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PBS News Hour

Queen Elizabeth - A Royal Life

Special | 56m 46s  |  Video has closed captioning.

Exploring Queen Elizabeth’s life, legacy, and her influence around the world.

Aired: 09/08/22

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- [Announcer] This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you, thank you.

(slow orchestral music) (slow orchestral music continues) - Good evening, and welcome to this PBS "NewsHour" special, "Queen Elizabeth, A Royal Life."

After reigning for more than 70 years, the longest of any British monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died today at the age of 96 at her Balmoral estate in Scotland.

In a moment, we will look back at the Queen's long history, but first here with me to remember her life and legacy is Anne Sebba.

She's a biographer and a "New York Times" bestselling author of the book "That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor."

Anne Sebba, welcome to this special.

70 years on the throne, what did she mean to the British people, to the United Kingdom?

- Thank you so much for letting me talk about this great woman.

As you say, not only the longest reigning monarch, the best traveled monarch.

There are so many statistics one can use to describe her.

And yet, in a sense, it's very fitting that she died at Balmoral, which was her much loved private home because she was also a private person.

She never gave interviews, and yet everyone feels they knew her.

In England, we feel as if she's the grandmother of all of us, she was the nation's grandmother, and yet she was this great global figure.

She was so well traveled that everybody felt they knew who this queen was.

I think what she really represented, if I had to sum it up, because there's so much, but she represented the best of what it means to be British, our best selves, our history, our tradition, our sense of duty, and her links with veterans and World War II.

She fought in World War II from the age of 21.

She insisted on joining up, on wearing a uniform, and I think that has endeared her to those veterans who are still alive.

She had so much history in her life.

15 prime ministers served under her, the first one of whom was Winston Churchill.

So look at that sort of link to the past, and yet the new one, Liz Truss, she greeted only the other day.

- Only the other day, just two days ago.

She seemed to embrace the role of queen, of monarch, and you were telling us such a remarkable work ethic.

She loved her work.

- Yes, she not only worked constantly, but I think she defined herself by a sense of duty, not ordinary duty, but Christian duty.

She was really rooted in the church.

And I think having been a child during the abdication of 1936, when her Uncle Edward VII abdicated, gave up the throne, which her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, thought was such a selfish act, she really decided to define herself in opposition to what he stood for.

I would say he stood for individual fulfillment, a sense of personal freedom.

No, she was not going to allow that.

She devoted herself to greater things, to the country, to building up the Commonwealth, and really, she oversaw the strengthening of the monarchy because even people in England who aren't necessarily monarchists will say to you today, "Oh, but I love the Queen."

So she somehow engendered that sense of love and that we all knew her, that she was our friend somehow.

- I think so many people did feel they knew her because of that long, long tenure as the Queen.

So Anne Sebba, please stay with us.

We'll come back to you later.

But as we mention, the Queen's reign was the longest of any British monarch.

She was also one of the longest serving of any monarch in history.

Only France's Louis XIV is considered to have reigned longer.

From Independent Television News Productions, we now turn to this in-depth retrospective on Queen Elizabeth II's historic life.

(slow orchestral music) - [Narrator] Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch through war and peace, crisis and calm.

Britain mourns a woman who dedicated her life to serving us.

- She left the country a princess and came back a queen.

It was a very shocked nation that she came back to.

- [Narrator] An extraordinary woman who lived for more than two thirds of her life on the throne.

- The coronation of Queen Elizabeth perhaps started a new era.

- [Narrator] She was the glue that held us together through social and political upheaval, our constant through times of turbulence and change.

- I think whenever there's been a major crisis in this country, the Queen has shown her ability to bring the country together.

- [Narrator] Head of state to 138 million of us, she's one of the 21st century's most recognizable faces, and the first to reign through the television age.

- The Queen was the perfect role model for all of us.

She showed a vocation of dedication to duty.

- [Narrator] Commander in Chief of the British Army, Navy, and Air Force, she began talking to us over the airwaves when she was 14 and was still talking to us until the end of her life.

- [Elizabeth] Goodnight and good luck to you all.

- [Narrator] We look at the extraordinary life of the woman who put duty to her country above all else, and to ensure the monarchy were made relevant in modern Britain.

(slow orchestral music continues) (lively orchestral music) Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning British monarch.

When Elizabeth became queen in 1952, Stalin was still leader of the Soviet Union, and Truman President of the US.

By the end of her reign, she had supported more prime ministers and met more world leaders than any other British monarch in history.

- In a world which changes so very fast and in which people don't stay the same and don't, you know, undertake the same jobs, and they move around and they sort of try all sorts of different things, it's completely remarkable that she was this calm, presiding presence over Britain for, you know, over 65 years.

I mean, it's a very, very long time.

- She has always been there through the good times and the bad times over the decades, that sort of knitting together of the tapestry of our nation.

She is the thread that pulls everything together.

(lively orchestral music continues) - [Narrator] Born on the 21st of April, 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was not originally destined to be queen.

Her early years were spent as part of a tight knit family, referred to affectionately by her father as Us Four.

She was known in childhood as Lilibet.

(slow orchestral music) She enjoyed a close relationship with both her parents, but it would be her strong bond with her father that would serve her in adulthood.

In 1936, her family's life changed forever.

Her uncle, King Edward VIII, chose to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

The scandal forced his abdication.

- 1936 was a very traumatic moment because Princess Elizabeth's beloved Uncle David, Edward VIII, betrayed his sacred trust.

And it was a terrible moment of family shame, which was why throughout her reign, whenever there was talk of abdication, it was really out of the question.

- [Narrator] Elizabeth's father took his older brother's place, and in May, 1937, was crowned King George VI.

- Speaking from London, I asked you to join with me in that act of thanksgiving.

- Forced into becoming a king in 1936 with no training whatsoever, terrified that he wouldn't be a good constitutional king, with one great advantage, that he had a very strong wife who was able to support him and make him turn him into a good constitutional king and give him the credit for that.

