Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms. Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York. Her father ascended the throne on the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was 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 1947, she married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, with whom she had four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; 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 head of the Commonwealth and queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon. She has reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities, Brexit, Canadian patriation, and the decolonisation of Africa. Between 1956 and 1992, the number of her realms varied as territories gained independence, and as realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and visits to or from five popes. Significant events have included her coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002, and 2012, respectively. In 2017, she became the first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee. In 2021, after 73 years of marriage, her husband Prince Philip died at the age of 99.

She is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch. She is the longest-serving female head of state in world history, and the world’s oldest living monarch, longest-reigning current monarch, and oldest and longest-serving current head of state. Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the royal family, in particular after the breakdown of her children’s marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992, and the death in 1997 of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales. However, support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom has been and remains consistently high, as does her personal popularity.
Queen Elizabeth has survived and seen it all.
The Plague.
Smallpox.
Malaria.
WWII.
Korean War.
Vietnam War.
Making of Land Rover and Range Rover.
The Concord.
The retirement of the Concord.
Nazi rule in Germany.
Destruction of Berlin.
Partition of Berlin.
Unifications of Berlin.
Creation of Israel.
Tripartite invasion of Egypt in 1956.
1967 Arab- Israeli War.
October 1973 War.
West-East Cold War.
Falklands War.
Iran-Iraq War.
First Gulf War.
Fall of Saddam Hussein.
Fall and disintegration of Soviet Union.
Britain joining the EU.
Britain leaving the EU.
Apollo 1-17.
Independence of countries in Asia and Africa.
14 British Prime Ministers.
Charles and Diana.
Charles and Camilla.
Andrew and Fergie.
Harry and Megan.
14 American Presidents.
7 Saudi Kings.
48 Italian Prime Ministers.
9 UN Secretary Generals.
3rd, 4th, and 5th French Republics.
Mad Cow Disease.
The Internet.
Wi Fi.
Apple TV.
Netflix.
and now COVID.