Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain

• Elizabeth Alexandra Mary

Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death on 8 September 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states in the course of her reign, and served as monarch of 15 of them at the time of her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch and the longest recorded of any female head of state.

Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII, making Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage laster 73 years until his death in April 2021. They had four children: Charles III; Anne, Princes Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.