Elizabeth II

"Elizabeth of the United Kingdom" redirects here. For other uses, seeElizabeth II (disambiguation)andElizabeth of the United Kingdom (disambiguation).

Elizabeth II
Head of the Commonwealth
Formal portrait, 1959
Queen of the United Kingdom and otherCommonwealth realms
Reign	6 February 1952 –8 September 2022
Coronation	2 June 1953
Predecessor	George VI
Successor	Charles III
Born	Princess Elizabeth of York (1926-04-21)21 April 1926 Mayfair,London, England
Died	8 September 2022(2022-09-08)(aged 96) Balmoral Castle,Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Burial	19 September 2022 King George VI Memorial Chapel,St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
Spouse	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh ​ ​ (m.1947;died2021)​
Issue Detail	Charles III Anne, Princess Royal Prince Andrew, Duke of York Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Names Elizabeth Alexandra Mary
House	Windsor
Father	George VI
Mother	Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Religion	Protestant
Signature

Elizabeth II(Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) wasQueen of the United Kingdomand otherCommonwealth realmsfrom 6 February 1952 untilher deathin 2022. She wasqueen regnantof32 sovereign statesover the course of her lifetime and remained the monarch of 15 realms by the time of her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is thelongest of any British monarchorfemale monarch,and thesecond-longest verified reign of any monarch of a sovereign state in history.

Elizabeth was born inMayfair,London, during the reign of her paternal grandfather,King George V.She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (laterKing George VIandQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 uponthe abdicationof his brotherEdward VIII,making the ten-year-old Princess Elizabeth theheir presumptive.She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in theAuxiliary Territorial Service.In November 1947, shemarriedPhilip Mountbatten,a formerprince of Greece and Denmark,and their marriage lasted 73 years untilhis death in 2021.They had four children:Charles,Anne,Andrew,andEdward.

Whenher father diedin February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,South Africa,Pakistan,andCeylon(known today as Sri Lanka), as well ashead of the Commonwealth.Elizabeth reigned as aconstitutional monarchthrough major political changes such asthe Troublesin Northern Ireland,devolution in the United Kingdom,thedecolonisation of Africa,and theUnited Kingdom's accession to the European Communities,as well as itssubsequent withdrawal.The number of her realms varied over time as territories gained independence and some realmsbecame republics.As queen, Elizabeth was served bymore than 170 prime ministersacross her realms. Her many historic visits and meetings includedstate visitsto China in 1986,to Russiain 1994, andto the Republic of Irelandin 2011, and meetings with five popes and fourteen US presidents.

Significant events includedElizabeth's coronationin 1953 and the celebrations of herSilver,Golden,Diamond,andPlatinumjubileesin 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively. Although she faced occasionalrepublicansentiment and media criticism of her family—particularly after the breakdowns of her children's marriages, herannus horribilisin 1992, andthe deathin 1997 of her former daughter-in-lawDiana—support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom remained consistently high throughout her lifetime, as did her personal popularity. Elizabeth died at the age of 96 atBalmoral Castle,and was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.

Early life

Elizabeth was born on 21 April 1926, the first child ofPrince Albert, Duke of York(later King George VI), and his wife,Elizabeth, Duchess of York(later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother). Her father was the second son ofKing George VandQueen Mary,and her mother was the youngest daughter of Scottish aristocratClaude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.She was delivered at 02:40 (GMT)byCaesarean sectionat her maternal grandfather's London home, 17Bruton StreetinMayfair.TheAnglicanArchbishop of York,Cosmo Gordon Lang,baptisedher in the private chapel ofBuckingham Palaceon 29 May,and she was named Elizabeth after her mother; Alexandra afterher paternal great-grandmother,who haddied six months earlier;and Mary after her paternal grandmother.She was called "Lilibet" by her close family,based on what she called herself at first.She was cherished by her grandfather George V, whom she affectionately called "Grandpa England",and her regular visits during his serious illness in 1929 were credited in the popular press and by later biographers with raising his spirits and aiding his recovery.

On thecoverofTime,April 1929

Portrait byPhilip de László,1933

Elizabeth's only sibling,Princess Margaret,was born in 1930. The two princesses were educated at home under the supervision of their mother and theirgoverness,Marion Crawford.Lessons concentrated on history, language, literature, and music.Crawford published a biography of Elizabeth and Margaret's childhood years entitledThe Little Princessesin 1950, much to the dismay of theroyal family.The book describes Elizabeth's love of horses and dogs, her orderliness, and her attitude of responsibility.Others echoed such observations:Winston Churchilldescribed Elizabeth when she was two as "a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant."Her cousinMargaret Rhodesdescribed her as "a jolly little girl, but fundamentally sensible and well-behaved".Elizabeth's early life was spent primarily at the Yorks' residences at145 Piccadilly(theirtown housein London) andRoyal Lodgein Windsor.

Heir presumptive

During her grandfather's reign, Elizabeth was third in theline of succession to the British throne,behind her uncleEdward, Prince of Wales,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.Whenher grandfather diedin 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 American socialiteWallis Simpsonprovoked aconstitutional crisis.Consequently, Elizabeth's father became king, taking theregnal nameGeorge VI. Since Elizabeth had no brothers, she becameheir presumptive.If her parents had subsequently had a son, he would have beenheir apparentand above her in the line of succession, which was determined by themale-preference primogeniturein effect at the time.

Elizabeth received private tuition inconstitutional historyfromHenry Marten,Vice-ProvostofEton College,and learned French from a succession of native-speaking governesses.AGirl Guidescompany, the1st Buckingham Palace Company,was formed specifically so she could socialise with girls her age.Later, she was enrolled as aSea Ranger.

In 1939, Elizabeth's parentstoured Canadaand the United States. As in 1927, when they hadtoured AustraliaandNew Zealand,Elizabeth remained in Britain since her father thought she was too young to undertake public tours.She "looked tearful" as her parents departed.They corresponded regularly,and she and her parents made the first royaltransatlantic telephonecall on 18 May.

Second World War

InAuxiliary Territorial Serviceuniform, April 1945

In September 1939,Britain entered the Second World War.Lord Hailshamsuggested that Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret should beevacuatedto Canada to avoid the frequentaerial bombingsof London by theLuftwaffe.This was rejected by their mother, who declared, "The children won't go without me. I won't leave without the King. And the King will never leave."The princesses stayed atBalmoral Castle,Scotland, until Christmas 1939, when they moved toSandringham House,Norfolk.From February to May 1940, they lived at Royal Lodge, Windsor, until moving toWindsor Castle,where they lived for most of the next five years.At Windsor, the princesses stagedpantomimesat Christmas in aid of the Queen's Wool Fund, which boughtyarnto knit into military garments.In 1940, the 14-year-old Elizabeth made her first radio broadcast during theBBC'sChildren's Hour,addressing other children who had been evacuated from the cities.She stated: "We are trying to do all we can to help our gallant sailors, soldiers, and airmen, and we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well."

