The life of Elizabeth II: The British Queen who weathered war and upheaval
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Queen Elizabeth II, who has died age 96 after the longest reign in British history, will be mourned around the globe as one of the last monarchs born to a classic age of European royalty, when kings and queens wielded genuine political power.
Elizabeth’s death comes seven months after she marked the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, yet another milestone achievement in the remarkable life of a queen who, though reluctantly thrust into the spotlight at a young age, won almost universal praise for her steadfast dedication to duty.
Her long reign saw Britain transformed from a war-weary declining imperial power into a modern multi-cultural state that rarely looked to its monarch for leadership, but still held her in high esteem.
And while it witnessed its fair share of joy – not least the 2011 marriage of the Queen’s grandson Prince William to Catherine Middleton, and the birth of their three children – Elizabeth’s rule also weathered many storms, both public and personal, as the monarchy tried to keep pace with changing times.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in 1926, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York.
But she didn’t become heir presumptive to the throne until 1937, when her father was crowned King George VI after the scandalous abdication of his older brother – events dramatized in the Oscar-winning film “The King’s Speech” and hit Netflix show “The Crown.”
As World War II erupted, Elizabeth was quietly groomed for statehood.
While living out the Blitz on London in nearby Windsor Castle, she was privately tutored in matters of constitution by Henry Marten, an eccentric yet respected teacher who reputedly kept a pet raven in his study.
She began taking tentative steps into public life in 1940 when, aged 14, she made her first radio broadcast: a speech to children displaced by the conflict. At 16, she was made an honorary colonel of the Grenadier Guards, a British army infantry regiment.
Wartime offered her certain freedoms beyond the traditional constraints of royal life.
In 1945 she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service and spent four weeks getting her hands covered in oil and grease as she learned to drive and maintain military vehicles.
When victory was declared in Europe, a uniformed Elizabeth mingled with jubilant crowds outside Buckingham Palace.
Peacetime brought the return of Lieutenant Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, a handsome young naval officer who had, by all accounts, won her heart when she was just 13. The pair married in Westminster Abbey in 1947. Their first son, Charles, was born just over a year later.
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Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
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Elizabeth was born April 21, 1926, in London. She is held here by her mother, also named Elizabeth. Her father would later become King George VI.
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Princess Elizabeth poses for a photo at her London home in 1928.
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Princess Elizabeth is seen with her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, during a visit to Balmoral, Scotland, in September 1933. He would go on to become King Edward VIII in 1936. But when he abdicated later that year, Elizabeth’s father became King and she became heir presumptive.
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From left, Princess Elizabeth, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret wave to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 22, 1939.
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Elizabeth rides a horse in Windsor, England, in 1940. Her love of horses has been well documented.
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A 14-year-old Elizabeth, right, sits next to her sister for a radio broadcast on October 13, 1940. On the broadcast, her first, she said that England’s children were full of cheerfulness and courage.
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Princess Elizabeth shakes hands with an officer of the Grenadier Guards on May 29, 1942. King George VI made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the Royal Army regiment.
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Elizabeth, right, and Princess Margaret wear summer dresses circa 1942. Margaret is Elizabeth’s only sibling.
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With the Drakensberg Mountains behind her, Princess Elizabeth sits in South Africa’s Natal National Park on April 21, 1947. It was her 21st birthday.
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On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth wed Prince Philip, a lieutenant in the British Navy who had been born into the royal families of Greece and Denmark. After becoming a British citizen and renouncing his Greek title, Philip became His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His wife became the Duchess of Edinburgh.
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Princess Elizabeth arrives at a state banquet in London in March 1950.
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Elizabeth ascended to the throne in February 1952, when her father died of lung cancer at the age of 56. Here, she walks to the altar during her coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953.
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Queen Elizabeth II is photographed on the balcony of Melbourne’s Government House during her tour of Australia in March 1954.
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From left, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother visit Epsom Downs Racecourse in June 1958.
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The Queen holds her son Prince Andrew while his sister, Princess Anne, watches during a family holiday at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle in September 1960. The Queen has four children, including sons Charles and Edward.
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Queen Elizabeth II is seen during the state opening of Parliament in April 1966.
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Queen Elizabeth II with her oldest son, Prince Charles, in 1969. Charles is next in line for the throne.
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Prince Charles adjusts his coronet during his investiture ceremony as Prince of Wales in 1969.
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The Queen and Prince Philip wave from a plane ramp shortly before taking off from Tokyo in May 1975.
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The Queen takes a portrait at Windsor Castle for her 50th birthday on April 21, 1976.
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The Queen meets the crowds during her royal tour of New Zealand in 1977.
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Elizabeth walks with some of her corgis at the Windsor Horse Trials in May 1980.
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The Queen stands next to Prince Charles as he kisses his new bride, Princess Diana, on July 29, 1981.
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Elizabeth takes pictures of her husband during a horse show in Windsor in May 1982.
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Elizabeth drives her Land Rover during the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 1992.
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While at Buckingham Palace, the Queen and Prince Philip view the floral tributes to Princess Diana after her tragic death in 1997.
