Our Queen Elizabeth: Her Extraordinary Life from the Crown to the Corgis

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At the end of the war in Europe, on Victory in Europe Day, Elizabeth and Margaret mingled incognito with the celebrating crowds in the streets of London. Elizabeth later said in a rare interview, "We asked my parents if we could go out and see for ourselves. I remember we were terrified of being recognised... I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief." [35] Nikkash, Roya (31 March 2019), "Queen slams brakes on driving in public", The Times, archived from the original on 31 March 2019 , retrieved 31 March 2019

When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (known today as Sri Lanka), as well as head of the Commonwealth. Elizabeth reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union. The number of her realms varied over time as territories gained independence and some realms became republics. As queen, Elizabeth was served by more than 170 prime ministers across her realms. Her many historic visits and meetings included state visits to China in 1986, to Russia in 1994, and to the Republic of Ireland in 2011, and meetings with five popes and fourteen US presidents. Headteachers were told: “Schools and further education settings should remain open. While normal attendance is expected, headteachers continue to have the power to authorise leaves of absence for pupils in exceptional circumstances.” Lee, Joseph (26 October 2021), "Queen will not attend COP26 climate change summit", BBC News, archived from the original on 1 February 2022 , retrieved 8 September 2022By Friday morning, no decision had been made about whether there will be an additional bank holiday. Television coverage of the coronation was instrumental in boosting the medium's popularity; the number of television licences in the United Kingdom doubled to 3 million, [73] and many of the more than 20 million British viewers watched television for the first time in the homes of their friends or neighbours. [74] In North America, almost 100 million viewers watched recorded broadcasts. [75]

At least 250,000 people lined up to see queen's coffin", AP News, 20 September 2022, archived from the original on 20 September 2022 , retrieved 20 September 2022 Elizabeth went on her first overseas tour in 1947, accompanying her parents through southern Africa. During the tour, in a broadcast to the British Commonwealth on her 21st birthday, she made the following pledge: ElizabethII (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21April 1926–8September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6February 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 reign of over 70 years is the longest of any British monarch and the longest verified reign of any female head of state in history. a b MacQueen, Ken; Treble, Patricia (2012), "The Jewel in the Crown", Maclean's (Special Commemorativeed.), pp.43–44 In 1999, as part of the process of devolution within the UK, Elizabeth formally opened newly established legislatures for Wales and Scotland: the National Assembly for Wales at Cardiff in May, [170] and the Scottish Parliament at Edinburgh in July. [171] Dawn of the new millennium Golden Jubilee dinner with living British prime ministers, 2002: (left to right) Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher, Edward Heath, Elizabeth, James Callaghan, John Major

Longest Reigning Monarch

The Conservative hereditary peer recalled dancing "a dance totally different to everybody else in the room" with his sister as a child, and remarked how the Queen came over and joined them, concluding: "I would like to thank you Ma'am for all those wonderful happy memories and a great life." Bradford, Sarah (2002), Elizabeth: A Biography of Her Majesty the Queen (2nded.), Penguin, ISBN 978-0-1419-3333-7 Standing at the edge of the Sandringham estate, you wouldn’t know anything had happened. It is quiet, peaceful and closed off - apart from the main gate. A crowd of around a hundred people have gathered there to pay their respects, having walked on foot from the police barrier further down the road. The gate is fringed with hundreds of flowers, handwritten messages and portraits.