In 1943, Elizabeth undertook her first solo public appearance on a visit to theGrenadier Guards,of which she had been appointedcolonelthe previous year.As she approached her 18th birthday, Parliament changed the law so that she could act as one of fivecounsellors of statein the event of her father's incapacity or absence abroad, such as his visit to Italy in July 1944.In February 1945, she was appointed an honorarysecond subalternin the Auxiliary Territorial Service with theservice number230873.She trained as a driver and mechanic and was given the rank of honorary junior commander (female equivalent ofcaptainat the time) five months later.

Elizabeth (far left) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with her family and Winston Churchill,8 May 1945

At the end of the war in Europe, onVictory in Europe Day,Elizabeth and Margaret mingled incognito with the celebrating crowds in the streets of London. In 1985 Elizabeth recalled in a rare interview, "... we asked my parents if we could go out and see for ourselves. I remember we were terrified of being recognised... I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking downWhitehall,all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief. "

During the war, plans were drawn to quellWelsh nationalismby affiliating Elizabeth more closely with Wales. Proposals, such as appointing her Constable ofCaernarfon Castleor a patron ofUrdd Gobaith Cymru(the Welsh League of Youth), were abandoned for several reasons, including fear of associating Elizabeth withconscientious objectorsin the Urdd at a time when Britain was at war.Welsh politicians suggested she be madePrincess of Waleson her 18th birthday. Home SecretaryHerbert Morrisonsupported the idea, but the King rejected it because he felt such a title belonged solely to the wife of aPrince of Walesand the Prince of Wales had always been the heir apparent.In 1946, she was inducted intothe Gorsedd of Bardsat theNational Eisteddfod of Wales.

Elizabeth went on her first overseas tour in 1947, accompanying her parents through southern Africa. During the tour, ina broadcastto theBritish Commonwealthon her 21st birthday, she made the following pledge:

I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.

Marriage

Main article:Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten

Elizabeth met her future husband,Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark,in 1934 and again in 1937.They weresecond cousins once removedthroughKing Christian IX of Denmarkand third cousins throughQueen Victoria.After meeting for the third time at theRoyal Naval CollegeinDartmouthin July 1939, Elizabeth—though only 13 years old—said she fell in love with Philip, who was 18, and they began to exchange letters.She was 21 when their engagement was officially announced on 9 July 1947.

The engagement attracted some controversy. Philip had no financial standing, was foreign-born (though aBritish subjectwho had served in theRoyal Navythroughout the Second World War), and had sisters who had married German noblemen withNazilinks.Marion Crawford wrote, "Some of the King's advisors did not think him good enough for her. He was a prince without a home or kingdom. Some of the papers played long and loud tunes on the string of Philip's foreign origin."Later biographies reported that Elizabeth's mother had reservations about the union initially and teased Philip as "the Hun".In later life, however, she told the biographerTim Healdthat Philip was "an English gentleman".

At Buckingham Palace with Philip after their wedding, 1947

Before the marriage, Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles, officially converted fromGreek OrthodoxytoAnglicanism,and adopted the styleLieutenant Philip Mountbatten,takingthe surname of his mother's British family.Shortly before the wedding, he was createdDuke of Edinburghand granted the styleHis Royal Highness.Elizabeth and Philip were married on 20 November 1947 atWestminster Abbey.They received 2,500 wedding gifts from around the world.Elizabeth requiredration couponsto buy the material forher gown(which was designed byNorman Hartnell) because Britain had not yet completely recovered from the devastation of the war.Inpost-war Britain,it was not acceptable for Philip's German relations, including his three surviving sisters, to be invited to the wedding.Neither was an invitation extended to the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII.

Elizabeth gave birth to her first child,Prince Charles,in November 1948. One month earlier, the King had issuedletters patentallowing her children to use the style and title of a royal prince or princess, to which they otherwise would not have been entitled as their father was no longer a royal prince.A second child,Princess Anne,was born in August 1950.

Following their wedding, the couple leasedWindlesham Moor,near Windsor Castle, until July 1949,when they took up residence atClarence Housein London. At various times between 1949 and 1951, Philip was stationed in the BritishCrown Colony of Maltaas a serving Royal Navy officer. He and Elizabeth lived intermittently in Malta for several months at a time in thehamletofGwardamanġa,atVilla Guardamangia,the rented home of Philip's uncleLord Mountbatten.Their two children remained in Britain.

Reign

Accession and coronation

Main article:Coronation of Elizabeth II

Coronation portrait byCecil Beaton,1953

As George VI's health declined during 1951, Elizabeth frequently stood in for him at public events. When she visited Canada andHarry S. Trumanin Washington, DC, in October 1951, her private secretaryMartin Charteriscarried a draft accession declaration in case the King died while she was on tour.In early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip set out for a tour of Australia and New Zealand by way of the British colony ofKenya.On 6 February, they had just returned to their Kenyan home,Sagana Lodge,after a night spent atTreetops Hotel,when word arrived ofthe deathof Elizabeth's father. Philip broke the news to the new queen.She chose to retain Elizabeth as her regnal name,and was therefore called Elizabeth II. The numeral offended some Scots, as she was the first Elizabeth to rule in Scotland.She wasproclaimed queenthroughout her realms, and the royal party hastily returned to the United Kingdom.Elizabeth and Philip moved into Buckingham Palace.

With Elizabeth's accession, it seemed possible that theroyal housewould take her husband's name, in line with the custom for married women of the time. Lord Mountbatten advocated forHouse of Mountbatten,and Philip suggestedHouse of Edinburgh,after his ducal title.The British prime minister, Winston Churchill, and Elizabeth's grandmother Queen Mary favoured the retention of theHouse of Windsor.Elizabeth issued a declaration on 9 April 1952 that the royal house would continue to beWindsor.Philip complained, "I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his own children."In 1960, the surnameMountbatten-Windsorwas adopted for Philip and Elizabeth's male-line descendants who do not carry royal titles.

Amid preparations for the coronation, Princess Margaret told her sister she wished to marryPeter Townsend,a divorcé 16 years Margaret's senior with two sons from his previous marriage. Elizabeth asked them to wait for a year; in the words of herprivate secretary,"the Queen was naturally sympathetic towards the Princess, but I think she thought—she hoped—given time, the affair would peter out."Senior politicians were against the match and theChurch of Englanddid not permitremarriageafter divorce. If Margaret had contracted acivil marriage,she would have been expected to renounce herright of succession.Margaret decided to abandon her plans with Townsend.In 1960, she marriedAntony Armstrong-Jones,who was createdEarl of Snowdonthe following year. They divorced in 1978; Margaret did not remarry.

DespiteQueen Mary's deathon 24 March 1953, the coronation went ahead as planned on 2 June, as Mary had requested.The coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey was televised for the first time, with the exception of theanointingandcommunion.On Elizabeth's instruction,her coronation gownwas embroidered with thefloral emblemsof Commonwealth countries.