(somber orchestral music) (siren wails) - [Narrator] Her shy, stuttering father had been left unprepared for the task of leading the nation, a nation which would shortly go to war.

During the war, he and Prime Minister Winston Churchill rallied Britain to fight Germany and its allies.

The King prepared his young daughter, Elizabeth, for the title that one day she would take, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

- The Queen learned her job as queen in years of crisis, after the abdication, when it seemed the monarchy could actually vanish and be swept away, and the Queen, Princess Elizabeth, as she then was, took her cue from her father, from his sense of duty.

She became his pupil.

(slow piano music) - [Narrator] In 1940, following his example, at the age of 14, she made her first broadcast to children who'd been forced to evacuate their homes due to German bombing.

- [Elizabeth] Thousands of you in this country have had to leave your homes and be separated from your fathers and mothers.

My sister Margaret Rose and I feel so much for you, as we know from experience what it means to be away from those we love most of all.

My sister is by my side and we are both going to say goodnight to you, come on, Margaret.

Good night, children.

Good night, and good luck to you all.

- [Narrator] Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret spent most of the war years at Windsor Castle, and like many other British children, were often apart from their family.

(artillery rumbles) (siren wails) The Queen's parents remained at Buckingham Palace, despite the German bombs that fell nearby.

- When the war came along and the Royal family decided to stay in the heart of London and risk the worst that the enemy had to offer, that was her second example of duty and how important it was, and so duty became her watchword for the rest of her life.

(upbeat orchestral music) - [Narrator] In 1947, she set sail on her first overseas tour, accompanying her parents through Southern Africa.

It was said to be her happiest time with her family.

During the tour, in a broadcast to the British Commonwealth on her 21st birthday, she made the following pledge.

- I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family, to which we all belong.

- [Narrator] It was a declaration that rang true to the end.

When she returned later that year, the princess went on to marry Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark.

- [Announcer] From the palace balcony, Elizabeth and her husband waved to the cheering ground.

(audience cheers) - For the public, the idea of a love match and their beloved princess being in love was so exciting to them.

People after the war were desperate for some good news.

- [Narrator] By 1952, due to her father's failing health, the couple had begun taking over some of the King's engagements.

- It gives me great pleasure on behalf of my father to present this overmantel to you.

(quiet overlapping chattering) - [Narrator] But it soon became evident something was seriously wrong with the king.

(somber orchestral music) - Nobody knew the King was ill.

It had been kept secret, even from the King himself, that he had lung cancer.

He was a man in his 50s.

It was assumed that he would go on for another 20 years or so.

(slow orchestral music) - [Narrator] On the 31st of January that year, she was waved off by her father as she departed for Kenya on a royal tour.

It would be the last time she would see him alive.

Just a week later, the King died in his sleep.

He was only 56 years old.

(slow orchestral music continues) - I was six, my father was then still a soldier.

We were living in London, in Putney, and I have this memory of my father appearing sometime in the day when he should have been at work, and I can hear and see him now saying, "My dear family, the King is dead."

- [Narrator] Overnight, her life changed.

Never again would she be referred to as a princess.

She returned to Britain as Queen Elizabeth II.

- [Announcer] Rulers of our land meet to welcome the new Queen.

(slow fanfare music) - [Narrator] On the 2nd of June, 1953, she was crowned in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

After the gloom of post-war austerity, it was a moment of pride and optimism.

- [Audience] God save the Queen.

God save the Queen, God save the Queen.

(slow orchestral music) - [Narrator] Across the globe, millions tuned in to the first broadcast spectacular the world had seen, and at home sales of televisions were boosted by the prospect of watching the new queen taking the coronation oath.

- The coronation was, I mean, the most fun.

I was a school girl then, and I remember getting my mother's diamond ring and scratching the date on a windowpane with it.

And it was an amazing experience for all of us, and abroad too.

It was a huge spectacle, and I suppose you could say she was married to the nation, but she also was anointed by God.

That's the point of that ceremony, and the Queen being a religious person, I think that was an important part of it.

(audience cheers) (slow music) - [Narrator] Winning the war came at a price.

The country had to be rebuilt and the economy was sluggish.

The nation looked to their Queen for inspiration and for encouragement.

- The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth perhaps started a new era and a sense of moving on after the dark days of the war and its immediate aftermath when, you know, Britain was a place of rationing, food rationing, of bomb damage in all the cities, a new era, and moving on.

(upbeat cheerful music) - [Narrator] Britain was struggling to find its place in a new era and was faced with a stark identity crisis.

The glory days of an empire that covered the world were coming to an end as former colonies demanded their independence.

The countries formed a group called the British Commonwealth with the Queen as their head.

(upbeat cheerful music continues) On the 24th of November, 1953, she began a world tour of Britain's colonies and the Commonwealth.

It was one of the most significant royal tours of all time, covering 40,000 miles and several continents by air, sea, and road, from the tiny South Pacific islands of Fiji to the capital of Uganda, her mission was vitally important.

- The greatest royal tour the Queen undertook was in 1953 and '54 after her coronation, and it actually had two roles.

One was to be greeted everywhere as the new queen, but it was also the first chance that Britain had to go out to the empire and the Commonwealth and say, thank you you for supporting us in World War II.

(slow orchestral music) - [Narrator] Unlike any other public figure, the Queen was a politically neutral head of state who united the Commonwealth countries around her.

She would never be able to express an opinion publicly.

Instead, she could provide a vital role in promoting the interest of the former colonies.

- She was the catalyst, for example, when she attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings in whatever country it was held every two years, and there might have been differences of opinion between two countries, she would speak to those heads of government to those countries, and she'd be a sort of messenger between the two, and eventually at the end of the Heads of Government Meeting, the two leaders would be talking.

So she was a sort of catalyst between political leaders.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] But as the 1950s came to an end, the Queen would be challenged once again to reinvigorate the monarchy, as the post-war patriotic traditions were replaced with the rebellious counterculture of the 1960s.

