People

Queen Elizabeth II

She learned to repair army trucks at 18, never went to school, and became the only British monarch to reign for 70 years.

Published 02 October 2026

Queen Elizabeth II — Photo: Donald McKague, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Quick Facts

Born: 21 April 1926, 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London
Reigned: 6 February 1952 to 8 September 2022
Reign length: 70 years and 214 days, the longest of any British monarch
Coronation: 2 June 1953, Westminster Abbey, the first to be televised
Married: Prince Philip, 20 November 1947, for 73 years
Wartime service: Auxiliary Territorial Service, 1945, as a mechanic and driver
Children: Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward
Died: 8 September 2022, Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire

The princess who was never meant to be queen

When Elizabeth was born in 1926, nobody expected her to reign. Her father was the Duke of York, the second son of George V, and her uncle Edward was young and expected to marry. Everything changed in December 1936, when Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallace Simpson. Her shy, stammering father became George VI, and ten-year-old Elizabeth became heir to the throne. She was educated at home, with a governess, Marion Crawford, and lessons in constitutional history from the Vice-Provost of Eton. She also developed a lifelong love of horses and dogs, especially corgis and, later, dorgis.

The royal who fixed army trucks

In 1940, at 14, Elizabeth made her first radio broadcast, a message on the BBC's Children's Hour to children evacuated during the Blitz. Her sister Margaret joined in at the end. In 1945 she insisted on doing her bit and joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She trained as a driver and mechanic, and was given the rank of Junior Commander. She is the only female member of the royal family to have entered the armed forces in wartime. On VE Day, she and Margaret slipped out of Buckingham Palace to join the crowds in the street, in disguise, with a group of officers as escorts.

A throne inherited up a tree

On 6 February 1952, Elizabeth and Philip were in Kenya, staying at Treetops, a lodge built in a fig tree for watching wildlife. Her father died in his sleep at Sandringham that night. She became queen at 25 while up a tree, and flew home as monarch. Her coronation at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 was a huge moment for television. Millions crowded around sets, many bought just for the day. She was crowned wearing St Edward's Crown, which weighs about 2.2kg.

What changed during seventy years

Elizabeth saw 15 prime ministers in office, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss, and met many more world leaders. She presided over the transformation of the empire into the Commonwealth, and visited more than 100 countries. The monarchy itself modernised under her. In 1969 the BBC documentary Royal Family showed the family at home, and in 1993 she began paying income tax voluntarily. After the death of Diana in 1997, she addressed the nation live, a rare sign of her adapting to public mood. She kept her political opinions private, and stuck to the constitutional role of the monarch throughout. The Queen's annual Christmas broadcast, first on television in 1957, became a national tradition.

Quirks, corgis and Paddington

She is said to have carried a handbag everywhere, and in 2022 appeared in a Platinum Jubilee sketch with Paddington Bear, taking a marmalade sandwich out of hers. In 2012 she appeared with Daniel Craig as James Bond in a film for the London Olympics opening ceremony, apparently parachuting into the stadium. It was a surprise even to many in the royal household. She loved racing, and owned and bred horses throughout her life. She was a countrywoman at heart, and spent long summers at Balmoral in Scotland, where she was happiest.

Where her mark still shows

Her face appeared on coins, banknotes and postage stamps, and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London bears her name. The Elizabeth line, opened in 2022, runs through the heart of the capital. She died at Balmoral on 8 September 2022, aged 96. Her funeral at Westminster Abbey on 19 September was watched by millions around the world, and she was buried beside Prince Philip in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Long Walk at Windsor, the gates of Buckingham Palace, and the Sandringham estate remain places where her presence is still felt.