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This is Queen Elizabeth II

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II after her Coronation
  • On 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth became Queen of the United Kingdom, when her father King George VI died.
  • Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne when she was 25-years-old.
  • In 2022 Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.
  • Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle on 8 September 2022.
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II after her Coronation
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The Royal Family

British Royal family in 1937
Image caption,
British Royal family in 1937. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth are pictured wearing their crowns and Princess Elizabeth is waving.
  • Britain is a monarchy, meaning it has a king or queen.
  • The monarch is the head of state, the Church of England and the armed forces.
  • The monarch is not voted in. The crown is inherited. This means the heir becomes monarch the moment their parent dies.
  • They are crowned in a coronation ceremony.
  • By 1066, most of England was ruled by one royal family.
  • In 1603, the crowns of England and Scotland were united under James I.
  • The British Royal Family has ruled over the United Kingdom for many hundreds of years.
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The life of Queen Elizabeth II

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
  • The Queen鈥檚 uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated (gave up) the throne in 1936. He passed it to his brother, the Queen鈥檚 father, George VI. As King George鈥檚 oldest child, this meant that Princess Elizabeth would one day be Queen.
  • In 1947 Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip. He was a member of the Greek royal family and a Royal Naval officer in World War Two.
  • In 1948 the royal couple鈥檚 first child, Prince Charles, was born. He is now King Charles III.
  • In June 1953, after the death of her father, Princess Elizabeth was crowned in Westminster Abbey. 27 million people in the UK watched it on television. 11 million people listened on the radio.
  • The Queen was Head of the Commonwealth and the Head of State for 16 member states.
  • Over 20 countries were part of the British Empire when the Queen became monarch. Many gained independence during her reign.
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
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Did you know?

Princess Margaret, on the left, and Princess Elizabeth give their first Children's Hour radio broadcast during World War II on 13th October 1940.
Image caption,
Princess Margaret, on the left, and Princess Elizabeth give their first Children's Hour radio broadcast during World War II on 13th October 1940.
  • Queen Elizabeth was related to the ancient kings of Wessex, including Alfred the Great.
  • 15 different British Prime Ministers served during Queen Elizabeth's reign.
  • Only four other monarchs have ever been Queens in their own right: Mary I, Elizabeth I, Anne and Victoria. This is because the crown was always inherited by the eldest male heir, unless there was only a daughter, or niece.
  • One of the roles of head of state is the opening of Parliament. The monarch is not allowed to enter the House of Commons, so it is done in the House of Lords.
  • During World War Two, when she was a young girl, Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret took part in a special episode of a radio programme called 'Children's Hour'.
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Find out more

  • Visit Newsround to see Queen Elizabeth's life in pictures.
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