Looking back on the life of Queen Elizabeth II, who has died aged 96
Queen Elizabeth II has sadly died, leaving a long and proud legacy in the nation she served.
A short statement from the Royal Family confirmed the news, stating: The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
"The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
The 96-year-old monarch (full name Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) was the Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms.
She was born on April 21, 1926 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 Philip's death in 2021. They had four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon, 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 accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities, the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, Canadian patriation, and the decolonisation of Africa.
The number of her realms varied over time as territories gained independence, and as realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), have become republics. Her many historic visits and meetings included a state visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011 and visits to or from five popes.
Significant events included the Queen's coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, Diamond, Sapphire and Platinum jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
Elizabeth was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch, the longest-serving female head of state in history, the oldest living and longest-reigning current monarch, and the oldest and longest-serving incumbent head of state.
Elizabeth occasionally faced republican sentiment and press criticism of the royal family, particularly after the breakdown of her children's marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992, and the death in 1997 of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales.
However, support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom has been and remains consistently high, as did her personal popularity.
Do you have any memories of meetings with Her Majesty you wish to share? Or any personal tributes you wish to pay? Email andrew.brookes@iliffepublishing.co.uk