- Britain was completely different from the beginning of the '50s to the end.

I mean, at the start, it was still post-war, it was still austerity.

There were children who'd never seen a banana.

By the end of the '50s, it was money, it was glamor, Britain was rich again, and, you know, it was riding high moving towards the '60s, the miniskirts, Carnaby Street, the Beatles.

- [Narrator] The great hangover of wartime was gone.

In its place, a vibrant cultural revolution.

Britain had become world famous for pop music and fashion.

By 1964, the Queen had given birth to four children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex.

(lively music) The family lived at Buckingham Palace for most of the time, but spent holidays at the Queen Scottish estate of Balmoral and Sandringham in Norfolk, where they enjoyed a love of the great outdoors, the Queen balancing the demands of married life with being head of state.

- And right from the beginning, it was accepted that Prince Philip would be the head of the family.

She'd wear the crown, but he'd wear the trousers.

So all the decisions about the fabric of their homes, the domestic decisions, the big important decisions would be taken by him, where the children went to school, all that sort of thing was in his remit.

- The Queen, you know, in a time, let's be honest, of chauvinism, of, you know, where most women did not have careers, there were no leaders of companies.

There were certainly no senior politicians that were women.

And yet this woman at 25 was at the helm of our government and our constitutional monarchal system.

(slow piano music) - [Narrator] The 1970s were a challenging period for both queen and country.

Now in her mid 40s, her reign was faced with mounting problems at home and abroad.

Northern Ireland was gripped by intense sectarian violence.

Britain was facing power cuts, strikes, and a winter of discontent, and unemployment topped the one million mark for the first time since the 1930s.

- It was pretty tough in the '70s.

There were a lot of industrial action.

There were three day working weeks, and people were struggling, and inflation was beginning to rise.

Unemployment was rising.

- [Narrator] The Queen, always acutely aware of the mood of her public, chose to make a much more informal approach.

- The Queen really started doing her walkabouts.

That was introduced in 1977.

And the media kind of looked at it and said, "Wow, this new phenomenon, the Queen is doing a walkabout."

- [Narrator] The walkabouts were a huge success and prepared the way for the party of the decade, Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee.

An estimated one million people lined the streets in the hope of catching a glimpse of the royal family.

A further 500 million people around the Commonwealth watched the day's events on live television.

Red, white, and blue bunting decorated the streets and villages as the people of Britain came together to celebrate the first 25 years of the Queen's reign.

(lively orchestral music) Throughout her reign, the Queen and her family have been a focal point for public interest, and never more so than in 1981, when her eldest son Charles married Diana Spencer.

The day was witnessed by a worldwide audience of 750 million people.

- Wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife?

- [Officiant] And forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?

(slow piano music) - [Narrator] One year after the royal wedding, Charles and Diana had their first son, William.

William's brother Harry was born two years later, but their parents' marriage problems were already making news.

- To see Charles and Diana at war on the TV screens for the benefit of viewers wanting to know the intimate details of the breakdown of their marriage must have been very difficult for her to take, especially a woman of her generation who would never be used to airing her dirty washing outside, to see her son and daughter-in-law going to war like this for the TV cameras was a very difficult pill to swallow.

(somber piano music) - [Narrator] By the late 1980s, it became apparent that the marriage between Charles and Diana was on the rocks.

- Her door was always open to both her son, Prince of Wales, and to Princess of Wales, to Diana as well, right through the most difficult period.

In the end, of course, the consensus was that it would be better for both of them and for the monarchy to divorce.

(pizzicato orchestral music) (pizzicato orchestral music continues) - [Narrator] 1992 was to be one of the Queen's most difficult years.

Three of her children, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, and Princess Anne would announce they were divorcing or separating.

(slow piano music) As well as marital breakdown, there would be further adversity for the Queen.

On the evening of the Queen's 45th wedding anniversary, a fire swept through her home at Windsor Castle, destroying priceless heirlooms and gutting several rooms in the royal apartments.

- [Reporter] Paintings hastily removed from the walls, Rembrandts, Gainsboroughs, an immense collection of irreplaceable art.

- Shock, horror, a shock and horror, and the fact that it took hold so quickly.

- [Narrator] The Queen made a remarkable speech referring to an annus horribilis, her year of horrors.

- 1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.

In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis.

(slow orchestral music) - [Narrator] The 1990s was a turbulent time for the Queen, and one of the darkest periods of her reign was the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

On the 31st of August, 1997, a car carrying Diana crashed at high speed in a tunnel in Paris.

Diana died shortly afterwards in hospital.

Her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were spending the summer with the Queen at Balmoral when the news came through.

- The Queen took the decision as a grandmother to keep them there, to unplug the televisions, and to protect her teenage grandsons at Balmoral.

Their focus was to look after William and Harry.

- [Narrator] In the hours and days that followed, there were unprecedented public displays of grief at Diana's death.

(slow orchestral music continues) - The Queen herself has a general principle that the way to get on with life is to get on with one's routine, no matter what.

And that's what stood her in brilliance stead throughout a very hard, throughout lots of troubles in her reign, but it didn't work here, it was an utter failure.

And what people wanted from their queen was not carrying on, was not stiff upper lip.

They wanted emotion, they wanted feeling.

They wanted to be told how to feel.

(slow orchestral music) - [Narrator] On the 5th of September, a day before Diana's funeral, the Queen returned to London and gave a heartfelt address to the nation from a balcony in Buckingham Palace.

Her message was broadcast live.

- So what I say to you now as your queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart.

First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself.

She was an exceptional and gifted human being.

In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.

- She was talking to us as a queen and as a grandmother.

It was perhaps the most intimate the Queen has got with the nation in a public broadcast of that type.

And that I think really helped to reassure people, look, at the end of the day, she's head of state, but she's also a woman who cares, too.

And that really helped rehabilitate her image in what was a very difficult time for her.

(slow orchestral music) - [Narrator] The new millennium ushered in a new era for the royal family and a milestone celebration for the Queen's mother.