Early reign

Further information:Commonwealth realm § From the accession of Elizabeth II

Elizabeth's realmsand their territories andprotectoratesat the beginning of her reign in 1952:

United Kingdom

Colonies, protectorates and mandates

Dominions/realms

From Elizabeth's birth onwards, theBritish Empirecontinued its transformation into theCommonwealth of Nations.By the time of her accession in 1952, her role as head of multiple independent states was already established.In 1953, Elizabeth and Philip embarked on a seven-month round-the-world tour, visiting 13 countries and covering more than 40,000 miles (64,000 km) by land, sea and air.She became the first reigningmonarch of AustraliaandNew Zealandto visit those nations.During the tour, crowds were immense; three-quarters of the population of Australia were estimated to have seen her.Throughout her reign, Elizabeth made hundreds ofstate visitsto other countries andtours of the Commonwealth;she was the most widely travelledhead of state.

In 1956, the British and French prime ministers,Sir Anthony EdenandGuy Mollet,discussed the possibility of France joining the Commonwealth. The proposal was never accepted, and the following year France signed theTreaty of Rome,which established theEuropean Economic Community,the precursor to theEuropean Union.In November 1956, Britain and Franceinvaded Egyptin an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to capture theSuez Canal.Lord Mountbatten said Elizabeth was opposed to the invasion, though Eden denied it. Eden resigned two months later.

With Commonwealth leaders, at the 1960Commonwealth Conference

The governingConservative Partyhad no formal mechanism for choosing a leader, meaning that it fell to Elizabeth to decide whom tocommission to form a governmentfollowing Eden's resignation. Eden recommended she consultLord Salisbury,thelord president of the council.Lord Salisbury andLord Kilmuir,thelord chancellor,consulted theBritish Cabinet,Churchill, and the chairman of the backbench1922 Committee,resulting in Elizabeth appointing their recommended candidate:Harold Macmillan.

The Suez crisis and the choice of Eden's successor led, in 1957, to the first major personal criticism of Elizabeth. In a magazine, which he owned and edited,Lord Altrinchamaccused her of being "out of touch".Altrincham was denounced by public figures and slapped by a member of the public appalled by his comments.Six years later, in 1963, Macmillan resigned and advised Elizabeth to appointAlec Douglas-Homeas the prime minister, advice she followed.Elizabeth again came under criticism for appointing the prime minister on the advice of a small number of ministers or a single minister.In 1965, the Conservatives adopted a formal mechanism for electing a leader, thus relieving the Queen of her involvement.

With Philip, seated on thrones at theCanadian parliament,1957

In 1957, Elizabeth made a state visit to the United States, where she addressed theUnited Nations General Assemblyon behalf of the Commonwealth. On the same tour, she opened the23rd Canadian Parliament,becoming the firstmonarch of Canadato open a parliamentary session.Two years later, solely in her capacity as Queen of Canada, she revisited the United States and toured Canada.In 1961, she toured Cyprus, India, Pakistan,Nepal,andIran.On a visit to Ghana the same year, she dismissed fears for her safety, even though her host, PresidentKwame Nkrumah,who had replaced her as head of state, was a target for assassins.Harold Macmillan wrote, "The Queen has been absolutely determined all through... She is impatient of the attitude towards her to treat her as... a film star... She has indeed 'the heart and stomach of a man'... She loves her duty and means to be a Queen. "Before her tour through parts ofQuebecin 1964, the press reported extremists within theQuebec separatist movementwere plotting Elizabeth's assassination.No attempt was made, but a riot did break out while she was inMontreal;her "calmness and courage in the face of the violence" was noted.

Elizabeth gave birth to her third child,Prince Andrew,in February 1960, which was the first birth to a reigning British monarch since 1857.Her fourth child,Prince Edward,was born in March 1964.

Political reforms and crises

InQueensland,Australia, 1970

WithPresident TitoofYugoslaviain Belgrade, 1972

The 1960s and 1970s saw an acceleration in thedecolonisation of Africaand the Caribbean. More than 20 countries gained independence from Britain as part of a planned transition to self-government. In 1965, however, the Rhodesian prime minister,Ian Smith,in opposition to moves towardsmajority rule,unilaterally declared independencewhile expressing "loyalty and devotion" to Elizabeth, declaring her "Queen of Rhodesia".Although Elizabeth formally dismissed him, and the international community applied sanctions against Rhodesia, his regime survived for over a decade.As Britain's ties to its former empire weakened, the British government sought entry to theEuropean Community,a goal itachieved in 1973.

In 1966, the Queen was criticised for waiting eight days before visiting the village ofAberfan,wherea mining disasterclaimed the lives of 116 children and 28 adults. Martin Charteris said that the delay, made on his advice, was a mistake that she later regretted.

Elizabeth touredYugoslaviain October 1972, becoming the first British monarch to visit acommunist country.She was received at the airport by PresidentJosip Broz Tito,and a crowd of thousands greeted her inBelgrade.

In February 1974, British prime ministerEdward Heathadvised Elizabeth to calla general electionin the middle of her tour of theAustronesianPacific Rim,requiring her to fly back to Britain.The election resulted in ahung parliament;Heath's Conservatives were not the largest party but could stay in office if they formed a coalition with theLiberals.When discussions on forming a coalition foundered, Heath resigned, and Elizabeth asked theLeader of the Opposition,Labour'sHarold Wilson,to form a government.

A year later, at the height of the1975 Australian constitutional crisis,the Australian prime minister,Gough Whitlam,was dismissed from his post by Governor-GeneralSir John Kerr,after the Opposition-controlledSenaterejected Whitlam's budget proposals.As Whitlam had a majority in theHouse of Representatives,SpeakerGordon Scholesappealed to Elizabeth to reverse Kerr's decision. She declined, saying she would not interfere in decisions reserved by theConstitution of Australiafor thegovernor-general.The crisis fuelledAustralian republicanism.

Leaders of the G7 states,members of the royal family and Elizabeth (centre), London, 1977

In 1977, Elizabeth marked theSilver Jubileeof her accession. Parties and events took place throughout the Commonwealth, many coinciding withher associated national and Commonwealth tours.The celebrations re-affirmed Elizabeth's popularity, despite virtually coincident negative press coverage of Princess Margaret's separation from her husband, Lord Snowdon.In 1978, Elizabeth endured a state visit to the United Kingdom byRomania's communist leader,Nicolae Ceaușescu,and his wife,Elena,though privately she thought they had "blood on their hands".The following year brought two blows: the unmasking ofAnthony Blunt,formerSurveyor of the Queen's Pictures,as a communist spy and theassassination of Lord Mountbattenby theProvisional Irish Republican Army.

According toPaul Martin Sr.,by the end of the 1970s, Elizabeth was worriedthe Crown"had little meaning for"Pierre Trudeau,the Canadian prime minister.Tony Bennsaid Elizabeth found Trudeau "rather disappointing".Trudeau's supposedrepublicanismseemed to be confirmed by his antics, such as sliding down banisters at Buckingham Palace and pirouetting behind Elizabeth's back in 1977, and the removal of variousCanadian royal symbolsduring his term of office.In 1980, Canadian politicians sent to London to discuss thepatriationof theCanadian constitutionfound Elizabeth "better informed... than any of the British politicians or bureaucrats".She was particularly interested after the failure of Bill C-60, which would have affected her role as head of state.

Perils and dissent

Riding Burmese at the 1986 Trooping the Colour ceremony

During the 1981Trooping the Colourceremony, six weeks before thewedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer,six shots were fired at Elizabeth from close range as she rode downThe Mall, London,on her horse,Burmese.Police later discovered the shots were blanks. The 17-year-old assailant,Marcus Sarjeant,was sentenced to five years in prison and released after three.Elizabeth's composure and skill in controlling her mount were widely praised.That October, Elizabeth was the subject of another attack while on a visit toDunedin,New Zealand.Christopher John Lewis,who was 17 years old, fired a shot with a.22 riflefrom the fifth floor of a building overlooking the parade but missed.Lewis was arrested, but instead of being charged withattempted murderortreasonwas sentenced to three years in jail for unlawful possession and discharge of a firearm. Two years into his sentence, he attempted to escape apsychiatric hospitalwith the intention of assassinating Charles, who was visiting the country withDianaand their sonPrince William.

Riding at Windsor with President Reagan, June 1982

From April to September 1982, Elizabeth's son Andrew served with British forces in theFalklands War,for which she reportedly felt anxietyand pride.On 9 July, she awoke in her bedroom at Buckingham Palace to find an intruder,Michael Fagan,in the room with her. In a serious lapse of security, assistance only arrived after two calls to the Palace police switchboard.After hosting US presidentRonald Reaganat Windsor Castle in 1982 and visitinghis California ranchin 1983, Elizabeth was angered whenhis administrationordered theinvasion of Grenada,one of her Caribbean realms, without informing her.

Intense media interest in the opinions and private lives of the royal family during the 1980s led to a series of sensational stories in the press, pioneered byThe Suntabloid.AsKelvin MacKenzie,editor ofThe Sun,told his staff: "Give me a Sunday for Monday splash on the Royals. Don't worry if it's not true—so long as there's not too much of a fuss about it afterwards."Newspaper editorDonald Trelfordwrote inThe Observerof 21 September 1986: "The royal soap opera has now reached such a pitch of public interest that the boundary between fact and fiction has been lost sight of... it is not just that some papers don't check their facts or accept denials: they don't care if the stories are true or not." It was reported, most notably inThe Sunday Timesof 20 July 1986, that Elizabeth was worried thatMargaret Thatcher'seconomic policiesfostered social divisions and was alarmed by high unemployment,a series of riots,the violence ofa miners' strike,and Thatcher's refusal to apply sanctions against theapartheidregime in South Africa. The sources of the rumours included royal aideMichael Sheaand Commonwealth secretary-generalShridath Ramphal,but Shea claimed his remarks were takenout of contextand embellished by speculation.Thatcher reputedly said Elizabeth would vote for theSocial Democratic Party—Thatcher's political opponents.Thatcher's biographer,John Campbell,claimed "the report was a piece of journalistic mischief-making".Reports of acrimony between them were exaggerated,and Elizabeth gave two honours in her personal gift—membership in theOrder of Meritand theOrder of the Garter—to Thatcher after her replacement as prime minister byJohn Major.Brian Mulroney,Canadian prime minister between 1984 and 1993, said Elizabeth was a "behind the scenes force" in ending apartheid.

In 1986, Elizabeth paid a six-day state visit to the People's Republic of China, becoming the first British monarch to visit the country.The tour included theForbidden City,theGreat Wall of China,and theTerracotta Warriors.At astate banquet,Elizabeth joked about the first British emissary to China being lost at sea withQueen Elizabeth I's letter to theWanli Emperor,and remarked, "fortunately postal services have improved since 1602".Elizabeth's visit also signified the acceptance of both countries thatsovereignty over Hong Kong would be transferredfrom the United Kingdom to China in 1997.

By the end of the 1980s, Elizabeth had become the target of satire.The involvement of younger members of the royal family in the charity game showIt's a Royal Knockoutin 1987 was ridiculed.In Canada, Elizabeth publicly supported politically divisiveconstitutional amendments,prompting criticism from opponents of the proposed changes, including Pierre Trudeau.The same year, the elected Fi gian government was deposed ina military coup.Asmonarch of Fiji,Elizabeth supported the attempts of Governor-GeneralRatu Sir Penaia Ganilauto assert executive power and negotiate a settlement. Coup leaderSitiveni Rabukadeposed Ganilau and declared Fiji a republic.

Turbulent years

In the wake of coalition victory in theGulf War,Elizabeth became the first British monarch to address ajoint meetingof theUnited States Congressin May 1991.

With Philip in Germany, October 1992

On 24 November 1992, in a speech to mark theRuby Jubileeof her accession, Elizabeth called 1992 herannus horribilis(a Latin phrase, meaning "horrible year" ).Republican feeling in Britainhad risen because of press estimates of Elizabeth's private wealth—contradicted by the Palace—and reports of affairs and strained marriages among her extended family.In March, her second son, Prince Andrew, separated from his wife,Sarah;her daughter, Princess Anne, divorced CaptainMark Phillipsin April;angry demonstrators inDresdenthrew eggs at Elizabeth during a state visit to Germany in October;anda large fire broke out at Windsor Castle,one of herofficial residences,in November. The monarchy came under increased criticism and public scrutiny.In an unusually personal speech, Elizabeth said that any institution must expect criticism, but suggested it might be done with "a touch of humour, gentleness and understanding".Two days later, John Major announced plans to reform the royal finances, drawn up the previous year, including Elizabeth payingincome taxfrom 1993 onwards, and a reduction in thecivil list.In December, Prince Charles and his wife, Diana, formally separated.At the end of the year, Elizabeth suedThe Sunnewspaper for breach of copyright when it published the text of herannual Christmas messagetwo days before it was broadcast. The newspaper was forced to pay her legal fees and donated £200,000 to charity.Elizabeth's solicitors had taken successful action againstThe Sunfive years earlier for breach of copyright after it published a photograph of her daughter-in-law the Duchess of York and her granddaughterPrincess Beatrice.

In January 1994, Elizabeth broke thescaphoid bonein her left wrist as the horse she was riding at Sandringham tripped and fell.In October 1994, she became the first reigning British monarch to set foot on Russian soil.In October 1995, Elizabeth was tricked into ahoax callby Montreal radio hostPierre Brassardimpersonating Canadian prime ministerJean Chrétien.Elizabeth, who believed that she was speaking to Chrétien, said she supported Canadian unity and would try to influenceQuebec's referendumon proposals to break away from Canada.

