Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, has spent seven decades as head of state for the United Kingdom and its territories. She became queen at the age of 25, shortly after her father, King George VI, died in 1952.
Born on April 21, 1926, to the then-Duke and Duchess of York, Princess Elizabeth was the de-facto heir apparent to the monarchy after her father ascended to the throne and performed royal duties from a young age. Her first speech for the public was made at the age of 14 for the children of the Commonwealth living away from home as World War II raged on.
She became the only British monarch to celebrate 70 years of service during her Platinum Jubilee in 2022. She died at age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022.