In the year 2000, the Queen Mother celebrated her 100th birthday.

The Queen Mother had married King George VI in 1923 and had been in the public eye ever since.

The matriarch of the monarchy, she was the only member of the royal family to have lived as long as a century.

- [Announcer] Forward.

(slow bagpipe music) - [Narrator] It was in 2002, nearly two years after celebrating the Queen Mother's 100th birthday, that the Queen lost both her sister Margaret and her mother within several weeks.

- I thank you for the support you are giving me and my family as we come to terms with her death and the void she has left in our midst.

(slow horn music) (slow horn music continues) (slow horn music continues) (slow orchestral music) (helicopter blades whirring) - [Narrator] It had been half a century since her father's death and 50 years since her accession.

Despite the personal tragedy, the Queen, now into her late 70s, wanted to celebrate her Golden Jubilee as a way of thanking the nation for their loyalty.

- People saw this Jubilee as a celebration of the Queen living so long.

She saw it in a different way.

It was a chance for her to renew her vows of duty to her country and to her people.

(upbeat orchestral music) - [Narrator] In April, 2002, the Queen addressed the two houses of Parliament to renew her vows of commitment and intention to reign as a constitutional monarch.

- I would like above all to declare my resolve to continue with the support of my family to serve the people of this great nation of ours to the best of my ability through the changing times ahead.

(slow orchestral music) - Three years later in 2005, after a 30 year love affair, the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles finally announced they were getting married.

- Well, it's done.

It's made the Prince of Wales a much happier man, a much more contented man, and much more relaxed about things, someone to shoulder some of the burden for him, and I think the Queen's thrilled about that.

- [Narrator] The Queen announced that Camilla Parker Bowles would now be known as her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall.

(upbeat orchestral music) 2011 was a big year for the Queen.

On the 29th of April, she was thrilled to watch her grandson Prince William marry university sweetheart Kate Middleton.

The ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey and watch by more than a billion people around the globe in what's thought to be one of the largest television events in history.

When Prince William and Princess Katherine stepped outside the Abbey, crowds far and wide erupted.

(audience cheers) - The Queen on that day almost took a backward step, you know?

She wasn't the star of the show.

There are some days when it's the other person's turn, and it was certainly the bride's that day.

(audience cheers) (upbeat orchestral music continues) - [Narrator] It was a joyous and momentous day for the royal family, and it was only a month later when the Queen made history again.

(slow orchestral music) She became the first British monarch to make a state visit to the Republic of Ireland.

In her speech at Dublin Castle, the Queen set about addressing some of the abiding pain caused by past conflicts.

- Indeed, so much of this visit reminds us of the complexity of our history, its many layers and traditions, but also the importance of forbearance and conciliation, of being able to bow to the past, but not be bound by it.

(upbeat orchestral music) - [Narrator] Weeks later, she hosted US President Barack Obama for an official state visit.

He was the 10th serving president she had met.

(cannon fires) The visit was marked with a 41 gun salute.

From then on, the royals and the Obamas enjoyed a warm friendship.

- It's quite odd, isn't it, that when Paul Keating the Australian prime minister put his arm around the Queen, he was called the Lizard of Oz and there was outrage, but when the Queen had a cuddle with Mrs. Obama, the First Lady, it was seen as great.

- [Narrator] It was the Queen who dominated the headlines again in 2012, inspiring some of the most patriotic celebrations the country had ever seen, this time, her Diamond Jubilee, when she became the second British monarch to reign for 60 years.

- It has touched me deeply to see so many thousands of families, neighbors, and friends celebrating together in such a happy atmosphere.

I hope that memories of all this year's happy events will brighten our lives for many years to come.

(audience cheers) (upbeat orchestral music continues) - [Narrator] The festivities were topped off by Prince Charles leading a tribute to his mother at the closing celebrations.

- Three resounding cheers for Her Majesty, the Queen, hip hip.

- [Audience Members] Hooray!

- [Charles] Hip hip.

(upbeat orchestral music continues) - [Narrator] She went on to make history three years later, breaking Queen Victoria's record of 63 years as sovereign.

(upbeat orchestral music continues) (slow orchestral music) Two years after the wedding spectacular of Princess Katherine and Prince William, the country was taken over by royal baby fever, and as the Queen waited for news on the appearance of her great grandchild, so did the world.

On the 22nd of July, 2013, Prince George finally arrived.

- It was special, it was special to the nation.

It must have been special to the Queen, as well.

- [Narrator] It was a defining moment, the first time in more than 100 years the nation had witnessed four royal generations.

(lively orchestral music) In 2016, our longest serving monarch celebrated her 90th birthday.

Britain came out to party in the thousands.

(audience cheers) (slow orchestral music) And for her official anniversary in June, The Mall outside Buckingham Palace was turned into a huge street party with a picnic and performances for 10,000 guests.

She wasn't the only one celebrating a milestone birthday.

It was Prince Philip's 95th.

They'd been married for more than 70 years.

- The main lesson that we've learned is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient of any happy marriage.

It may not be quite so important when things are going well, but it is absolutely vital when things get difficult.

- [Narrator] At the Queen's Coronation, Prince Philip swore to be the Queen's liege man of life and limb.

It was an oath he stuck by for seven decades.

- The one person the Queen could trust was her husband, and they would frequently have little arguments and they would frequently be seen roaring with laughter, as well.

They got on, they were lifelong friends.

- [Narrator] However, that commitment bowed to age when in 2017, Prince Philip retired from public duty.

(officer shouts) Then 96 years old, he took the salute at Buckingham Palace as Captain General of the Royal Marines, his final solo public engagement after 65 years of service.

(upbeat orchestral music) (audience cheers) In 2018, Prince Harry married Meghan Markle at St. George's Chapel in Windsor.

The fairy tale wedding blended British royalty with Hollywood glamor in a celebration the likes of which had never been seen before.

- This wedding felt new, it felt different, it felt modern, and the crowds turned out in the thousands to watch this historic moment.

And, of course, the Queen was there, and she really looked fantastic, and I think she was thrilled that the Duke of Edinburgh, who'd only weeks before had a hip replacement operation, was able to be by her side there to watch, you know, one of their favorite grandsons get married, and you could see from the Queen's face just how thrilled she was.

- [Narrator] Harry and Megan's son Archie would later become the Queen's eighth great grandchild.

(slow music) 2020 would see the Queen need to be at her most stoic and dutiful because of fractures within her own family.

(audience cheers) On the 8th of January, 2020, the announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were stepping away from royal life stunned the world and shook the palace.

- It came as a huge shock to the Queen.

There had been discussions, but they were at an embryonic stage, nowhere near ready to announce.

For her to have been preempted in this way so publicly would have been incredibly disappointing, and on a personal level very hurtful.

- [Narrator] The Queen decided that Harry and Megan would spend a transitional year away from the royal family, leaving the door open for a possible return.

- For the Queen, this was essentially losing a grandson, losing a grandson to another country, losing a grandson from The Firm, but it was a very clear example of her strength as a leader.

This is the Queen who at the age of 21 vowed that she would serve her people, her country for her whole life, whether it be long or short, and here was the Queen doing just that, and putting duty before family.

It must have been on a personal level heartbreaking.

- [Narrator] And just one year later, the Queen would face this dilemma again with her second son, Prince Andrew, stripping him of his HRH title and his military responsibilities.

- The downfall of a duke stripped of every military title given by his mother and no longer known as HRH.

The Queen casts out her favorite son after learning he's likely to face civil trial for sexual assault.

Prince Andrew was called to Windsor Castle.

In a stark announcement, the Queen made clear he'll face the case as a private citizen.

(somber orchestral music) - [Narrator] In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic hit British shores.

The number of deaths rose at a dramatic rate.

Hospitals were overrun, NHS staff overworked.

Frontline workers became soldiers at war, battling an invisible threat that had spread across the world.

Then came the shocking news that the Queen's son, Prince Charles, had contracted the virus.

- People were dying.

Businesses, industries were going under.

We were under a national lockdown, the likes of which this generation and generations before simply hadn't seen.

Even for the Queen, who had lived through so much and addressed the nation as a young princess during the Second World War, this was uncharted territory, and this was an absolutely extraordinary situation.

- [Narrator] As Prince Charles recovered in Balmoral, the Queen remained at Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince Philip.

It was from there that shortly before her 94th birthday, as the world faced a malevolent uncertainty, the Queen made a brave and poised address to Britain.

It was only the fifth time the Queen had delivered an unscheduled address directly to the nation in a speech that was watched by 24 million people in the UK.

- The moment that the Queen spoke, the world stopped to listen.

That message of hope meant so much to the people of Great Britain.

(ominous orchestral music) - [Narrator] As the coronavirus pandemic swept throughout the UK and across the world, the Queen continued to isolate with Prince Philip at Windsor Castle.

- I don't think that the Queen and Prince Philip had ever spent quite such a long time completely together because they were both busy, they were both traveling in different directions, they were both doing different things.

They were in different places very often.

So, whereas they were obviously together a lot, they weren't ever really quite as together as they were for this long period of time.

- It must have been quite difficult for the pair of them, really, because although the Queen had a principal staff there and a dresser, it was tough When someone who's been incredibly busy and active all their lives from a very young age, for the Duke, it must have been terrible.

He needed always to be busy and he couldn't do the things that he loves.

In the end, it was probably the Queen who comforted him.

- [Narrator] Behind palace walls, Philip's health was rapidly deteriorating.

In February, 2021, he was admitted to hospital on his doctor's advice.

Just days later, a final decision was made on Harry and Meghan's futures after they had spent a transitional year away from the royal family in California.

In a difficult moment for the Queen, it was decided that her grandson would not be returning to the royal fold.

- I think the Queen would've tried to talk him out of it, you know, in a nice way, you know, "You really need to do this."

He wanted to keep his titles.

He wanted to keep the name for his charity, and the Queen stopped that straight away.

She said, "You're either going to be working here as a member of the royal family, or you're going to America.

If you're go to America, you're just Prince Harry."

And she was adamant that was the case.

The Queen was upset about that.

(slow orchestral music) - [Narrator] In April, 2021, just weeks after Prince Philip was released from hospital, the Queen suffered the worst heartache of her entire reign.

(slow piano music) - [Reporter] We are interrupting normal programs to bring you some news from the royal household.

It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty the Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor castle.

- Prince Philip was such a support to the Queen that one way and another, he was the one person who could always say whatever he liked to her.

And I think also, quite interestingly, he was a person who liked to wrestle with ideas and he liked to question everything.

I'm so glad that he got back from the hospital.

I think that was very important to him because he had a very strong sense of history.

His mother and his grandmother were both born in Windsor Castle and he and the Queen loved Windsor Castle.

- At 99, he had a great (indistinct), a very fit man, kept himself fit, kept his brain active, but he'd gone, and she was now on her own.

He was always supported her, and he never ever let her down once.

She loved that man, oh, God, what a romance, what a life.

(officer shouts) (somber orchestral music) - [Narrator] Prince Philip's funeral was held on April 17th, on a day where Windsor Castle was bathed in sunshine.

In a stripped back service, the small number allowed to attend were forced to sit apart.

The Queen sat alone, as she grieved for her husband of 73 years.

- That picture at the funeral where she's sitting there all alone, oh, God, I mean, people were crying tears over that picture.

I mean, that was so sad there.

She was keeping the rules, keeping the isolation rules, sitting on her own, and there she was, burying her husband, and that was the picture that I'll never forget.

- [Officiant] His kindness, humor, and humanity.

- [Narrator] Prince Philip had been the Queen's rock for more than seven decades, a pillar of support and strength, not just to his wife, but to the entire royal family.

But any notion that the Queen would slow down her public engagements following his death were quickly dispelled.

(slow piano music) In the months after, she welcomed newly elected US President Joe Biden to Windsor Castle and entertained world leaders at the G7 Summit in Cornwall, all on top of celebrating her 95th birthday.

(slow piano music continues) - I think the Queen was extremely wise to keep going immediately after Prince Philip died.

I mean, even within the week of his death, she undertook a couple of engagements, I mean, Zoom meetings and things like that.

And since then, she's been out and about.

I think if she had stopped and gone into a period of sort of seclusion for let's say two or three months, she might not have been able to pick it all up again.

At that age, that would be very difficult.

Instead of which, we've had an incredibly busy queen, a radiant looking queen.

(audience cheers) - [Narrator] In the final few months of the Queen's life, she took center stage as Britain came together to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.

(slow piano music continues) (jet engines roaring) Thousands lined The Mall and millions watched at home, (audience cheers) honoring a queen who dedicated her life to the United Kingdom for seven decades.

(audience cheers) - Even as she got older, the pace never changed, and the Queen has guided it all through for 70 years.

And Prince Charles will do the same and there'll be, William will do the same, and George will do the same because they will be brought up in that tradition.

As Prince Charles once said to me, "I never ever say 'when I'll be king,' because that's the day my mother dies and I will be so heartbroken."

(slow piano music continues) (audience cheers) When she smiles everything lights up in the world.

(slow piano music) - [Narrator] Over the course of her life that spanned more than nine decades, the Queen's history was our history.

(audience cheers) She was the only monarch that most of us have ever known.

- She defines an entire century, to be perfectly honest, of British life, completely interwoven into the life that we've known for the last 100 years.

And so I think really she's been front and center of everything that the Union Jack means to people.

- [Narrator] She breathed new life into the monarchy.

She served with warmth, humanity, strength, and tradition.

- I think that if you were choosing a title like Alfred the Great, I think there are two that you could use for the Queen.

You could say Elizabeth the Steadfast, because that's what she was, and I think you could also say Elizabeth the Conciliator.

- The Queen's strength was never to show what she's truly feeling at any given time, to always have dignity, to inspire, to be focused, to show that that dedication to duty was what is needed in today's society, for people to often give up too easily.

The Queen never gave up.

- [Narrator] Even as an accidental heir, she helped redefine the relevance of the monarchy.

- Well, there's been so many changes in the Queen's reign, particularly when it comes to communications and technology, that she brought in change in terms of technology, Facebook, their own internet age for the royal family, Twitter accounts.

- I think back about the Queen's life and the fact that 25, 25 years of age, most people just finishing up at school and university now, and she was given that job of queen and she just tackled it with amazing enthusiasm.

And when she smiled, and for me as a photographer, that smile just lit up the room.

- [Narrator] She reigned over us through several wars and other key moments that shaped our world.

- Stewardship of the Commonwealth to her I think was the most important thing that she achieved in her reign.

She was always somebody that believed that if there's a chance that you can talk or work together for the greater good, then it's gotta be a good thing.

- The Queen has been the longest reigning monarch in history, there is nothing that she hadn't seen or lived through.

I think she will be remembered not only as one of the world's greatest queens, but as one of the world's greatest modernizers.

- [Narrator] The late Queen's grandchildren and great grandchildren ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline.

Prince Charles has now succeeded the Queen as monarch.

He was the world's longest serving heir apparent, having held the position since February, 1952, when the Queen succeeded her father.

- Well, Prince Charles is now King, and I think he's going to be a great king, too.

I think he's the most prepared monarch in waiting we've ever had in the thousand years' history of the monarchy.

I've been working with him now for the last 40 years, and I've seen what he's done.

- I think Charles will be a different king to his mother.

I think his reign will be different to his mother's, and I think it has to be, you know, the Queen proved that in order to survive, you have to evolve, and I think Charles also understands that.

- [Narrator] Queen Elizabeth II live through several wars, supported more British prime ministers, and traveled to more countries than any other monarch.

(slow orchestral music continues) But we will remember her for something more than her long years of dutiful service to Britain.

She was the person we turned to as a nation during times of need.

She was the one who spoke to us and spoke for us.

- I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it belong or short, shall be devoted to your service, and to the service of our great imperial family, to which we all belong.

- What a life, and joining me again is author and biographer Anne Sebba.

Anne, what would you say is the future of the monarchy after the death of Queen Elizabeth?

- Well, it'll be different, that's for sure.

This is a watershed moment, Britains will have to redefine what the monarchy means to them.

Certainly Charles has talked a lot about continuing some of his mother's legacy, the love of nature and those sorts of things, but he wants a slimmed down monarchy.

He just wants his direct descendants, so that'll be Prince William, who will take on a new title, and Katherine and their children, and not what many people consider are the hangers on, the grandchildren and the nieces and nephews.

So only working royals, those who are in the direct line probably, and one or two others will be part of the new royal family and paid for their work.

So we'll see a lot less of the other members of the royal family, that's the main thing, I think.

- Fair to say that what she has left as her legacy, we won't see the likes of it or anything like it anytime again.

Anne Sebba, we thank you so much for joining us.

- My pleasure, thank you.

- And that concludes our remembrance of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The United Kingdom is now observing an official national period of mourning to be followed by the Queen's funeral in 10 days.

I'm Judy Woodruff, thank you for joining us.

(slow orchestral music) (slow orchestral music continues) (slow orchestral music continues) - [Announcer] This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you, thank you.

(lively piano music) - [Announcer] You're watching PBS.

