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.