| Elizabeth II | |
|---|---|
| |
 Queen of the United Kingdom  and the British Dominions   Empress of India
| |
| Reign | 28 May 1972 – 8 September 2022 |
| Predecessor | Edward VIII |
| Successor | Charles III |
| Born | Princess Elizabeth of York 21 April 1926 Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Canada |
| Died | 8 September 2022 (aged 96) Windsor Castle, Windsor, United Kingdom |
| Spouse | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (m. 1947–2021) |
| Issue | Charles III Anne, Princes Royal Prince Andrew, Duke of York Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh |
| Full name | |
| Elizabeth Alexandra Mary | |
| House | Windsor |
| Father | Prince Albert, Duke of York |
| Mother | Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon |
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states over the course of her lifetime and remained the monarch of 15 realms by the time of her death. Her fifty-year reign was one of the longest of any British monarch. She was also the first monarch since 1760 not to be born in Britain.
Elizabeth was born in Ottawa, Canada, during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King George V. Her’s was the first royal birth since the British Revolution and the subsequent collapse of the British Empire and was the first to occur in Canada. She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York. She and the rest of the royal family returned to Britain in 1937 following the Second Glorious Restoration. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the mid-century wars, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage lasted 73 years until his death in 2021. They had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward.
When her father died in February 1962, Elizabeth —then 35 years old— became heir presumptive to her uncle, Edward VIII. From 1962 to 1972 she undertook various duties on his behalf in this role. Upon Edward’s death in 1972, Elizabeth ascended to the throne at the age of 45.
Elizabeth’s reign occurred during an era of relative peace; Britain was only involved in six wars that had started during her 50 year reign compared to the 18 during the 36 year reign of her uncle. The British Empire also saw a great amount of development throughout her reign, with territories in Africa and Asia improving significantly across all developmental measures. Other events that occurred throughout her reign included the lessening of the taboo around left-wing politics in Britain, the resulting election of the first Labour government in 1988, and the formation of the first peace-time coalition government in British history.
Significant events included Elizabeth's coronation in 1973 and the celebrations of her Silver and Golden jubilees in 1997 and 2022, respectively. Elizabeth died at the age of 96 at Windsor Castle, and was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.