Elizabeth II (1926 – Present)

The Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Elizabeth II is the incumbent monarch and Head of State of the UK and the Commonwealth.

Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21st April 1926, and was originally not in line to the throne. Her father, Prince Albert Duke of York, was the second son of King George V and second in line to Edward VIII, his elder brother. But when Edward famously abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee, the throne passed on to his brother Albert, who was crowned King George VI on December 11th 1936.

Elizabeth was then the Heir Presumptive, henceforth known as Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth. When World War Two broke out in 1939, Elizabeth was 13 years old and was evacuated from London to Windsor Castle in Berkshire and Balmoral Castle in Scotland, beginning her long associations with the two castles, which are among the Queen’s favourite residences. Towards the end of the War, Elizabeth joined the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she trained as a driver.

In 1947 Elizabeth made her first state visit to South Africa with her parents and shortly afterwards announced her engagement Philip Mountbatten, formerly Prince of Greece and Denmark, her second cousin once removed. The two were married with a grand ceremony in Westminster Abbey on 20th November 1947, and Philip was granted his current title, the Duke of Edinburgh.

In February 1952, King George VI died and was succeeded by his daughter Queen Elizabeth II. After she was crowned, the Queen and Prince Philip embarked on a six month tour of the Commonwealth countries, visited various European nations as well as the United States, becoming the first reigning monarch to circumnavigate the globe.

Indeed the Queen is one of the most well travelled of British monarchs and is regarded as a highly respected head of state throughout the world. Queen Elizabeth has reigned over some testing times for the British monarchy, as it has sought to adapt to modern times under the ever-intrusive gaze of the world’s media. She has presided over testing times for her family also with the divorces of three of her children, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Margaret, not to mention the tragic death of Princess Diana, her daughter in law.

The Queen’s residences include her famous London home of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House in Norfolk.