On September 8, 2022, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away. At 96 years of age and reigning as queen for 70 years, she was the longest-living, longest-reigning British monarch. And while she and her famous family regularly made headlines, fans learned more about her (dramatized) past thanks to Netflix's The Crown (with Imelda Staunton playing the queen in season 5, which will take on a new poignancy with Her Majesty's recent passing).
In 1947, Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a former prince of Greece and Denmark. The couple has 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 1952, Elizabeth, then 25, became the head of the Commonwealth. The following year, Elizabeth was crowned and officially recognized as sovereign. Since then, the queen has served in her role as the queen of England, and in 2017, she became the first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee—a celebration to mark 65 years of her reign. This year's summer was the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, marking her 70 years as queen.
On September 6, 2022, while at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, the queen met with newly elected leader of the Conservative Party Liz Truss, where she was invited to become prime minister and form a new government. Just two days later, it was announced that Her Majesty had died peacefully at her beloved Balmoral.
To celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's remarkable life in service, here are some photos of her through her 96 years of life, and 70 years as monarch.
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1
1926
Hulton Archive
Princess Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926. Her parents, the Duke and Duchess of York, hold her at her christening in this photo.
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2
1930~
Universal History Archive
It's unclear when this photo was taken, but we see an older Princess Elizabeth posing next to her younger sister, Princess Margaret.
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3
1939
Topical Press Agency
Princess Elizabeth celebrated her 13th birthday on April 21, 1939. According to ABC News, she was allowed to plan her own day, so after opening presents, she went riding in Windsor Great Park with the King and Princess Margaret.
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4
1945
Apic
Sometime between 1942 and 1945, Princess Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service of the British Army. As an honorary second subaltern (the equivalent to a second lieutenant in the U.S.), she learned how to change a wheel, deconstruct and rebuild engines, and drive ambulances and other vehicles, according to Mashable.
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5
1947
Hulton Archive
Princess Elizabeth met her future husband, Prince Philip, when she was 13 years old. She was 21 when their engagement was officially announced. This photo was taken shortly before their wedding ceremony.
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6
1947
Topical Press Agency
On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth and Philip tied the knot at Westminster Abbey. She wore a gown designed by Norman Hartnell and had to use ration coupons to buy the material for the design, according to Time.
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7
1947
Hulton Archive
After getting married, Princess Elizabeth and Philip went on their honeymoon in Malta, where he was stationed with the Royal Navy.
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8
1948
Mirrorpix
Princess Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles, on November 14, 1948. This was the official portrait for his christening.
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9
1950
PA Images
Two years after welcoming Prince Charles, Princess Elizabeth gave birth to a daughter, Anne, on August 15, 1950.
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10
1952
Douglas Miller
On November 4, 1952, Queen Elizabeth II attended her first State Opening of Parliament as a monarch. In early 1952, while traveling to Kenya, Elizabeth was informed that her father, King George VI, died, immediately making her queen.
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11
1953
PA Images
A year after ascending the throne, Queen Elizabeth II was coronated on June 2, 1953. Her coronation, with the exception of the anointing and communion, was televised for the first time.
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12
1968
PA Images
A rare family picture of Queen Elizabeth with Prince Philip and all of their children (left to right): Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and Prince Andrew.
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13
1969
Hulton Archive
On July 1, 1969, Queen Elizabeth II crowned Charles the Prince of Wales during his investiture ceremony. For it, Charles gave a speech in both English and Welsh, which viewers got to see recreated on season 3 of Netflix's The Crown. 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the ceremony.
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14
1970
Bettmann
It's no secret that Queen Elizabeth II was a corgi lover. Here she is pictured in the salon of her Sandringham House.
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15
1972
Hulton Archive
To commemorate their 25th silver wedding anniversary, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth dressed up for the celebrations held at Buckingham Palace.
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16
1974
Anwar Hussein
Before starting her holidays in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth II was pictured arriving at the airport with her three corgis in tow.
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17
1976
UniversalImagesGroup
To celebrate the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence, Queen Elizabeth II danced with former president of the United States, Gerald Ford, at a ball at the White House.
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18
1980
Anwar Hussein
Here's yet another photo of Queen Elizabeth relaxing at her vacation home in Sandringham with her corgis.
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19
1981
Fox Photos
At the time this picture was taken, March 27, 1981, Prince Charles was engaged to his fiancée, Lady Diana Spencer. The two would get married a few months later, on July 29 1981, and have two children: Prince William and Prince Harry.
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