Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, was both the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch, and the world's oldest and longest-serving female head of state as of 2022. Born on April 21, 1926 Elizabeth was the eldest child of George, the Duke of York, and Elizabeth, the Duchess of York. In 1936, her grandfather, King George V died, and her uncle, Edward VII took over the throne. His reign was short lived as less than a year later, Edward abdicated after he proposed marriage to Wallis Simpson, a divorced American socialite, which caused a constitutional crisis. In the wake of this controversy, Elizabeth's father became king, leading to Elizabeth becoming heir presumptive. In 1947, Elizabeth went on her first overseas tour, accompanying her parents through Southern Africa, and on July 9, 1947, her engagement to Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was announced. Elizabeth and Philip, who took the title Duke of Edinburgh, were married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey. A year later, Elizabeth gave birth to Prince Charles, with Princess Anne following soon after, in 1950. On February 6, 1952, King George VI died, sparking Elizabeth's immediate accession to the throne. During the 1960s and 1970s, over 20 countries gained independence, shrinking the once mighty British Empire considerably. In 1977, Elizabeth celebrated her Silver Jubilee, and despite widespread economic poverty, she remained popular. She and Philip celebrated their golden anniversary in November of 1997, and in a speech, she referred to him as "my strength and my stay." In 2002, Elizabeth celebrated her Golden Jubilee, sparking an unexpectedly enthusiastic response from the public. Elizabeth kept a mostly low profile for much of the mid-2000s. She addressed the United Nations for the second time in 2010, and celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, marking 60 years on the throne. Though she carried out fewer public engagements after turning 91, and Philip officially retired from his duties as Queen's consort in August of 2017, Elizabeth had no plans to abdicate. Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, in London, United Kingdom at the age of 96.