Who was Queen Elizabeth II of England?

Who was Queen Elizabeth II of England?

Discover our guide 

Elizabeth II was Queen of England for 70 years - she acceded to the British throne on February 6, 1952 and was crowned June 2, 1953.

She was born April 21, 1926 in London and died September 8, 2022 at Balmoral Castle, Scotland - at the age of 96.

advertisement

On September 9, 2015, she became the longest reigning British sovereign (70 years, 7 months and 2 days). On October 13, 2016, she became the longest reigning sovereign and the oldest then in office. In 2022, she became the first monarch in UK history to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee: the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. She is the 2nd longest-reigning monarch, behind Louis XIV.

History of Queen Elizabeth II

In 1936, when her father George VI acceded to the throne following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, she became - at the age of 10 - heiress presumptive to the British Crown.

During the Second World War (1939-1945), she enlisted in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

On February 6, 1952, she acceded to the British throne - at the age of 25.

His coronation, on June 2, 1953, was the first in history to be televised.

She then became the sovereign of 7 independent states of the Commonwealth: South Africa, Australia, Canada, Ceylon, New Zealand, Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

Between 1956 and 1992, the number of its kingdoms changed as territories gained independence and some kingdoms became republics.

She died on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96.

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

Family of Queen Elizabeth II

She married Philip Mountbatten, Prince of Greece and Denmark, on November 20, 1947.

Children of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, have 4 children:

  • Charles III, King of England and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip: born on 14 November 1948 (75 years old).
  • Princess Anne, Princess Royal and daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
  • Prince Andrew, Duke of York and youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
  • Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

Grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, have 8 grandchildren:

  • Prince William, Prince of Wales and eldest son of King Charles III and Diana Spencer: born 21 June 1982 (41 years old).
  • Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and youngest son of King Charles III and Diana Spencer: born 15 September 1984 (39 years old).
  • Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne.
  • Zara Tindall (née Phillips), daughter of Princess Anne.
  • Princess Beatrice of York, eldest daughter of Prince Andrew.
  • Princess Eugenie of York, youngest daughter of Prince Andrew.
  • Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones.
  • James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn and son of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones.

Great-grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, have 9 great-grandchildren:

  • Prince George of Wales, eldest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton: born July 22, 2013 (10 years old).
  • Princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of Prince William and Kate Middleton: born on 2 May 2015 (8 years old).
  • Prince Louis of Wales, youngest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton: born on April 23, 2018 (5 years old).
  • Archie Mountbatten-Windsor (Archie Harrison), son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: born May 6, 2019 (4 years old).
  • Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: born June 4, 2021 (2 years old).
  • Savannah Phillips, daughter of Peter and Autumn Phillips.
  • Isla Phillips, daughter of Peter and Autumn Phillips.
  • Mia Tindall, eldest daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall.
  • Lena Tindall, youngest daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall.