Elizabeth II reigned as Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death in 2022. She ruled 32 sovereign states during her lifetime, and 15 at the time of her death. Her reign, lasting 70 years and 214 days, is the longest of any British monarch and the second-longest of any sovereign. She also holds the record as the longest-reigning queen regnant in history.
After Eden's resignation, Lord Salisbury and Lord Kilmuir consulted the British Cabinet, Churchill, and the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee. This consultation process resulted in Elizabeth appointing their recommended candidate, Harold Macmillan, as prime minister.
In April 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, later known as Elizabeth II, was born. She would become Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.
In April 1926, Elizabeth was born in London, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother).
In 1926, Marcus Adams took the first official portrait photograph of Elizabeth.
In 1927, Elizabeth remained in Britain when her parents toured Australia and New Zealand as she was considered too young for public tours.
In 1929, Elizabeth's regular visits to her seriously ill grandfather, George V, were credited with raising his spirits and aiding his recovery.
In 1930, Princess Margaret, the only sibling of Elizabeth, was born. The two princesses were educated at home.
Elizabeth's lifelong love of corgis began in 1933 with Dookie, the first of many royal corgis.
In 1934, Elizabeth first met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark.
In 1936, Edward VIII abdicated, leading to Elizabeth's father becoming King George VI and making Elizabeth the heir presumptive to the throne.
In 1936, Elizabeth's father acceded to the throne upon the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, making the ten-year-old Princess Elizabeth the heir presumptive.
In 1937, Elizabeth met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark for the second time.
In July 1939, Elizabeth met Prince Philip at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, where she fell in love with him and began exchanging letters.
In 1939, Elizabeth's parents toured Canada and the United States, but Elizabeth remained in Britain as she was considered too young to undertake public tours.
From February to May 1940, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret lived at Royal Lodge, Windsor, before moving to Windsor Castle.
In 1943, Elizabeth undertook her first solo public appearance on a visit to the Grenadier Guards, of which she had been appointed colonel.
From April 1944 until her accession, Elizabeth's arms consisted of a lozenge bearing the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, differentiated with a label of three points argent, the centre point bearing a Tudor rose, and the first and third a cross of Saint George.
In July 1944, Parliament changed the law so that Elizabeth could act as one of five counsellors of state in the event of her father's incapacity or absence abroad.
In February 1945, Elizabeth was appointed an honorary second subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, training as a driver and mechanic.
In 1946, Elizabeth was inducted into the Gorsedd of Bards at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
On 9 July 1947, the engagement of Elizabeth to Prince Philip was officially announced.
In November 1947, Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark. The marriage lasted 73 years.
On 20 November 1947, Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey, receiving 2,500 wedding gifts from around the world.
In 1947, Elizabeth went on her first overseas tour, accompanying her parents through southern Africa.
In her Platinum Jubilee accession day message in February 2022, she renewed her commitment to a lifetime of public service, which she had originally made in 1947.
In November 1948, Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles.
In July 1949, Elizabeth and Philip took up residence at Clarence House in London, after leasing Windlesham Moor.
In August 1950, Elizabeth gave birth to her second child, Princess Anne.
In October 1951, Elizabeth visited Canada and Washington, DC, where her private secretary carried a draft accession declaration in anticipation of King George VI's death. This reflects the King's declining health and the preparation for Elizabeth's potential accession to the throne.
Between 1949 and 1951, Elizabeth lived intermittently in Malta with Philip, who was stationed there as a Royal Navy officer. They resided at Villa Guardamangia.
In February 1952, Elizabeth II ascended to the throne, becoming Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.
On April 9, 1952, Elizabeth declared that the royal house would continue to be Windsor, despite suggestions to adopt Mountbatten or Edinburgh. This decision preserved the established name of the royal house.
By 1952, with Elizabeth's accession, her role as head of multiple independent states within the Commonwealth of Nations was already established, marking the ongoing transformation of the British Empire.
In early 1952, while Elizabeth and Philip were in Kenya, news arrived of the death of Elizabeth's father, George VI, on February 6th. Philip delivered the news, and Elizabeth chose to retain Elizabeth as her regnal name, becoming Elizabeth II. She was proclaimed queen and returned to the United Kingdom.
Queen Mary, Elizabeth's grandmother, died on March 24, 1953. Despite the death, the coronation of Elizabeth II proceeded as planned on June 2, as Mary had requested.
In 1953, Elizabeth II's coronation took place, marking her formal investiture as Queen.
In 1953, Elizabeth and Philip embarked on a seven-month round-the-world tour, visiting 13 countries and covering over 40,000 miles. Elizabeth became the first reigning monarch of Australia and New Zealand to visit those nations. Crowds were immense; three-quarters of the population of Australia were estimated to have seen her.
In November 1956, Britain and France invaded Egypt in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to capture the Suez Canal. This event, known as the Suez Crisis, occurred during Elizabeth's reign and had significant political implications.
In 1957, Elizabeth faced her first major personal criticism when Lord Altrincham accused her of being "out of touch" in a magazine. This criticism sparked public outrage and debate.
In 1957, Elizabeth made a state visit to the United States, where she addressed the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the Commonwealth. During the same tour, she opened the 23rd Canadian Parliament.
In 1957, Lord Altrincham criticised Elizabeth's speeches, saying they sounded like those of a "priggish schoolgirl".
In February 1960, Elizabeth gave birth to her third child, Prince Andrew. This was the first birth to a reigning British monarch since 1857.
In 1960, Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones, who was later created Earl of Snowdon. This marriage followed Margaret's decision to abandon plans to marry Peter Townsend due to political and religious objections.
In 1960, the surname Mountbatten-Windsor was adopted for Philip and Elizabeth's male-line descendants who do not carry royal titles. This decision incorporated Philip's family name into the lineage of the royal family.
In 1963, Macmillan resigned, advising Elizabeth to appoint Alec Douglas-Home as the prime minister, which she did. This appointment led to further criticism regarding the selection process.
In March 1964, Elizabeth gave birth to her fourth child, Prince Edward.
Before her tour through parts of Quebec in 1964, the press reported that extremists within the Quebec separatist movement were plotting Elizabeth's assassination. A riot broke out in Montreal, but her calmness and courage were noted.
In 1965, the Conservatives adopted a formal mechanism for electing a leader, thus relieving the Queen of her involvement in the appointment of the prime minister.
In 1965, the Rhodesian prime minister, Ian Smith, unilaterally declared independence while expressing "loyalty and devotion" to Elizabeth. Elizabeth formally dismissed him, but his regime survived for over a decade despite international sanctions.
In 1966, Elizabeth was criticized for waiting eight days before visiting the village of Aberfan, where a mining disaster killed 116 children and 28 adults. The delay was later regretted.
Elizabeth's first royal walkabout, meeting ordinary members of the public, took place during a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1970.
In October 1972, Elizabeth toured Yugoslavia, becoming the first British monarch to visit a communist country. She was received by President Josip Broz Tito and greeted by a large crowd in Belgrade.
In 1973, the British government sought entry to the European Community, a goal it achieved as Britain's ties to its former empire weakened.
In February 1974, British Prime Minister Edward Heath advised Elizabeth to call a general election in the middle of her tour of the Austronesian Pacific Rim, requiring her to fly back to Britain. The election resulted in a hung parliament, and Harold Wilson formed a government after Heath's coalition discussions failed.
In 1975, during the Australian constitutional crisis, Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr. Elizabeth declined to reverse Kerr's decision, fueling Australian republicanism.
In 1977, Elizabeth marked the Silver Jubilee of her accession with parties and events throughout the Commonwealth, reaffirming her popularity.
In 1977, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau pirouetted behind Elizabeth's back at Buckingham Palace. This was seen as a sign of disrespect.
In 1978, Elizabeth endured a state visit to the United Kingdom by Romania's communist leader, Nicolae Ceaușescu, and his wife, Elena, though privately she disapproved of them.
In 1978, Princess Margaret divorced Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon. Margaret did not remarry after the divorce.
In 1980, Canadian politicians found Elizabeth "better informed" on the patriation of the Canadian constitution than British politicians, particularly after the failure of Bill C-60, which would have affected her role as head of state.
During the 1981 Trooping the Colour ceremony, six shots were fired at Elizabeth from close range as she rode down The Mall, London, on her horse, Burmese. The assailant, Marcus Sarjeant, was later imprisoned. Elizabeth's composure was widely praised.
In September 1982, Elizabeth's son Andrew served with British forces in the Falklands War, eliciting both anxiety and pride from the Queen.
In 1983, Elizabeth was angered when the Reagan administration ordered the invasion of Grenada, one of her Caribbean realms, without informing her.
Jaswant Singh Chail, who attempted to assassinate the Queen, was placed under a hybrid order under section 45A of the Mental Health Act 1983, ordering that he remain at Broadmoor Hospital to be transferred into custody only after receiving psychiatric treatment.
During a royal tour of The Times' offices in 1984, when asked about the miners' strike of 1984–85, Elizabeth replied that it was "all about one man" (a reference to Arthur Scargill).
In 1985, Elizabeth recalled mingling incognito with celebrating crowds in London on Victory in Europe Day, expressing her fear of being recognized.
In July 1986, The Sunday Times reported that Elizabeth II was worried about Margaret Thatcher's economic policies, which she believed fostered social divisions. She was also alarmed by high unemployment, riots, the miners' strike violence, and Thatcher's refusal to sanction South Africa's apartheid regime.
In September 1986, Donald Trelford wrote in The Observer that the media coverage of the royal family had become so intense that the boundary between fact and fiction was blurred, with some papers not caring about the truth of their stories.
In 1986, Elizabeth II made a six-day state visit to the People's Republic of China, becoming the first British monarch to visit the country. The tour included visits to the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, and the Terracotta Warriors.
In 1987, Elizabeth II became a target of satire after younger royals participated in 'It's a Royal Knockout.' She publicly supported divisive constitutional amendments in Canada, drawing criticism. Additionally, the elected Fijian government was deposed in a military coup, and Elizabeth supported the Governor-General's attempts to negotiate a settlement.
In May 1991, following the Gulf War victory, Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress.
In November 1992, Elizabeth II described 1992 as her 'annus horribilis' during a speech marking her Ruby Jubilee. This was due to increased republican sentiment, press scrutiny of her wealth, marital issues within her family, a fire at Windsor Castle, and general criticism of the monarchy. In the same month, demonstrators threw eggs at The Queen during a state visit to Dresden.
In 1992, the Queen experienced what she termed her 'annus horribilis,' marked by several family crises and public scrutiny.
In 1993, plans were made to reform the royal finances, including Elizabeth II paying income tax from 1993 onwards, and a reduction in the civil list.
In January 1994, Elizabeth II broke her left wrist when the horse she was riding at Sandringham tripped and fell.
In October 1994, Elizabeth II became the first reigning British monarch to set foot on Russian soil.
In 1994, Queen Elizabeth II made a state visit to Russia, further expanding her role in international diplomacy.
In October 1995, Elizabeth II was tricked by a radio host impersonating the Canadian prime minister, during which she expressed support for Canadian unity regarding Quebec's referendum.
At the end of December 1995, Elizabeth II, after consulting with her husband, John Major, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and her private secretary, wrote to Charles and Diana suggesting that a divorce would be advisable.
In August 1997, following Diana's death in a car crash in Paris, Elizabeth II shielded her grandsons at Balmoral. The royal family's silence and the lack of a flag at half-mast over Buckingham Palace led to public dismay.
In 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, former daughter-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, died, leading to widespread public mourning and media attention.
In November 1999, a referendum in Australia on the future of the Australian monarchy favored its retention.
In 1999, Elizabeth II formally opened the newly established legislatures for Wales and Scotland as part of the devolution process in the United Kingdom. The National Assembly for Wales opened in Cardiff in May, and the Scottish Parliament opened in Edinburgh in July.
In her Christmas Message to the Commonwealth in 2000, Elizabeth included a personal note about her faith.
In 2002, Elizabeth II marked her Golden Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of her accession. Despite the deaths of her sister and mother earlier in the year, the Jubilee was a success, marked by extensive tours, street parties, and commemorative events.
In a meeting in 2002, Elizabeth told Canadian governor-general Adrienne Clarkson that she would never abdicate, stating, "It is not our tradition. Although, I suppose if I became completely gaga, one would have to do something."
In 2003, Elizabeth II sued the Daily Mirror for breach of confidence after a reporter posed as a footman at Buckingham Palace and obtained an injunction preventing the newspaper from publishing gathered information.
In October 2006, Elizabeth II missed the opening of the new Emirates Stadium due to a strained back muscle.
Polls in Britain in 2006 revealed strong support for the monarchy.
In May 2007, The Daily Telegraph reported that Elizabeth II was "exasperated and frustrated" by Tony Blair's policies, particularly concerning the British Armed Forces' involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In November 2007, Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a diamond wedding anniversary.
In December 2007, Elizabeth surpassed her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, to become the longest-lived British monarch.
Polls in Britain in 2007 revealed strong support for the monarchy.
On March 20, 2008, Elizabeth II attended the first Maundy service held outside England and Wales at St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh, Ireland.
In 2008, a referendum in Tuvalu saw voters reject proposals to become republics.
In 2009, a referendum in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines saw voters reject proposals to become republics.
In 2010, Elizabeth II addressed the UN General Assembly for a second time as Queen of all Commonwealth realms and Head of the Commonwealth. She officially opened a memorial garden for British victims of the 9/11 attacks during her visit to New York.
In 2010, Prime Minister Julia Gillard noted that there was a "deep affection" for Elizabeth in Australia and that another referendum on the monarchy should wait until after her reign.
In May 2011, Elizabeth II made the first state visit to the Republic of Ireland by a British monarch, by invitation of the Irish president, Mary McAleese.
In October 2011, Elizabeth II made her 16th visit to Australia since 1954.
In 2011, Queen Elizabeth II made a historic state visit to the Republic of Ireland, symbolizing reconciliation and improved relations.
In 2012, Elizabeth II opened the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in London, making her the first head of state to open two Olympic Games in two countries. She also portrayed herself in a short film alongside Daniel Craig as James Bond for the opening ceremony.
In 2012, Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee marked 60 years since her accession, with celebrations held throughout her realms and the Commonwealth. Jubilee beacons were lit around the world on June 4. On December 18, the Queen became the first British sovereign to attend a peacetime Cabinet meeting since George III in 1781.
In 2012, Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee year, her approval ratings hit 90 per cent.
In March 2013, Elizabeth II stayed overnight at King Edward VII's Hospital as a precaution after developing symptoms of gastroenteritis. A week later, she signed the new Charter of the Commonwealth.
On April 4, 2013, Elizabeth II received an honorary BAFTA award for her patronage of the film industry and was called "the most memorable Bond girl yet" at a special presentation at Windsor Castle.
After the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron was 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.
In January 2015, Elizabeth became the oldest living monarch after the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
In September 2015, Elizabeth became the longest-reigning British monarch and longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state in the world.
In October 2016, Elizabeth became the longest-reigning current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
On 6 February 2017, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to commemorate a sapphire jubilee.
In August 2017, Philip retired from his official duties as the Queen's consort.
In November 2017, Elizabeth became the oldest current head of state on the resignation of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
On April 20, 2018, Commonwealth heads of government announced that Charles would succeed Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth, which she stated as her 'sincere wish'.
In May 2018, Elizabeth II underwent cataract surgery.
In March 2019, Elizabeth II gave up driving on public roads, largely due to a car accident involving her husband two months prior.
In March 2020, as the COVID-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".
On 9 April 2021, Prince Philip died after 73 years of marriage, making Elizabeth the first British monarch to reign as a widow or widower since Queen Victoria. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Elizabeth sat alone at Philip's funeral service.
In October 2021, Elizabeth cancelled a planned trip to Northern Ireland and stayed overnight at King Edward VII's Hospital for "preliminary investigations".
As of 2021 she remained the third most admired woman in the world according to the annual Gallup 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.
In 2021, Elizabeth received her first and second COVID-19 vaccinations in January and April respectively.
In 2021, Malcolm Turnbull believed that Australians would not vote to become a republic in her lifetime, stating there were more Elizabethans than monarchists.
In 2021, Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, passed away, marking the end of their 73-year marriage.
On 6 February 2022, Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations began, marking 70 years since her accession. In her accession day message, she renewed her commitment to a lifetime of public service.
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."
In September 2022, Elizabeth II died, ending her reign as Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.
In February 2023, Jaswant Singh Chail pleaded guilty to attempting to injure or alarm the sovereign, and was sentenced in October to a 9-year custodial sentence plus an additional 5 years on extended licence. The sentencing judge also placed Chail under a hybrid order under section 45A of the Mental Health Act 1983, ordering that he remain at Broadmoor Hospital to be transferred into custody only after receiving psychiatric treatment.
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