In the year that followed, public revelations on the state of Charles and Diana's marriage continued.In consultation with her husband and John Major, as well as theArchbishop of Canterbury(George Carey) and her private secretary (Robert Fellowes), Elizabeth wrote to Charles and Diana at the end of December 1995, suggesting that a divorce would be advisable.

In August 1997, a year after the divorce, Dianawas killedin a car crash in Paris. Elizabeth was on holiday with her extended family at Balmoral. Diana's two sons, Princes William andHarry,wanted to attend church, so Elizabeth and Philip took them that morning.Afterwards, for five days, the royal couple shielded their grandsons from the intense press interest by keeping them at Balmoral where they could grieve in private,but the royal family's silence and seclusion, and the failure to fly a flag athalf-mastover Buckingham Palace, caused public dismay.Pressured by the hostile reaction, Elizabeth agreed to return to London and address the nation in alive television broadcaston 5 September, the day beforeDiana's funeral.In the broadcast, she expressed admiration for Diana and her feelings "as a grandmother" for the two princes.As a result, much of the public hostility evaporated.

In October 1997, Elizabeth and Philip made a state visit to India, which included a controversial visit to the site of theJallianwala Bagh massacreto pay her respects. Protesters chanted "Killer Queen, go back",and there were demands for her to apologise for the action of British troops 78 years earlier.At the memorial in the park, she and Philip laid awreathand stood for a 30‑secondmoment of silence.As a result, much of the fury among the public softened, and the protests were called off.That November, the royal couple held a reception atBanqueting Houseto mark their golden wedding anniversary.Elizabeth made a speech and praised Philip for his role as consort, referring to him as "my strength and stay".

In 1999, as part of the process ofdevolution in the United Kingdom,Elizabeth formally opened newly established legislatures for Wales and Scotland: theNational Assembly for WalesatCardiffin May,and theScottish ParliamentatEdinburghin July.

Dawn of the new millennium

Golden Jubilee dinner with living British prime ministers, 2002: (left to right) Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher, Edward Heath, Elizabeth,James Callaghan,John Major

On the eve of the new millennium, Elizabeth and Philip boarded a vessel fromSouthwark,bound for theMillennium Dome.Before passing underTower Bridge,Elizabeth lit the National Millennium Beacon in thePool of Londonusing a laser torch.Shortly before midnight, she officially opened the Dome.During the singing ofAuld Lang Syne,Elizabeth held hands with Philip and British prime ministerTony Blair.Following the9/11 attacksin the United States, Elizabeth, breaking with tradition, ordered theAmerican national anthemto be played during thechanging of the guardat Buckingham Palace to express her solidarity with the country.

In 2002, Elizabeth marked herGolden Jubilee,the 50th anniversary of her accession. Her sister and mother died in February and March, respectively, and the media speculated on whether the Jubilee would be a success or a failure.The death of her sister shook Elizabeth; her funeral was one of the rare occasions where Elizabeth openly cried.Elizabeth again undertook an extensive tour of her realms, beginning in Jamaica in February, where she called the farewell banquet "memorable" after apower cutplungedKing's House,the official residence of thegovernor-general,into darkness.As in 1977, there were street parties and commemorative events, and monuments were named to honour the occasion. One million people attended each day of the three-day main Jubilee celebration in London,and the enthusiasm shown for Elizabeth by the public was greater than many journalists had anticipated.

GreetingNASAemployees at theGoddard Space Flight Center,Maryland, May 2007

In 2003, Elizabeth sued theDaily Mirrorforbreach of confidenceand obtained aninjunctionwhich prevented the outlet from publishing information gathered by a reporter who posed as afootmanat Buckingham Palace.The newspaper also paid £25,000 towards her legal costs.Though generally healthy throughout her life, in 2003 she hadkeyhole surgeryon both knees. In October 2006, she missed the opening of the newEmirates Stadiumbecause of a strained back muscle that had been troubling her since the summer.

In May 2007, citing unnamed sources,The Daily Telegraphreported that Elizabeth was "exasperated and frustrated" by the policies of Tony Blair, that she was concerned theBritish Armed Forceswere overstretched in Iraq andAfghanistan,and that she had raised concerns over rural and countryside issues with Blair.She was, however, said to admire Blair's efforts toachieve peacein Northern Ireland.She became the first British monarch to celebrate a diamond wedding anniversary in November 2007.On 20 March 2008, at theChurch of IrelandSt Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh,Elizabeth attended the firstMaundy serviceheld outside England and Wales.

Elizabeth addressed the UN General Assembly for a second time in 2010, again in her capacity as Queen of all Commonwealth realms andHead of the Commonwealth.TheUN secretary-general,Ban Ki-moon,introduced her as "an anchor for our age".During her visit to New York, which followed a tour of Canada, she officially opened a memorial garden for Britishvictims of the 9/11 attacks.Elizabeth's 11-day visit to Australia in October 2011 was her 16th visit to the country since 1954.By invitation of theIrish president,Mary McAleese,she made the firststate visit to the Republic of Irelandby a British monarch in May 2011.

Diamond Jubilee and milestones

VisitingBirminghamin July 2012 as part of the Diamond Jubilee tour

The2012 Diamond Jubileemarked 60 years since Elizabeth's accession, and celebrations were held throughout her realms, the wider Commonwealth, and beyond. She and her husband undertook an extensive tour of the United Kingdom, while her children and grandchildren embarked on royal tours of other Commonwealth states on her behalf.On 4 June, Jubilee beacons were lit around the world.On 18 December, the Queen became the first Britishsovereignto attend a peacetimeCabinet meetingsinceGeorge IIIin 1781.

Elizabeth, who opened theMontreal Summer Olympicsin 1976, also opened the2012 Summer OlympicsandParalympicsin London, making her the firsthead of state to opentwoOlympic Gamesin two countries.For the London Olympics, she portrayed herself ina short filmas part ofthe opening ceremony,alongsideDaniel CraigasJames Bond.On 4 April 2013, she received an honoraryBAFTAaward for herpatronageof the film industry and was called "the most memorableBond girlyet "at a special presentation at Windsor Castle.

Opening theBorders Railwayon the day she became the longest-reigning British monarch, 2015. In her speech, she said she had never aspired to achieve that milestone.

On 3 March 2013, the Queen stayed overnight atKing Edward VII's Hospitalas a precaution after developing symptoms ofgastroenteritis.A week later, she signed the newCharter of the Commonwealth.In 2013, because of her age and the need for her to limit travelling, she chose not to attend the biennialCommonwealth Heads of Government Meetingfor the first time in 40 years. She was represented at thesummit in Sri Lankaby Prince Charles.On 20 April 2018, the Commonwealth heads of government announced that she would be succeeded as Head of the Commonwealth by her son Charles, which the Queen stated as her "sincere wish".She underwentcataract surgeryin May 2018.In March 2019, she gave up driving on public roads, largely as a consequence of a car accident involving her husband two months earlier.

