True Fact

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 and the longest recorded of any female head of state in history.

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Elizabeth II
Head of the Commonwealth
Formal photograph of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth in 1959
Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms
Canada 1952–2022
Australia 1952–2022
New Zealand 1952–2022
South Africa 1952–1961
Pakistan 1952–1956
Ceylon 1952–1972
Ghana 1957–1960
Nigeria 1960–1963
Sierra Leone 1961–1971
Tanganyika 1961–1962
Jamaica 1962–2022
Trinidad and Tobago 1962–1976
Uganda 1962–1963
Kenya 1963–1964
Malawi 1964–1966
Malta 1964–1974
The Gambia 1965–1970
Guyana 1966–1970
Barbados 1966–2021
Mauritius 1968–1992
Fiji 1970–1987
The Bahamas 1973–2022
Grenada 1974–2022
Papua New Guinea 1975–2022
Solomon Islands 1978–2022
Tuvalu 1978–2022
St Lucia 1979–2022
St Vincent and the Grenadines 1979–2022
Belize 1981–2022
Antigua and Barbuda 1981–2022
St Kitts and Nevis 1983–2022
Reign
6 February 1952 – 8 September 2022
Coronation
2 June 1953
Predecessor
George VI
Successor
Charles III
Born
Princess Elizabeth of York
21 April 1926
Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Died
8 September 2022 (aged 96)
Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
Burial
19 September 2022
King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
Spouse
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
​
​(m. 1947; died 2021)​
Issue
Detail
Charles III
Anne, Princess Royal
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Names
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary
House
Windsor
Father
George VI
Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Religion
Protestant
Signature
Elizabeth's signature in black ink
Close
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: 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.

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.

If hunger dey your body, you fit resemble anything.