Elizabeth II, in full Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, (born April 21, 1926, London, England, died September 8, 2022, Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland), Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, from 1952 to 2022.
She became heir presumptive when her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated and her father became king as George VI. In 1947 she married her distant cousin Philip, duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021), with whom she had four children, including Charles, who succeeded her in 2022.
She became queen on her father’s death in 1952. Increasingly aware of the modern role of the monarchy, she favoured simplicity in court life and took an informed interest in government business. In the 1990s the monarchy was troubled by the highly publicized marital difficulties of two of the queen’s sons and the death of Diana, princess of Wales.
In 2002 the queen’s mother and sister died within two months of each other. Elizabeth became the longest-reigning monarch in British history in 2015, and she celebrated 70 years on the throne with a “Platinum Jubilee” in 2022.
Since William the Conqueror established the basis of the modern British state in 1066, the kingdom has had over 40 monarchs. These were some of the most powerful kings and queens in world history, and the longest reigning of them all is Queen Elizabeth II.
Crowned in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II oversaw Britain's late 20th century and all of the changes that came with it, both at home and across the empire. While the British monarch has relatively few political powers today, she remains an extremely important symbol, representing the British people, nation, and traditions.