On 21 December 2007, Elizabeth surpassed her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, to become the longest-lived British monarch, and she became thelongest-reigning British monarchandlongest-reigning queen regnantand female head of state in the world on 9 September 2015.She became the oldest living monarch after the death ofKing Abdullah of Saudi Arabiaon 23 January 2015.She later became the longest-reigning current monarch and thelongest-serving current head of statefollowing thedeath of King Bhumibolof Thailand on 13 October 2016,and theoldest current head of stateon theresignation of Robert Mugabeof Zimbabwe on 21 November 2017.On 6 February 2017, she became the first British monarch to commemoratea sapphire jubilee,and on 20 November that year, she was the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.Philip had retired from his official duties as the Queen's consort in August 2017.

Pandemic and widowhood

On 19 March 2020, as theCOVID-19 pandemic hit the United Kingdom,Elizabeth moved to Windsor Castle and sequestered there as a precaution.Public engagements were cancelled and Windsor Castle followed a strict sanitary protocol nicknamed "HMS Bubble".

Virtual meetingwithCindy Kiroduring theCOVID-19 pandemic,October 2021

On 5 April, in a televised broadcast watched by an estimated 24 million viewers in the United Kingdom,Elizabeth asked people to "take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again."On 8 May, the 75th anniversary ofVE Day,in a television broadcast at 9 pm—the exact time at which her father had broadcast to the nation on the same day in 1945—she asked people to "never give up, never despair".In 2021, she received her first and secondCOVID-19 vaccinationsin January and April respectively.

Prince Philipdied on 9 April 2021,after 73 years of marriage, making Elizabeth the first British monarch to reign as awidowor widower since Queen Victoria.She was reportedly at her husband's bedside when he died,and remarked in private that his death had "left a huge void".Due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place in England at the time, Elizabeth sat alone at Philip's funeral service, which evoked sympathy from people around the world.In her Christmas broadcast that year, which was ultimately her last, she paid a personal tribute to her "beloved Philip", saying, "That mischievous, inquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him."

Despite the pandemic, Elizabeth attended the2021 State Opening of Parliamentin May,the47th G7 summitin June,and hosted US presidentJoe Bidenat Windsor Castle. Biden was the 14th US president that the Queen had met.In October 2021, Elizabeth cancelled a planned trip to Northern Ireland and stayed overnight at King Edward VII's Hospital for "preliminary investigations".On Christmas Day 2021, while she was staying at Windsor Castle, 19-year-old Jaswant Singh Chail broke into the gardens using a rope ladder and carrying acrossbowwith the aim of assassinating Elizabeth in revenge for theAmritsar massacre.Before he could enter any buildings, he was arrested and detained under theMental Health Act.In 2023, he pleaded guilty to attempting to injure or alarm the sovereign.

Platinum Jubilee and beyond

With the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following thePlatinum Jubilee Pageant,June 2022

Elizabeth'sPlatinum Jubileecelebrations began on 6 February 2022, marking 70 years since her accession.In heraccession daymessage, she renewed her commitment to a lifetime of public service, which she had originally made in 1947.

Later that month, Elizabeth fell ill with COVID-19 along with several family members, but she only exhibited "mild cold-like symptoms" and recovered by the end of the month.She was present atthe service of thanksgiving for her husbandat Westminster Abbey on 29 March,but was unable to attend both the annualCommonwealth Dayservice that monthand theRoyal Maundyservice in April, because of "episodic mobility problems".In May, she missed theState Opening of Parliamentfor the first time in 59 years. (She did not attend the state openings in 1959 and 1963 as she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively.)

The Queen was largely confined to balcony appearances during the public jubilee celebrations, and she missed theNational Service of Thanksgivingon 3 June.On 13 June, she became the second-longest reigning monarch in history (among those whose exact dates of reign are known), with 70 years and 127 days on the throne—surpassing KingBhumibol Adulyadejof Thailand.On 6 September, she appointed her 15th British prime minister,Liz Truss,at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. This was the only occasion on which Elizabeth received a new prime minister at a location other than Buckingham Palace.No other British monarch appointed as many prime ministers.The Queen's last public message was issued on 7 September, in which she expressed her sympathy for those affected by theSaskatchewan stabbings.

Elizabeth did not plan toabdicate,though she took on fewer public engagements in her later years and Prince Charles performed more of her duties.She told Canadian governor-generalAdrienne Clarksonin a meeting in 2002 that she would never abdicate, saying, "It is not our tradition. Although, I suppose if I became completely gaga, one would have to do something."In June 2022, Elizabeth met the Archbishop of Canterbury,Justin Welby,who "came away thinking there is someone who has no fear of death, has hope in the future, knows the rock on which she stands and that gives her strength."

Death

Main article:Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II

Tributes left inThe Mall, London

On 8 September 2022, Buckingham Palace stated, "Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral."Herimmediate familyrushed to Balmoral.She died peacefully at 15:10BSTat the age of 96.Her death was announced to the public at 18:30,setting in motionOperation London Bridgeand, because she died in Scotland,Operation Unicorn.Elizabeth was the first monarch to die in Scotland sinceJames Vin 1542.Herdeath certificaterecorded her cause of death as "old age".However, biographerGyles Brandrethalso reported that Elizabeth was battlingmultiple myeloma,a form ofbone marrow cancer,when she died.

On 12 September, Elizabeth's coffin was carried up theRoyal Milein a procession toSt Giles' Cathedral,where theCrown of Scotlandwas placed on it.Her coffin lay at rest at the cathedral for 24 hours, guarded by theRoyal Company of Archers,during which around 33,000 people filed past the coffin.On 13 September, her coffin was flown toRAF Northoltin west London to be met by Liz Truss, before continuing its journey by road to Buckingham Palace.On 14 September, her coffin was taken in a military procession toWestminster Hall,where Elizabethlay in statefor four days. The coffin was guarded by members of both theSovereign's Bodyguardand theHousehold Division.An estimated 250,000 members of the public filed past the coffin, as did politicians and other public figures.On 16 September, Elizabeth's children helda vigilaround her coffin, and the next day her eight grandchildren did the same.

Elizabeth's coffin on theState Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy,during the procession toWellington Arch

Elizabeth'sstate funeralwas held at Westminster Abbey on 19 September, which marked the first time a monarch's funeral service was held at the Abbey sinceGeorge IIin 1760.More than a million people lined the streets ofcentral London,and the day was declared a holiday in several Commonwealth countries. In Windsor, a final procession involving 1,000 military personnel took place, which 97,000 people witnessed.Elizabeth'sfell ponyand tworoyal corgisstood at the side of the procession.After a committal service atSt George's Chapel, Windsor Castle,Elizabeth was interred with her husband Philip in theKing George VI Memorial Chapellater the same day, in a private ceremony attended by her closest family members.

