Queen Elizabeth II through the years
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch in history, died Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022 at the age of 96.
She the United Kingdom had officially celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, with stamps, souvenirs and four days of festivities to mark 70 years on the throne.
In this photo, the queen views a painting of herself by British artist Henry Ward at Windsor Castle in 2016. The painting was commissioned to commemorate the queen's six decades of patronage to the British Red Cross.
Platinum Jubilee
This photo of Queen Elizabeth II, taken at Sandringham House in February 2022, was released by Buckingham Palace to mark the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne.
She became the longest-reigning British monarch in history on September 9, 2015, when she surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
Jubilee celebration
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II smiles during a reception at Sandringham House on February 5, 2022, as she celebrates the start of the Platinum Jubilee. The following day she marked 70 years since ascending to the throne upon the death of her father, King George VI.
Royal couple
In this June 1, 2020 photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, pose for a photo in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle ahead of his 99th birthday.
Mourning Prince Philip
Queen Elizabeth sits alone at the funeral for her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021. They were married for 73 years, until his death at age 99.
Commonwealth Day 2020
Queen Elizabeth II departs the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020 in London.
93rd birthday celebrations
Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past of aircraft by the Royal Air Force, in London on June 8, 2019, during the official celebration of the queen's 93rd birthday.
The line of succession
Four generations of the royal family, from left, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince George and Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge.
The image, released April 20, 2016, is from a photo shoot for the Royal Mail in the summer of 2015, taken in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace in London for a stamp sheet to mark the 90th birthday of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.
70th wedding anniversary
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, seen in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, in a photo released in celebration of their platinum wedding anniversary on Nov. 20, 2017.
They were 21 and 26 years old when they married in 1947.
Queen Elizabeth II in royal regalia
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 90th birthday in a giant extravaganza on May 15, 2016. She become the longest serving British monarch on September 9, 2015, surpassing the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria with more than 63 years on the throne. Elizabeth is also the country's oldest ever monarch.
The Queen delivers the Queen's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament in central London, on May 18, 2016.
Queen Elizabeth visits MI5
Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to the headquarters of MI5 at Thames House on February 25, 2020 in London, England. MI5 is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency.
Birthday lunch
Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh wave to the crowd attending one of the official celebrations for the queen's 90th birthday in London on June 12, 2016.
About 10,000 guests gathered on The Mall that day for a lunch to celebrate the queen's patronage of more than 600 charities and organizations, part of a weekend of celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday and 63 year reign.
Vanity Fair cover for Queen Elizabeth II
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II turned 90 on April 21, 2016. To mark the milestone, she posed for a series of portraits at Windsor Castle by photographer Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair, including this cover photograph. The queen is seen here with her beloved corgis Holly (being held) and (from L-R) Willow, Vulcan and Candy. It must be said that Vulcan and Candy are actually dorgis, a breed the queen created. The issue of the magazine, which includes photos of the royal family is available Thursday, June 2, 2016.
Royal family in 2016
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, along with Queen Elizabeth II, during the final night of the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations at Windsor on May 15, 2016.
1927
Princess Elizabeth is taken for a ride in the grounds of Windsor Castle, with her cousin, the honorable Gerald Lascelles, right, son of Princess Royal in 1927.
More photos: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
May 1933
Princess Elizabeth, is introduced by her mother Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, to disabled soldiers at an exhibition of their work in London, May 16, 1933.
May 1935
Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, center, waves as she stands on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London with her grandparents King George V and Queen Mary, May 6, 1935. Her sister, Princess Margaret, is just visible over the balcony edge.
June 1938
Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, and her companion Shaun Plunket take the penguins for a walk at London Zoo, June 30, 1938.
August 1943
Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, right, and her sister, Princess Margaret, in their Girl Guide uniforms, practice their bandaging skills, August 1943. Princess Elizabeth is wearing the badge of the swallow patrol and two white stripes, which indicates that she is patrol leader.
August 1946
Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, right, enjoys a joke with her father, King George VI, in the grounds of the Royal Lodge in Windsor, England, August 20, 1946.
April 1947
Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, sits in Natal National Park, South Africa on her 21st birthday, April 21, 1947. In the background are the Drakenberg Mountains.
November 1947
Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, and her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, wave to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, after their wedding on November 20, 1947.
From left to right, King George VI, Princess Margaret, Lady Mary Cambridge, the bride and bridegroom, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) and Queen Mary.
August 1949
Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, wears a silver gown with a diamond tiara and pearl necklace on August 30, 1949.
August 1951
Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, front left, helps her daughter Princess Anne stand on a wall, watched by King George VI, behind left, Queen Elizabeth, right, and Princess Margaret at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, in August 1951.