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Queen Elizabeth II: a long life of duty and service

The Queen's reign spanned Britain’s journey from empire to Brexit, from the wireless to the smartphone. The FT reviews the important moments in her life

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Produced and written by Josh de la Mare and Joe Sinclair. Narrated by Janina Conboye. Based on words by Sue Cameron, Gordon Cramb and Henry Mance. Additional research by Simon Greaves. Commissioning editor: Veronica Kan-Dapaah

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The reign of Queen Elizabeth II spans Britain's journey from empire to Brexit, from the wireless to the smartphone. She was seen by many as a figurehead able to hold together her people. But the Queen also faced her critics about the role of the royals as the attention of the media became ever more intense. Yet while she was one of the most recognisable women in the world, almost nothing was known about her private views, an approach she thought fitting for a constitutional monarch.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London on April the 21st 1926. The eldest child of the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Prince Albert. Known as Bertie in the family, he was the second son of King George V and expected his elder brother, known as David to the family, to become king. Right from the outset Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret attracted great attention. They were educated at home which allowed them plenty of time for riding lessons, instilling a lifelong passion for horses.

In 1936, King George V died and David became King Edward VIII. But his decision to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson soon forced his abdication. And so Princess Elizabeth's shy, stammering father became King George VI. And from then on, Elizabeth was heir to the throne.

Gradually she was introduced to public life. During the second world war she volunteered to work as a military driver and a mechanic on the home front. On her 21st birthday she made a defining speech to the Commonwealth, broadcast from South Africa.

I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

Her life was indeed to be long, and much of it she spent with Philip, the distant cousin to whom she became officially engaged at 21 that same year in 1947. Philip was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece. But the former Royal Navy lieutenant was also descended from Queen Victoria, just like Elizabeth, and so was essentially British. To further ensure he was eligible he renounced his Greek royal title and was created Duke of Edinburgh.

Princess Elizabeth was only to lead something of a more ordinary life with Philip for a short time. In 1952 the couple were in Kenya when they were given the news that Elizabeth's father, King George VI, had died. Suddenly, aged only 25, she was Queen. By that time, Prince Charles had been born in 1948, then Princess Anne in 1950. And while Queen she had two more children, Princes Andrew and Edward.

Elizabeth was now Queen, not just of the United Kingdom but also of the Commonwealth, of Canada, Australia, Jamaica, and other former colonies. And she saw this as a vital part of her mission as monarch. What became rapidly clear was the Queen's sense of duty and appetite for the job, qualities that helped the monarchy survive in a fast-changing world.

The Suez Crisis of 1956 underlined Britain's loss of empire. And at home social attitudes were shifting, in particular about divorce since the crisis over the King's abdication in 1936. Many thought the Queen had been too harsh about her sister Princess Margaret's relationship with divorcee and commoner Group Captain Peter Townsend. Under great pressure to observe her duty to the throne, Margaret abandoned her plans for marriage.

She has made her choice as befits a member of the royal family.

By the end of the 1960s the Queen recognised the royal image needed to change. She allowed a BBC crew into Buckingham Palace in 1969 to make a documentary. It raised the popularity of the Windsors but also opened the door to constant interest from the media.

Then the Queen arrived, to be greeted by Number 10's present tenant...

But when it came to politics she had always shown skill as a constitutional monarch in remaining impartial in the eyes of the media. Confidentiality surrounded her relationship with a long succession of prime ministers. Labour's James Callaghan said she offered her prime ministers "friendliness but not friendship".

And I'm amazed that she's been brave enough to take me on.

And I suppose, in love?

Whatever in love means.

It was when Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 that media attention snowballed. The ceremony was watched by 750mn people around the world. And what nobody had bargained for was that Princess Diana quickly became an international celebrity. The Queen and Charles seemed to expect Diana to accept the traditional role of putting duty first and hiding any unhappiness. But the Windsors had misjudged her.

The next few years were among the hardest of Queen Elizabeth's reign. 1992 became the Queen's "annus horribilis", or horrible year as she called it, during a Guildhall banquet to mark her 40th year on the throne.

1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my most sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an "annus horribilis".

The Queen's favourite royal home, Windsor Castle, had been badly damaged by a fire. The marriages of Princess Anne and Prince Andrew had ended. The perilous state of Charles and Diana's marriage had been revealed in a biography, and by December they had announced their separation. Worse was to come.

On August 31st 1997, a nation awoke to the news that Diana, Princess of Wales, had died in a car crash in Paris. Her popularity had soared since the break-up of the marriage and the outpouring of public grief was unprecedented. So, too, within days was the criticism of the Queen for what many saw as a cold reaction. Tony Blair, the Labour prime minister, had paid fulsome tribute to the "people's princess".

I feel like everyone else in this country today. Utterly devastated. Our thoughts and prayers are with Princess Diana's family, in particular her two sons, the two boys.

But the Queen remained silent and chose to remain in Scotland with her bereaved grandsons, William and Harry. Then six days later she did return to London and decided to break tradition by ordering the royal standard over Buckingham Palace to be flown at half-mast. She met some of the thousands who were laying flowers in memory of Diana.

I, for one, believe there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death. I share in your determination to cherish her memory.

The Queen had finally shown she was willing to listen, but her tight-lipped response to Diana's death marked a low point in her relationship with the public and the media. That followed a slow but steady return to greater popularity for the Queen and for her family. She met some of the growing demands for the House of Windsor to abandon its costly pomp. And she, herself, eventually started to pay income tax, though it was seldom clear how much.

In the millennium year her mother's 100th birthday reinforced support for the monarchy. So, too, did a new generation of unstuffy younger royals. While Prince Charles seemed to be no great moderniser, his two sons by Diana, William and Harry, returned a more popular image to the royal family, epitomised in 2011 by Prince William's Westminster Abbey marriage to Kate Middleton. And the Queen herself seemed to want to show she was not nearly as stern and serious as she often appeared in public.

For the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, she was filmed in a cameo with the actor Daniel Craig reprising his role as James Bond. In 2015, her reign overtook that of Queen Victoria, and at 89 she became Britain's longest-serving monarch.

Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception. But I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness.

In her ninth decade she showed little sign of slowing down, only gradually handing over some of her lesser duties to Prince Charles. And her family continued to pose challenges. Serious allegations relating to Prince Andrew's friendship with financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ended in his humiliation. He pulled out of all public duties and was stripped by the Queen of military titles and royal patronages.