Legacy

Main article:Personality and image of Elizabeth II

Beliefs, activities, and interests

Patting a dog in New Zealand, 1974

Elizabeth rarely gave interviews, and little was known of her political opinions, which she did not express explicitly in public. It is against convention to ask or reveal the monarch's views. WhenTimesjournalistPaul Routledgeasked her about theminers' strike of 1984–85during a royal tour of the newspaper's offices, she replied that it was "all about one man" (a reference toArthur Scargill),with which Routledge disagreed.Routledge was widely criticised in the media for asking the question and claimed that he was unaware of the protocols.After the2014 Scottish independence referendum,Prime MinisterDavid Cameronwas overheard saying that Elizabeth was pleased with the outcome.She had arguably issued a public coded statement about the referendum by telling one woman outside Balmoral Kirk that she hoped people would think "very carefully" about the outcome. It emerged later that Cameron had specifically requested that she register her concern.

Elizabeth had a deep sense of religious andcivic duty,and took herCoronation Oathseriously.Aside from herofficial religious roleassupreme governorof theestablishedChurch of England, she worshipped with that church and with the nationalChurch of Scotland.She demonstrated support forinter-faithrelations and met with leaders of other churches and religions, including five popes:Pius XII,John XXIII,John Paul II,Benedict XVIandFrancis.A personal note about her faith often featured in her annualChristmas Messagebroadcast to the Commonwealth. In 2000, she said:

To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example.

Elizabeth waspatronof more than 600 organisations and charities.TheCharities Aid Foundationestimated that Elizabeth helped raise over £1.4 billion for her patronages during her reign.Her main leisure interests includedequestrianismand dogs, especially herPembroke Welsh Corgis.Her lifelong love of corgis began in 1933 withDookie,the first of manyroyal corgis.Scenes of a relaxed, informal home life were occasionally witnessed; she and her family, from time to time, prepared a meal together and washed the dishes afterwards.

Media depiction and public opinion

In the 1950s, as a young woman at the start of her reign, Elizabeth was depicted as a glamorous "fairytale Queen".After the trauma of the Second World War, it was a time of hope, a period of progress and achievement heralding a "new Elizabethan age".Lord Altrincham's accusation in 1957 that her speeches sounded like those of a "priggishschoolgirl "was an extremely rare criticism.In the late 1960s, attempts to portray a more modern image of the monarchy were made in the television documentaryRoyal Familyand by televisingPrince Charles's investiture as Prince of Wales.Elizabeth also instituted other new practices; her first royal walkabout, meeting ordinary members of the public, took place during a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1970.Her wardrobe developed a recognisable, signature style driven more by function than fashion.In public, she took to wearing mostly solid-colourovercoatsand decorative hats, allowing her to be seen easily in a crowd.By the end of her reign, nearly one third of Britons had seen or met Elizabeth in person.

At Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee in 1977, the crowds and celebrations were genuinely enthusiastic;but, in the 1980s, public criticism of the royal family increased, as the personal and working lives of Elizabeth's children came under media scrutiny.Her popularity sank to a low point in the 1990s. Under pressure from public opinion, she began to pay income tax for the first time, and Buckingham Palace was opened to the public.Although support forrepublicanism in Britainseemed higher than at any time in living memory, republican ideology was still a minority viewpoint, and Elizabeth herself had high approval ratings.Criticism was focused on the institution of the monarchy itself, and the conduct of Elizabeth's wider family, rather than her own behaviour and actions.Discontent with the monarchy reached its peak on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, although Elizabeth's personal popularity—as well as general support for the monarchy—rebounded after her live television broadcast to the world five days after Diana's death.

InBrisbane,Australia, 1982

In November 1999,a referendum in Australiaon the future of theAustralian monarchyfavoured its retention in preference to an indirectly elected head of state.Many republicans credited Elizabeth's personal popularity with the survival of the monarchy in Australia. In 2010, Prime MinisterJulia Gillardnoted that there was a "deep affection" for Elizabeth in Australia and that another referendum on the monarchy should wait until after her reign.Gillard's successor,Malcolm Turnbull,who led the republican campaign in 1999, similarly believed that Australians would not vote to become a republic in her lifetime."She's been an extraordinary head of state", Turnbull said in 2021, "and I think frankly, in Australia, there are more Elizabethans than there are monarchists."Similarly, referendums in bothTuvalu in 2008andSaint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2009saw voters reject proposals to become republics.

Polls in Britain in 2006 and 2007 revealed strong support for the monarchy,and in 2012, Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee year, her approval ratings hit 90 per cent.Her family came under scrutiny again in the last few years of her life due to her son Andrew's association with convicted sex offendersJeffrey EpsteinandGhislaine Maxwell,his lawsuitwithVirginia Giuffreamidst accusations of sexual impropriety, and her grandson Harry and his wifeMeghan'sexit from the working royal familyand subsequent move to the United States.Polling in Great Britain during the Platinum Jubilee, however, showed support for maintaining the monarchyand Elizabeth's personal popularity remained strong.As of 2021 she remained the thirdmost admired womanin the world according to the annualGallup poll,her 52 appearances on the list meaning she had been in the top ten more than any other woman in the poll's history.

Elizabeth was portrayed in a variety of media by many notable artists, including paintersPietro Annigoni,Peter Blake,Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy,Terence Cuneo,Lucian Freud,Rolf Harris,Damien Hirst,Juliet PannettandTai-Shan Schierenberg.Notable photographers of Elizabeth includedCecil Beaton,Yousuf Karsh,Anwar Hussein,Annie Leibovitz,Lord Lichfield,Terry O'Neill,John SwannellandDorothy Wilding.The first officialportrait photographof Elizabeth was taken byMarcus Adamsin 1926.

Titles, styles, honours, and arms

Main article:List of titles and honours of Elizabeth II

Royal cypherof Elizabeth II, surmounted bySt Edward's Crown

Personal flag of Elizabeth II

Titles and styles

Elizabeth held many titles and honorary military positions throughoutthe Commonwealth,was sovereign of many orders in her own countries and received honours and awards from around the world. In each of her realms, she had a distinct title that follows a similar formula:Queen of Saint Lucia and of Her other Realms and TerritoriesinSaint Lucia,Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territoriesin Australia, etc. She was also styledDefender of the Faith.

Arms

See also:Flags of Elizabeth II

From 21 April 1944 until her accession, Elizabeth's arms consisted of alozengebearing theroyal coat of arms of the United Kingdomdifferenced with alabelof three pointsargent,the centre point bearing aTudor roseand the first and third across of Saint George.Upon her accession, she inherited the various arms her father held as sovereign, with a modified representation of the crown. Elizabeth also possessedroyal standardsand personal flags for usein the United Kingdom,Canada,Australia,New Zealand,Jamaica,and elsewhere.

