Queen Elizabeth II dies at the age of 96

Queen Elizabeth II had the longest reign in British history.

Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926 in London. She is held here by her mother, also called Elizabeth. Her father later became King George VI.

Princess Elizabeth poses for a photo at her home in London, 1928.

Princess Elizabeth was seen with her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales, during a visit to Balmoral, Scotland, in September 1933. He became King Edward VIII in 1936. But when he abdicated later that year, Elizabeth’s father became king and she became presumptive heir.

From left, Princess Elizabeth, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret wave to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 22, 1939.

Elizabeth rides a horse in Windsor, England, 1940. Her love for horses is well documented.

14-year-old Elizabeth, right, sits next to her sister on a radio broadcast on October 13, 1940. In her first broadcast, she said that the children of England were full of joy and courage.

Princess Elizabeth shakes hands with an officer of the Grenadier Guard on May 29, 1942. King George VI made Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the Royal Army Regiment.

Elizabeth, right, and Princess Margaret wearing summer dresses circa 1942. Margaret was Elizabeth’s only sister.

Princess Elizabeth sits in Natal National Park, South Africa on April 21, 1947, with the Drakensberg Mountains behind her, and it was her 21st birthday.

On November 20, 1947, Elizabeth married Prince Philip, a lieutenant in the British Navy born into the royal families of Greece and Denmark. After becoming a British citizen and renouncing his Greek title, Philip became HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His wife became the Duchess of Edinburgh.

Princess Elizabeth arrives for a state banquet in London in March 1950.

Elizabeth ascended to the throne in February 1952, when her father died of lung cancer at the age of 56. Here, she walks to the altar during her coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953.

Queen Elizabeth II is photographed on the balcony of Government House in Melbourne during her tour of Australia in March 1954.

From left, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother visit Epsom Downs Racecourse in June 1958.

The Queen holds her son Prince Andrew while watching his sister Princess Anne during a family vacation at Balmoral Castle, Scotland in September 1960. The Queen has given birth to four children, including sons Charles and Edward.

Queen Elizabeth II during the official opening of Parliament in April 1966.

Queen Elizabeth II with her eldest son, Prince Charles, in 1969. Charles is next in line to the throne.

Prince Charles adjusts his crown during his inauguration as Prince of Wales in 1969.

The Queen and Prince Philip wave from the ramp of a plane shortly before takeoff from Tokyo in May 1975.

The Queen poses for a photo at Windsor Castle on her 50th birthday on April 21, 1976.

The Queen meets the crowd during her royal tour of New Zealand in 1977.

Elizabeth walks with some of her dogs at the Windsor Horse Trials in May 1980.

The Queen stands beside Prince Charles as he kisses his new bride Princess Diana on July 29, 1981.

Elizabeth takes pictures of her husband during a horse show in Windsor in May 1982.

Elizabeth drives her Land Rover during the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 1992.

While at Buckingham Palace, the Queen and Prince Philip watched the floral tribute to Princess Diana after her tragic death in 1997.

The Queen addresses the nation the night before Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.

Prince Charles looks at his mother after the wedding of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in April 2005.

The Queen arrives at St Paul’s Cathedral for Thanksgiving Mass in honor of her 80th birthday in 2006.

The Queen, second from right, greets a crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in April 2011. Her grandson Prince William, third from left, married Catherine Middleton.

The Queen’s signature appears in the visitors’ book at Aras An Uachtarain, the Irish president’s official residence in Dublin in May 2011.

Madame Tussauds London unveils a wax figure of the Queen in May 2012.

Prince Charles kisses his mother’s hand on stage as singer Paul McCartney, far right, looks at the Diamond Jubilee concert in June 2012. The Diamond Jubilee celebrations marked the 60th anniversary of Elizabeth as Queen.

The Queen tours the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London in December 2012.

A boy in Belfast, Northern Ireland, takes a selfie in front of the Queen in June 2014.

The Queen enters the Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle after attending a memorial service for the Scottish National War Memorial in July 2014.

The Queen waits to deliver her speech during the official opening of Parliament in May 2015.

Elizabeth listens to her grandson, Prince George, outside the church where George’s sister, Charlotte, was christened, in July 2015. George and Charlotte are the children of Prince William, left, and Duchess Catherine.

The Queen sits at her desk in her private audience room at Buckingham Palace in July 2015. She is seen with one of her official red boxes, which contain important papers from UK government ministers and from representatives across the Commonwealth and beyond. The photo was taken to celebrate the moment when the Queen became Britain’s longest-reigning.

The Queen poses for a photo with five of her grandchildren and her youngest grandson in April 2016.

The Queen poses with four of her dogs on the grounds of Windsor Castle in April 2016.

The Queen and Prince Philip wave to guests in London who were attending her 90th birthday celebrations in 2016.

Elizabeth talks to Evie Mills, 14, at a hospital in Manchester, England, in May 2017. Evie was injured in an explosion that occurred when people left an Ariana Grande concert.

The Queen sits at a desk at Buckingham Palace after her Christmas Day broadcast was taped in 2017.

The Queen arrives for the wedding of her grandson Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018.

The Queen laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, during the bridge opening ceremony in Halton, England, in June 2018. This was Meghan’s first royal outing without her husband Prince Harry by her side.

The Queen and Prince Philip look at a homemade anniversary card given to them by their great-grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in November 2020.

The Queen receives the Duke of Edinburgh’s rose from Keith Wade, president of the Royal Horticultural Society, in June 2021. The new rose is named in honor of Prince Philip.

The Queen drives her Range Rover while attending the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Windsor, England, in July 2021.

The Queen attends a polo match at the Royal Windsor Cup and a chariot show by the British Driving Association in July 2021.

The Queen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, greet guests during a reception at Windsor Castle for international business and investment leaders in October 2021.