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The Queen addresses the nation on the night before Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.
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Prince Charles looks back at his mother after wedding Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in April 2005.
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The Queen arrives at St Paul’s Cathedral for a Thanksgiving service in honor of her 80th birthday in 2006.
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The Queen, second from right, greets a crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in April 2011. Her grandson Prince William, third from left, had just married Catherine Middleton.
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The Queen’s signature is seen in the visitors book at Aras An Uachtarain, the Irish President’s official residence in Dublin in May 2011.
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Madame Tussauds London reveals a wax figure of the Queen in May 2012.
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Prince Charles kisses his mother’s hand on stage as singer Paul McCartney, far right, looks on at the Diamond Jubilee concert in June 2012. The Diamond Jubilee celebrations marked Elizabeth’s 60th anniversary as Queen.
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The Queen tours the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London in December 2012.
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A boy in Belfast, Northern Ireland, takes a selfie in front of the Queen in June 2014.
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The Queen enters the Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle after attending a commemorative service for the Scottish National War Memorial in July 2014.
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The Queen waits to give her speech during the state opening of Parliament in May 2015.
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Elizabeth listens to her great-grandson, Prince George, outside a church where George’s sister, Charlotte, was being christened in July 2015. George and Charlotte are the children of Prince William, left, and Duchess Catherine.
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The Queen is seated at her desk in her private audience room at Buckingham Palace in July 2015. She is seen with one of her official red boxes, which contains important papers from government ministers in the United Kingdom and from representatives across the Commonwealth and beyond. The photo was taken to mark the moment the Queen became the longest-reigning British monarch.
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The Queen takes a photo with five of her great-grandchildren and her two youngest grandchildren in April 2016.
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The Queen poses with four of her dogs on the private grounds of Windsor Castle in April 2016.
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The Queen and Prince Philip wave to guests in London who were attending celebrations for her 90th birthday in 2016.
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Elizabeth speaks to Evie Mills, 14, at a hospital in Manchester, England, in May 2017. Evie was injured in a bombing that took place as people left an Ariana Grande concert.
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The Queen sits at a desk in Buckingham Palace after recording her Christmas Day broadcast in 2017.
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The Queen arrives for the wedding of her grandson Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018.
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The Queen laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, during a bridge-opening ceremony in Halton, England, in June 2018. It was Meghan’s first royal outing without her husband, Prince Harry, by her side.
Trump’s visit to Windsor Castle in July 2018.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”2095″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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her new great-grandchild, Archie, in May 2019. Archie is the first child of Prince Harry, second from left, and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Prince Philip is on the far left. Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, is next to her at right.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”3000″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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won the UK’s Conservative Party leadership contest and replaced Theresa May, who was forced into resigning after members of her Cabinet lost confidence in her inability to secure the UK’s departure from the European Union.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”2002″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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special address to the nation in April 2020.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1996″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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rides a horse in Windsor, England, in May 2020. It was her first public appearance since the coronavirus lockdown began in the United Kingdom.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1149″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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Prince Philip pose for a photo in June 2020, ahead of Philip’s 99th birthday.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”3610″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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The Queen and Prince Philip look at a homemade anniversary card that was given to them by their great-grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in November 2020.
Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021. The ceremony was limited to 30 people, in line with England’s coronavirus restrictions.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1009″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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her first major engagement since her husband’s death.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1704″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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The Queen receives a Duke of Edinburgh rose from Keith Weed, president of the Royal Horticultural Society, in June 2021. The newly bred rose was officially named in honor of Prince Philip.
meets with US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in the Grand Corridor of Windsor Castle in June 2021.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”2847″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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The Queen drives her Range Rover as she attends the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Windsor, England, in July 2021.
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The Queen attends the Royal Windsor Cup polo match and a carriage-driving display by the British Driving Society in July 2021.
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The Queen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, greet guests during a Windsor Castle reception for international business and investment leaders in October 2021.
Platinum Jubilee in February 2022. It has been 70 years since the Queen took the throne in 1952.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1333″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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tested positive for Covid-19.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”2003″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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the opening ceremony of the long-awaited Elizabeth line at the Paddington station in west London in May 2022. She had recently been suffering from mobility issues, canceling several appearances.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1643″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022. She is the first British sovereign to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne. “I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee,” the Queen said in a released statement. “While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.”” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1664″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, formally inviting her to be the new prime minister in September 2022. The meeting would traditionally have taken place at London’s Buckingham Palace, but the monarch has significantly reduced her duties and travel in recent months because of her mobility issues.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1333″/>Photos: The life of Queen Elizabeth II
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With her father’s health in rapid decline, Elizabeth began accepting more official duties, taking his place at the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in 1949.
In 1952, while Elizabeth and Philip were on an official trip to Kenya, news came of her father’s death.
She was now Queen.
The next decade saw the young monarch settle into her role. After her coronation in 1953, she embarked on numerous official trips, oversaw state openings of parliament, welcomed visiting leaders such as Dwight Eisenhower, Charles de Gaulle and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, and toured a coal mine.