• 
  Coat of arms asDuchess of Edinburgh(1947–1952)
• 
  Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
• 
  Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom for use in Scotland
• 
  Royal coat of arms of Canada

Issue

Name	Birth	Marriage		Children	Grandchildren
		Date	Spouse
Charles III	(1948-11-14)14 November 1948	29 July 1981 Divorced 28 August 1996	Lady Diana Spencer	William, Prince of Wales	Prince George of Wales Princess Charlotte of Wales Prince Louis of Wales
				Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex	Prince Archie of Sussex Princess Lilibet of Sussex
		9 April 2005	Camilla Parker Bowles	None
Anne, Princess Royal	(1950-08-15)15 August 1950	14 November 1973 Divorced 23 April 1992	Mark Phillips	Peter Phillips	Savannah Phillips Isla Phillips
				Zara Tindall	Mia Tindall Lena Tindall Lucas Tindall
		12 December 1992	Timothy Laurence	None
Prince Andrew, Duke of York	(1960-02-19)19 February 1960	23 July 1986 Divorced 30 May 1996	Sarah Ferguson	Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi	Sienna Mapelli Mozzi
				Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank	August Brooksbank Ernest Brooksbank
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh	(1964-03-10)10 March 1964	19 June 1999	Sophie Rhys-Jones	Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor	None
				James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex	None

Ancestry

See also:Royal descendants of Queen Victoria and of King Christian IX

Ancestors of Elizabeth II

8.Edward VII of the United Kingdom 4.George V of the United Kingdom 9.Princess Alexandra of Denmark 2.George VI of the United Kingdom 10.Francis, Duke of Teck 5.Princess Mary of Teck 11.Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge 1.Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom 12.Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne 6.Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne 13.Frances Smith 3.Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon 14.Charles Cavendish-Bentinck 7.Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck 15.Louisa Burnaby

See also

• Finances of the British royal family
• Household of Elizabeth II
• List of things named after Elizabeth II
• List of jubilees of Elizabeth II
• List of special addresses made by Elizabeth II
• Royal eponyms in Canada
• List of covers ofTimemagazine (1920s,1940s,1950s,2010s)

References

Bibliography

• Bedell Smith, Sally(2017),Elizabeth the Queen: The Woman Behind the Throne,Penguin Books,ISBN978-1-4059-3216-5
• Bond, Jennie(2006),Elizabeth: Eighty Glorious Years,Carlton Publishing Group,ISBN1-8444-2260-7
• Bousfield, Arthur; Toffoli, Gary (2002),Fifty Years the Queen,Dundurn Press,ISBN978-1-5500-2360-2
• Bradford, Sarah(2002),Elizabeth: A Biography of Her Majesty the Queen(2nd ed.), Penguin,ISBN978-0-1419-3333-7
• Bradford, Sarah (2012),Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Our Times,Penguin,ISBN978-0-6709-1911-6
• Brandreth, Gyles(2004),Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage,Century,ISBN0-7126-6103-4
• Briggs, Asa(1995),The History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom,vol. 4, Oxford University Press,ISBN0-1921-2967-8
• Bush, Karen (2007),Everything Dogs Expect You to Know,London: New Holland,ISBN978-1-8453-7954-4
• Campbell, John(2003),Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady,Jonathan Cape,ISBN0-2240-6156-9
• Crawford, Marion(1950),The Little Princesses,Cassell & Co.
• Elliot, Caroline, ed. (1991),The BBC Book of Royal Memories: 1947–1990,BBC Books,ISBN978-0-5633-6008-7
• Hardman, Robert(2011),Our Queen,Hutchinson,ISBN978-0-0919-3689-1
• Hardman, Robert (2019),Queen of the World,Penguin Random House,ISBN978-1-7808-9818-6
• Heald, Tim(2007),Princess Margaret: A Life Unravelled,Weidenfeld & Nicolson,ISBN978-0-2978-4820-2
• Hoey, Brian (2002),Her Majesty: Fifty Regal Years,HarperCollins,ISBN0-0065-3136-9
• Hoey, Brian (2022),Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: Platinum Jubilee Celebration: 70 Years: 1952–2022,Rizzoli,ISBN978-1-8416-5939-8
• Knappett, Gill (2016),The Queen at 90: A Royal Birthday Souvenir,Pitkin,ISBN978-0-7509-7031-0
• Lacey, Robert(2002),Royal: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,Little, Brown,ISBN0-3168-5940-0
• Louda, Jiří;Maclagan, Michael(1999) [1981],Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe(2nd ed.), London: Little, Brown,ISBN978-0-3168-4820-6
• Macmillan, Harold(1972),Pointing the Way 1959–1961,Macmillan,ISBN0-3331-2411-1
• Marr, Andrew(2011),The Diamond Queen: Elizabeth II and Her People,Macmillan,ISBN978-0-2307-4852-1
• Mitchell, James (2003), "Scotland: Cultural Base and Economic Catalysts", in Hollowell, Jonathan (ed.),Britain Since 1945,Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 109–125,doi:10.1002/9780470758328.ch5,ISBN978-0-6312-0967-6
• Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh,ed. (1973), "The Royal Lineage",Burke's Guide to the Royal Family,London: Burke's Peerage,ISBN0-2206-6222-3
• Neil, Andrew(1996),Full Disclosure,Macmillan,ISBN0-3336-4682-7
• Nicolson, Harold(1952),King George the Fifth: His Life and Reign,Constable & Co.
• Petropoulos, Jonathan(2006),Royals and the Reich: The Princes von Hessen in Nazi Germany,Oxford University Press,ISBN0-1951-6133-5
• Pimlott, Ben(2001),The Queen: Elizabeth II and the Monarchy,HarperCollins,ISBN0-0025-5494-1
• Roberts, Andrew(2000),Fraser, Antonia(ed.),The House of Windsor,Cassell & Co.,ISBN0-3043-5406-6
• Routledge, Paul(1994),Scargill: The Unauthorized Biography,London: Harper Collins,ISBN0-0063-8077-8
• Shawcross, William(2002),Queen and Country,McClelland & Stewart,ISBN0-7710-8056-5
• Tomaszewski, Fiona K. (2002),A Great Russia: Russia and the Triple Entente, 1905–1914,Greenwood Publishing Group,ISBN978-0-2759-7366-7,archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2023,retrieved5 October2022
• Warwick, Christopher (2002),Princess Margaret: A Life of Contrasts,London: Carlton Publishing Group,ISBN978-0-2330-5106-2
• Williamson, David (1987),Debrett's Kings and Queens of Britain,Webb & Bower,ISBN0--86350-101-X
• Wyatt, Woodrow(1999), Curtis, Sarah (ed.),The Journals of Woodrow Wyatt,vol. II, Macmillan,ISBN0-3337-7405-1

External links

• Queen Elizabeth IIat the Royal Family website
• Queen Elizabeth IIat the website of theGovernment of Canada
• Queen Elizabeth IIat the website of theRoyal Collection Trust
• ObituaryatBBC News Online
• Portraits of Queen Elizabeth IIat theNational Portrait Gallery, London
• Queen Elizabeth IIatIMDb
• AppearancesonC-SPAN

Titles and succession