Elizabeth II
The Queen in March 2015
Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms[show] Canada 1952–present Australia 1952–present New Zealand 1952–present Pakistan 1952–1956 South Africa 1952–1961 Ceylon 1952–1972 Ghana 1957–1960 Nigeria 1960–1963 Sierra Leone 1961–1971 Tanganyika 1961–1962 Jamaica 1962–present Trinidad and Tobago 1962–1976 Uganda 1962–1963 Kenya 1963–1964 Malawi 1964–1966 Malta 1964–1974 The Gambia 1965–1970 Guyana 1966–1970 Barbados 1966–present Mauritius 1968–1992 Fiji 1970–1987 The Bahamas 1973–present Grenada 1974–present Papua New Guinea 1975–present Solomon Islands 1978–present Tuvalu 1978–present St. Lucia 1979–present St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1979–present Belize 1981–present Antigua and Barbuda 1981–present St. Kitts and Nevis 1983–present
Reign	6 February 1952 – present
Coronation	2 June 1953
Predecessor	George VI
Heir apparent	Charles, Prince of Wales
Prime Ministers	See list
Born	(1926-04-21) 21 April 1926 (age 90) 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Spouse	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (m. 1947)
Issue Detail	Charles, Prince of Wales Anne, Princess Royal Prince Andrew, Duke of York Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Full name Elizabeth Alexandra Mary
House	Windsor
Father	George VI
Mother	Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Religion	Church of England Church of Scotland
Signature

[show]Royal Family of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms
HM The Queen HRH The Duke of Edinburgh HRH The Prince of Wales HRH The Duchess of Cornwall HRH The Duke of Cambridge HRH The Duchess of Cambridge HRH Prince George of Cambridge HRH Princess Charlotte of Cambridge HRH Prince Henry of Wales HRH The Duke of York HRH Princess Beatrice of York HRH Princess Eugenie of York HRH The Earl of Wessex HRH The Countess of Wessex HRH The Princess Royal
HRH The Duke of Gloucester HRH The Duchess of Gloucester HRH The Duke of Kent HRH The Duchess of Kent HRH Prince Michael of Kent HRH Princess Michael of Kent HRH Princess Alexandra
v t e

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926^[a]) is, and has been since her accession in 1952, Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and Head of the Commonwealth. She is also Queen of 12 countries that have become independent since her accession: Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.^[b]

Elizabeth was born in London to the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and was the elder of their two daughters. She was educated privately at home. Her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She began to undertake public duties during World War II, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In 1947, she married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with whom she has four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward.

Elizabeth's many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and reciprocal visits to and from the Pope. She has seen major constitutional changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation, and the decolonisation of Africa. She has also reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms. She is the world's oldest reigning monarch as well as Britain's longest-lived. In 2015, she surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, to become the longest-reigning British monarch and the longest-reigning queen regnant in world history.

Times of personal significance have included the births and marriages of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, her coronation in 1953, and the celebration of milestones such as her Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002, and 2012, respectively. Moments of sadness for her include the death of her father, aged 56; the assassination of Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten; the breakdown of her children's marriages in 1992 (her annus horribilis); the death in 1997 of her son's former wife, Diana, Princess of Wales; and the deaths of her mother and sister in 2002. Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and severe press criticism of the royal family, but support for the monarchy and her personal popularity remain high.

  Lady Diana Prince Charles 1981

Diana, Princess of Wales

(1 July 1961- 31 August 1997)

Royal Gala Premiere for The Hunt for Red October, April 1990. Sean Connery greets Diana.

(Left to right:) Bond film producer Cubby Broccoli, Diana, Desmond Llewellyn, Maryam D'Abo, Prince Charles and Timothy Dalton on the set of The Living Daylights, 1986

"Princess Diana snatches a rare opportunity to knock "The Living Daylights" out of Prince Charles with a prop bottle (made of sugar glass) when the royal couple visited the Bond sets at Pinewood Studios on 11 December 1986."

Diana is greeted by stars Timothy Dalton and Maryam D'Abo at The Living Daylights premiere, June 1987