In 1964, the Queen became a mother for the fourth time as new son Edward joined Charles and fellow siblings Anne and Andrew. There was, however, barely any let-up in her busy schedule.
By the arrival of her third decade on the throne, she was in her element. Prince Charles was embarking on a military career, Princess Anne, an acclaimed horsewoman, was married – drawing huge crowds of well-wishers.
While indulging in her own equestrian pursuits, she continued to throw herself into public life, clocking up dozens of overseas tours and official visits around the UK – one of which, in 1976, saw her become one of the first people to send an email.
There were family problems when her sister’s marriage collapsed, and constitutional issues as debate grew among Commonwealth countries about the role of the monarch, but these failed to dampen celebrations to mark the silver jubilee of her reign in 1977.
Another royal wedding followed in 1981 when Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral. Millions of people around the world watched the ceremony on television, happily unaware it would usher in the most turbulent period yet of the Queen’s life.
The Queen’s 40th year on the throne, 1992, marked her lowest moment as three royal marriages fell apart. Princess Anne and Mark Philips divorced, Charles and Diana separated after claims of infidelities while Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew’s wife, was photographed topless with an American financial manager.
To cap it all, a huge fire ripped through Windsor Castle, causing major structural damage. In the wake of the blaze, a furor broke out when it was suggested that public money be used to fund the restoration.
This year was not one “on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure,” the Queen said in a speech later. “In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis.”
These problems overshadowed the Queen as she made an historic visit to meet South African President Nelson Mandela in 1995, but criticism reached new heights in the wake of Diana’s tragic death in 1997, when the royals were accused of being aloof and out of touch amid widespread public outpourings of grief.
This marked a turning point.
After days of silence, the Queen returned to London, talked to mourners and admitted there were lessons to be learned from Diana’s life. The gestures struck a chord with the public and criticism ebbed away.
After Diana, the Queen’s popularity rebounded as she presided over what appeared to be a softer, more accessible and thoroughly modern royal family.
This was evident in 2005 when, to public approval, she assented to the previously unthinkable marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. It was capped eight years later when Britain’s parliament ended the principle of men taking precedence over women in the line of succession to the throne.
She witnessed two of her grandsons, Princes William and Harry, graduate as military officers in 2006 and five years later oversaw the marriage of William and Catherine, the woman who – as the wife of the now heir to the throne – will one day succeed her as Britain’s Queen. She also attended the wedding of Harry to Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor in May 2018.
In 2012, the Queen’s diamond jubilee was celebrated around the Commonwealth, culminating in a glittering river pageant on the Thames in London, and a concert showcasing some of the best music from her six decades on the throne.
Three years later, she surpassed Queen Victoria’s 63-year-rule to become the longest-reigning British monarch and, in 2016, she marked her 90th birthday with a series of festivities and goodwill messages from around the world.
In February 2022, she marked the start of her platinum jubilee year, as she became the first British monarch to reign for 70 years.
The Queen’s final years were punctuated by challenges as well as celebrations, however.
As the novel coronavirus swept through Britain in 2020, she gave two televised addresses in quick succession, one calling for unity in the face of the pandemic and the other, still amid a national lockdown, to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
But while rallying the nation’s spirits, the Queen was facing upheaval within her own family. Less than two years after their spectacular Windsor Castle wedding, Harry and Meghan announced that they were stepping back from their roles as senior royals and leaving Britain.
They subsequently set up home with son Archie in California and, in a March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, accused “the firm” of leaving Meghan unprotected against racist abuse and unfair media coverage, as well as having neglected her mental health concerns. The couple – whose daughter Lilibet, named in honor of the Queen, was born in June 2021 – also made a damaging allegation of racism by an unnamed member of the royal family, although Winfrey later said they had clarified that this was neither the Queen nor Prince Philip.
Meanwhile, Prince Andrew, often referred to as the Queen’s “favorite son,” had been forced to step back from public duties after a disastrous 2019 interview with the BBC over his association with prominent sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In January 2022, the Queen sought to distance the royal institution from a civil sex abuse lawsuit brought against Andrew in the United States by stripping him of his HRH status and royal patronages permanently. He subsequently settled the case out of court for an undisclosed figure and continues to reject the allegations against him.
In April 2021, the Queen suffered the loss of Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years and the longest-serving consort in British history. Pandemic restrictions meant she cut a lonely figure at his funeral, scaled back in terms of guests but still marked with military pomp.
Elizabeth returned to her royal duties within days, now a widow but still dedicated to a lifetime of service. She even continued with light duties after testing positive for Covid-19 in February 2022.
But as the year wore on, the monarch was forced to significantly slim down her diary due to mobility issues. On Tuesday, she met with outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his successor, Liz Truss, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, rather than traveling to Buckingham Palace to do so.
The nation had come together to mark her platinum jubilee in June 2022 – a crowning achievement in a long and storied life.
By the time of her death in September, she had reigned for a little over 70 years – a constant, if regally distant, presence in the lives of several generations of Britons.
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