August 1951
Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, stands with her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and their children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, at Clarence House, the royal couple's London residence, in August 1951.
February 1952
Queen Elizabeth II, left, stands with her grandmother, Queen Mary, center, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth, at the entrance to London's Westminster Hall as her father's coffin arrives to lie in state on February 11, 1952.
Upon the death of her father, Elizabeth ascended the throne at the age of 25 on February 6, 1952.
April 1953
Queen Elizabeth II, center, laughs with the Duke of Gloucester, left, while Princess Margaret smokes a cigarette in a long holder, behind, as they watch the Olympic horse trials at Badminton, Gloucestershire on April 23, 1953.
June 1953
Britain's Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, kneeling, places his hands between those of his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, as he swears homage, during her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953.
The coronation was postponed more than a year for an appropriate period of mourning for King George VI.
June 1953
Queen Elizabeth II, wearing the Imperial Crown, carries the symbols of authority, the orb and the sceptre, as she leaves Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, at the end of her coronation ceremony.
Coronation Day
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave to the crowd after her coronation at Westminster Abbey in London on June 2, 1953.
January 1961
Queen Elizabeth II addresses a vast gathering of more than 250,000 people at the Ramlila Grounds, a huge public meeting place, outside the walls of Old Delhi, India on January 28, 1961.
April 1966
Queen Elizabeth II is seen during the State Opening of Parliament in London in April 1966.
June 1977
Queen Elizabeth II receives congratulations from well-wishers during a brief walkabout in London on June 7, 1977.
June 1982
U.S. President Ronald Reagan, left, on Centennial, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, on Burmese, go horseback riding on the grounds of Windsor Castle, England on June 8, 1982.
Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother - 1993
The Queen Mother, at left, is joined by her eldest daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, outside Clarence House in London on August 4,1993. The Queen Mother, the widow of Britain's wartime monarch, King George VI, was celebrating her 93rd birthday.
August 1997
The Queen Mother with her daughters, Queen Elizabeth II (in blue) and Princess Margaret (left), grandson Prince Harry (at right) and other members of the royal family watch an honor guard in London, August 4, 1997.
September 1997
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, look at the mass of floral tributes laid outside Buckingham Palace in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, on September 5, 1997.
Diana died after a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.
Queen Elizabeth in Mozambique - 1999
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she walks past traditional dancers after she opened a Trade and Investment Exhibition in Maputo, Mozambique, on November 15, 1999, on the last day of her three-nation African tour.
April 2002
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles walk behind the Queen Mother's coffin following her funeral at Westminster Abbey in central London, April 9, 2002.
Royal dignitaries and politicians from around the world gathered at Westminster Abbey to pay their respects to the Queen Mother who died on March 30, 2002, at the age of 101.
June 2002
Queen Elizabeth II waves from the Gold State Coach during Golden Jubilee procession, London, June 4, 2002.
April 2003
Queen Elizabeth II watches as a swarm of bees encircle chairs on the lawn of Windsor Castle in Berkshire April 15, 2003.
The Queen was amused when a swarm of bees delayed proceedings during her review of the Grenedier Guards at Windsor.
Princess Diana Memorial - 2004
Queen Elizabeth II and members of the royal family and the Spencer family attend the opening of the Diana Memorial Fountain, in memory of the late Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, at the south side of the Serpentine in London's Hyde Park on July 6, 2004.
Diana died after a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.
April 2005
Queen Elizabeth II follows Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall as they leave St George's Chapel in Windsor after the blessing of their civil marriage, April 9, 2005.
Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles, the true love of his life, in a private civil ceremony that inevitably paled in the public imagination against his storybook wedding to Princess Diana more than 20 years earlier.
April 2006
Queen Elizabeth II sits in the Regency Room at Buckingham Palace in London on April 19, 2006, as she looks at some of the cards which have been sent to her for her 80th birthday, which she celebrated two days later.
April 2006
Queen Elizabeth II smiles with Prince Harry during the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, April 12, 2006.
2007
Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, walk at Broadlands in Romsey, southern England in 2007.
March 2009
Britain's Prince Charles kisses the hand of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in London in this May 18, 2009 photo.
April 2007
Queen Elizabeth ll receives a bouquet of flowers during a walkabout outside Manchester Cathedral following the traditional Royal Maundy Service on April 5, 2007, in Manchester, England.
April 2009
U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose with Queen Elizabeth II during a visit at Buckingham Palace in London, April 1, 2009.
October 2009
Queen Elizabeth leaves after attending a service of commemoration to mark the end of combat operations in Iraq at St Paul's Cathedral, London, October 9, 2009.
