Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Died: September 8, 2022 (Who else died on September 8?)
- Details of death: Died at Balmoral Castle at the age of 96.
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A record-setting reign
Elizabeth had been queen for 70 years, since acceding to the throne in 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, surpassing Queen Victoria’s record in 2015, as well as the oldest reigning monarch in the world before her death. The only British monarch to achieve a Sapphire Jubilee, marking 65 years of her reign, Elizabeth was the longest-serving female head of state in history.
Early years as Princess Elizabeth
Born April 21, 1926, in London, Elizabeth was the daughter of the then duke and duchess of York. She became the heir presumptive when her father became king in 1936 upon the abdication of his older brother, Edward, who gave up the throne to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson (1896–1986). Though Elizabeth grew up in the spotlight, she also engaged in typical children’s activities such as the Girl Guides.
Elizabeth was just a child when she met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, a distant cousin. The two exchanged letters throughout Elizabeth’s teens and were married in 1947 when she was 21. They had four children: Charles, born in 1948; Anne, in 1950; Andrew, in 1960; and Edward, in 1964.
Even before taking the throne, Elizabeth showed a strength of leadership and responsibility from an early age. As a teenager, she became a counselor of state, taking on some of her father’s duties when he was unavailable. She served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II, training as a driver and a mechanic. As her father’s health declined in his final years, her presence at official events became increasingly more frequent as she took his place when needed.
Coronation
When George VI died in 1952, Elizabeth and Philip were touring the kingdom, but they quickly returned to England to begin her reign. Many British monarchs take on a new, regnal name when they take the throne – Elizabeth’s father was born Albert and only became George VI upon his accession – but when Elizabeth was asked what her regnal name would be, she replied that she would remain Elizabeth, “of course.” Her coronation took place June 2, 1953 and was the first British coronation to be televised.
Accomplishments and milestones
Elizabeth’s lengthy reign included a number of firsts and other notable accomplishments. She was the first reigning monarch of Australia and New Zealand to visit those countries, attracting massive crowds during her 1953 visit. She was the first monarch of Canada to open a parliamentary session when she visited in 1957. Over the many years of her reign, she made state visits all over the world, becoming the most widely traveled head of state in the world.
During Elizabeth’s reign, the British Empire was becoming something considerably different from what it was at its peak decades earlier. The empire was transforming to the Commonwealth of Nations, and a number of territories over which her predecessors ruled were gaining their independence. She presided over the widespread decolonization in Africa and the Caribbean, as well as over the Falklands War with Argentina.
Personal life
In the 1980s and ’90s, Elizabeth worked to maintain the dignity of the monarchy even as public fascination and criticism, as well as her children’s marriage scandals, threatened to undermine it. While the monarchy as a whole received criticism and was sometimes the topic of satire, Elizabeth retained a mostly positive reputation with the public. Her approval rating tended to be quite high, measured at 90 percent in 2012, and in 2014, she was named the most admired person in the U.K.
Elizabeth’s tendency toward closed-mouthed dignity meant that her personal life was rarely on public display, but some of its small details did endear her to the public. Particularly notable was her love of Pembroke Welsh corgis, a dog breed that was part of her family for nearly all her life. In her later years, she showed signs of embracing modern technology, including using email and a mobile phone and playing a Nintendo Wii with her young great-grandchildren.
Later reign
Elizabeth celebrated her golden jubilee in 2002, marking the 50th year of her reign. Ten years later, further celebrations accompanied her diamond jubilee along with the 2012 Summer Olympics, held in London. She opened the Olympics, as she had done in 1976 in Montreal, becoming the first head of state to open Olympic Games in two different countries.
Elizabeth’s memorable words
“It has always been easy to hate and destroy. To build and to cherish is much more difficult.” —from her 1957 Christmas broadcast
Tributes to Elizabeth II
Full Obituary: New York Times
