s death in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, Elizabeth experienced intense media scrutiny. Her incredibly popular ex-daughter-in-law had been called the “People’s Princess.”

The queen was at her Balmoral estate in Scotland with Charles and his sons with Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry, at the time. For days, Elizabeth remained silent while the country mourned Diana’s passing, and she was sharply criticized for her lack of response.

Stories circulated that the queen didn’t want to give Diana a royal funeral, which only fueled public sentiment against the monarch. Nearly a week after Diana’s death, Elizabeth returned to London and issued a statement on the late princess.

Elizabeth also initially objected to the relationship between her son Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles . Charles and Camilla had dated years before he met his family, but the relationship ended under family pressure, only to resume during Charles and Diana’s marriage. Known to be a stickler for ceremony and tradition, she eventually showed signs of softening her stance over the years. When Charles and Camilla wed in 2005, Elizabeth and Prince Philip didn’t attend the civil ceremony but attended a religious blessing and held a reception in their honor at Windsor Castle.

In 1992, another of Elizabeth’s children, Prince Andrew, ended up in the tabloids after photos emerged of his wife, Sarah Ferguson , and another man engaged in romantic activity. The couple divorced soon after. Along with the dissolution of Charles’ and Andrew’s marriages, Princess Anne divorced her husband Mark Phillips that year. More bad news came when a fire broke out at Windsor Castle in November. The 15-hour blaze destroyed 115 rooms, though it only consumed two pieces of art from the queen’s valuable private collection. The year became known as her “annus horribilis.”

After the start of the 21 st century, Elizabeth experienced two great losses. She said goodbye to both her sister, Margaret, and her mother in 2002, the same year she celebrated her Golden Jubilee that marked her 50 th year on the throne. Margaret, known for being more of an adventurous soul than other royals and who was barred from marrying an early love, died in February after suffering a stroke. Only a few weeks later, Elizabeth’s mother died at Royal Lodge on March 30 at the age of 101.

In November 2017, the media reported the queen had some $13 million invested in offshore accounts. The news came following the leak of the so-called “Paradise Papers” to a German newspaper, which shared the documents with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The Duchy of Lancaster, which holds assets for the queen, confirmed that some of its investments were overseas accounts but insisted they were all legitimate.

Also in 2017, the former owner of the lingerie company Rigby & Peller, which had serviced Elizabeth for more than 50 years, wrote a tell-all autobiography that included some of her experiences with the royal family. Although the author insisted that “the book doesn’t contain anything naughty,” the queen responded in early 2018 by revoking Rigby & Peller’s royal warrant.

In 2019, Prince Andrew was forced to step down from public duties, following a media firestorm. Andrew had courted years of scandal surrounding his controversial business pursuits and friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ,

Just weeks later, in January 2020, the family again found themselves in the spotlight, following the bombshell decision by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle , the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to step away from their roles as senior royals.

For much of her life, the queen surrounded herself with dogs. She was especially known for her love of corgis, owning more than 30 descendants of the first corgi she received as a teenager, until the death of the final one, Willow, in 2018.

Elizabeth was also a horse enthusiast who bred thoroughbreds and attended racing events for many years.

Not one for the spotlight, Elizabeth liked quiet pastimes. She enjoyed reading mysteries, working on crossword puzzles, and reportedly, even watching wrestling on television.

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at her Balmoral estate in Scotland on September 8, 2022, at 3:10 p.m. local time. She was 96 years old. Her official cause of death was old age, according to her death certificate.

The public was first aware of the queen’s ill health earlier that day when Buckingham Palace issued at statement around 12:30 p.m. that said, “Following further evaluation this morning, the queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.”

Soon, members of the royal family began traveling to see the queen. At the time of her death, Prince Charles and Camilla, as well as Princess Anne were at the castle. William, Harry, Andrew, Edward, and Sophie arrived later in the evening. Kate Middleton didn’t travel to say her final goodbyes, citing the recent start of the school year for her children. Meghan Markle was also absent.

Her death was publicly announced at 6:30 p.m. After, newly minted King Charles issued a statement that said:

The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.

On September 14, Elizabeth’s coffin traveled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall by horse-drawn carriage and lay in state for four days. The day of her state funeral, September 19, was declared a bank holiday. The funeral was held at Westminster Abbey and ended with two minutes of silence, observed there and throughout the United Kingdom.

President Joe Biden , First Lady Jill Biden , French President Emmanuel Macron , and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were among the dozens of world leaders and 2,000 total people in attendance. Millions more watched or listened in; the funeral was broadcast on TV and radio and streamed on YouTube. Elizabeth’s pony and her corgis, Muick and Sandy, watched the procession, as did tens of thousands of people.

A private burial came later that day. Elizabeth was buried with Prince Philip at the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

• 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.
• 1992 is not a year I shall look back on with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an “annus horribilis.”
• When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.
• Discrimination still exists. Some people feel that their own beliefs are being threatened. Some are unhappy about unfamiliar cultures. They all need to be reassured that there is so much to be gained by reaching out to others; that diversity is indeed a strength and not a threat.
• Grief is the price we pay for love.
• I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice, but I can do something else, I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.
• In remembering the appalling suffering of war on both sides, we recognize how precious is the peace we have built in Europe since 1945.
• We lost the American colonies because we lacked the statesmanship to know the right time and the manner of yielding what is impossible to keep.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us !

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

Adrienne directs the daily news operation and content production for Biography.com. She joined the staff in October 2022 and most recently worked as an editor for Popular Mechanics , Runner’s World , and Bicycling . Adrienne has served as editor-in-chief of two regional print magazines, and her work has won several awards, including the Best Explanatory Journalism award from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. Her current working theory is that people are the point of life, and she’s fascinated by everyone who (and every system that) creates our societal norms. When she’s not behind the news desk, find her hiking, working on her latest cocktail project, or eating mint chocolate chip ice cream. 

British Royal Family

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales

Kensington Palace Shares an Update on Kate

Prince William

Where in the World Is Kate Middleton?

Princess Kate Is Seen for First Time Since Surgery

Who’s Who in the British Line of Succession

How King Charles Reacted to Prince Harry’s Visit

The True Story of Princess Margaret’s Death

Prince Harry

What We Know About ‘The Crown’ Season 6