November 2009
Queen Elizabeth II walks with her husband Prince Philip through the Royal Gallery after delivering her speech during the State Opening of Parliament at the Houses of Parliament in London, November 18, 2009.
May 2010
Queen Elizabeth II leaves Buckingham Palace in a horse drawn carriage to attend the State Opening of Parliament in London, May 25, 2010.
April 2011
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, attend the royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton (now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge) in London, April 29, 2011.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip - 2011
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visit St John's College at the University of Cambridge on April 27, 2011 in Cambridge, England.
October 2011
Queen Elizabeth II accepts flowers from people crowding the banks for the Brisbane River after a river cruise in Brisbane, Australia, Octoer 24, 2011.
June 2011
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Edward watch the winners enclosure after the Queen's horse lost in the Epsom Derby at Epsom Racecourse in southern England, June 4, 2011.
February 2012
Queen Elizabeth in London, February 29, 2012.
Diamond Jubilee - May 2012
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is greeted by a crowd in Bromley, south London, on May 15, 2012. The following month Britain celebrated the queen's Diamond Jubilee -- 60 years on the throne -- with a four-day public holiday.
June 2012
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge laughs as Queen Elizabeth gestures during a visit to Vernon Park in Nottingham, England, June 13, 2012.
May 2013
Britain's Queen Elizabeth leaves after the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London, May 8, 2013.
June 2013
Members of the British royal family (L-R) Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles, Prince of Wales; Queen Elizabeth II; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; Prince Harry and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, watch the fly-past on the balcony at Buckingham Palace following the Queen's birthday parade, known as the Trooping the Colour, in central London on June 15, 2013.
December 2014
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is pictured after recording her Christmas Day broadcast in the State Dining Room at Buckingham Palace in London on December 10, 2014. She spent Christmas Day at her Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England.
March 2015
Queen Elizabeth II looks at a corgi dog as television presenter Paul O'Grady smiles during the Queen's visit to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in London, March 17, 2015.
June 2015
Senior members of Britain's royal family stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in the annual Trooping of the Colour ceremony to celebrate the Queen's official birthday in central London, June 13, 2015.
July 2015
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, with their children, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, talk to Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Phillip and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate for the christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on July 5, 2015 in King's Lynn, England.
September 2015
Queen Elizabeth II sits in her private audience room in Buckingham Palace next to one of her official red boxes in which she receives documents and papers from government officials in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in London on September 8, 2015 in a photo taken to mark the moment she became Britain's longest reigning monarch.
September 2015
Britain's Queen Elizabeth boards her carriage as she travels on the new Scottish Borders railway line, in Scotland, September 9, 2015.
Queen Elizabeth officially opened the new Scottish Borders Railway on the day she became Britain's longest reigning monarch.
March 2016
Britain's Queen Elizabeth leaves after attending a Maundy Thursday service at St George's Chapel in Windsor on March 24, 2016.
90th birthday
Queen Elizabeth II is greeted by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as she arrives for the final night of her week-long 90th birthday celebrations at Windsor on May 15, 2016.
90th birthday event
Scenes from the life of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II are shown during the final night of the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations at the Royal Windsor Horseshow in the grounds of Windsor Castle, west of London on May 15, 2016.
The event tells the remarkable story of the Queen's life encompassing a reign spanning more than 60 years. The sovereign overtook her great-great-grandmother queen Victoria to become Britain's longest-serving monarch
90th birthday parade
Members of the royal family watch a fly-past during the Trooping the Colour marking the queen's 90th birthday in London on June 11, 2016.
Left to right: Anne, Princess Royal; Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Charles, Prince of Wales; Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; Princess Charlotte of Cambridge; Prince George of Cambridge; Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; Prince Harry; Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The ceremony is Queen Elizabeth II's official annual birthday parade and dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle.
Queen Elizabeth II -2018
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II attends The Queen's Birthday Party Concert on the occasion of Her Majesty's 92nd birthday at the Royal Albert Hall in London on April 21, 2018.
Commonwealth Day Service 2020
Queen Elizabeth II departs the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020 in London, England. The Commonwealth represents 2.4 billion people and 54 countries, working in collaboration towards shared economic, environmental, social and democratic goals.
Queen Elizabeth II - 2020
Queen Elizabeth addressed the nation and the Commonwealth about the coronavirus epidemic in a message recorded at Windsor Castle on April 5, 2020.
Queen Elizabeth
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II reacts during her visit to Paddington Station in London, May 17, 2022, to mark the completion of London's Crossrail project, ahead of the opening of the new Elizabeth Line rail service.
The Elizabeth Line
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her son Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, at right, visit Paddington Station in London, May 17, 2022, to mark the completion of London's Crossrail project, ahead of the opening of the new Elizabeth Line rail service.