Later, Prince Andrew made a multimillion-pound settlement out of court in a sexual abuse lawsuit, and so was spared a trial that threatened to heap further embarrassment on the royal family. The prince denied any wrongdoing.

For many the wedding of her grandson, Prince Harry, to the American actress Meghan Markle in 2018 was a signal of hope and change. But the couple announced their resignation from public duties after months of unhappiness in the public eye. They stepped down permanently as working royals and moved to California. In an interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey they aired allegations of racism within the royal institution. For the Queen herself though, there were only warm words.

On the global stage the Queen continued to play host to world leaders, including US presidents Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden; the Pope and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping; as well as making a groundbreaking state visit to Ireland and addressing the president of Germany.

In our lives Mr President, we have seen the worst but also the best of our continent. We have witnessed how quickly things can change for the better. But we know that we must work hard to maintain the benefits of the postwar world.

And in that post-war world, she had seen progress, although never smooth, on some of the things it is said she felt most strongly about - reconciliation in Ireland and the UK's ability to hold together. The kingdom she left was still united with its parliamentary traditions just about intact, although under great strain from calls for Scottish independence and from the protracted process of Brexit.

In 2019 the Queen was asked to suspend parliament by prime minister Boris Johnson, a request later ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court. And the many trials she'd faced in her reign were not over. When the coronavirus pandemic swept across the world the queen looked to boost the nation's morale. On the 75th anniversary of VE or Victory in Europe Day, she made a rare televised broadcast. She praised the National Health Service and the nation's response to the crisis.

When I look at our country today and see what we are willing to do to protect and support one another, I say with pride that we are still a nation those brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen would recognise and admire.

The Queen's husband Philip died in April 2021 at the age of 99. She had described him as her "strength and stay". The image of her at his funeral, mourning alone in the chapel because of Covid restrictions, was a reminder of her humanity. She, herself, was becoming more fragile. And in the continued transition of royal duties Prince Charles took the place of the 96-year-old Queen in 2022 to read her speech to parliament on the government's legislative plans.

Her Majesty's government's priority is to...

It was the first time she was unable to attend the state opening of parliament in almost 60 years. But the Queen believed in remaining monarch for the rest of her lifetime. In February 2022, she had become the first monarch to reach 70 years on the throne. And to many the Platinum Jubilee was a moment to celebrate the tradition and dignity she had brought to a country that had endured much under the pandemic.

Queen. Figurehead. Mother. Grandmother. Widow. She was admired even by critics of the monarchy for her sense of duty and service to the nation.

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, sitting on the throne for 71 years. She was succeeded by King Charles III in 2022.

Latest News: One Year Since Her Death

Who was queen elizabeth ii, quick facts, early life and family tree, ascension to the crown and coronation, husband prince philip, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, family scandals and losses, death and funeral.

On the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, King Charles shared an unreleased photo of the late queen. “In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us,” he said in a statement. Additionally, Prince William and Princess Kate attended a private church service in Wales to commemorate her life, and Prince Harry visited the chapel at Windsor Castle , where the queen is buried. Planning for a memorial to Elizabeth is underway. The targeted unveiling is 2026, the year she would have turned 100.

Queen Elizabeth II became queen of the United Kingdom on February 6, 1952, at age 25 and was crowned on June 2, 1953. She was the mother of Prince Charles , who ascended to the throne after her death, as well as the grandmother of Princes William and Harry . As the longest-serving monarch in British history, she tried to make her reign more modern and sensitive to a changing public while maintaining traditions associated with the crown. Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022, at age 96.

FULL NAME: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary BORN: April 21, 1926 DIED: September 8, 2022 BIRTHPLACE: London, England, United Kingdom PARENTS: King George VI and Queen Mother Elizabeth SPOUSE: Prince Philip CHILDREN: King Charles III , Princess Anne , Prince Andrew , and Prince Edward ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Taurus

Queen Elizabeth II was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, in London. Her parents were then known as the Duke and Duchess of York. Prince Albert—later known as King George VI —was the second son of Queen Mary and King George V . Her mother was Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon .

Elizabeth had ties with most of the monarchs in Europe. Her British ancestors include Queen Victoria (ruled 1837 to 1901) and King George III (ruled 1760 to 1820).

At the time of her birth, most people didn’t realize Elizabeth would someday become the queen of the United Kingdom. Nicknamed Lilibet, she got to enjoy the first decade of her life with all the privileges of being a royal without the pressures of being the heir apparent.

Elizabeth’s father and mother divided their time between a home in London and Royal Lodge, the family’s home on the grounds of Windsor Great Park. Elizabeth and her younger sister, Margaret , were educated at home by tutors. Academic courses included French, mathematics, and history, along with dancing, singing, and art lessons.

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Elizabeth and her sister largely stayed out of London, having been relocated to Windsor Castle. From there she made the first of her famous radio broadcasts in 1940, with this particular speech reassuring the children of Britain who had been evacuated from their homes and families. The 14-year-old princess, showing her calm and firm personality, told them “that in the end, all will be well; for God will care for us and give us victory and peace.”

Elizabeth soon started taking on other public duties. Appointed colonel-in-chief of the Grenadier Guards by her father, Elizabeth made her first public appearance inspecting the troops in 1942. She also began to accompany her parents on official visits within Britain.

In 1945, Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service to help in the war effort. She trained side-by-side with other British women to be an expert driver and mechanic. While her volunteer work only lasted a few months, it offered Elizabeth a glimpse into a different, non-royal world. She had another vivid experience outside of the monarchy when she and Margaret were allowed to mingle anonymously among the citizenry on Victory in Europe Day .

When Elizabeth’s grandfather King George V died in 1936, his eldest son (Elizabeth’s uncle) became King Edward VIII . Edward, however, was in love with American divorcée Wallis Simpson and had to choose between the crown and his heart . In the end, Edward chose Simpson and abdicated the crown.

The event changed the course of Elizabeth’s life, making her the heir presumptive to the British crown. Her father was crowned King George VI in 1937, taking on the name George to emphasize continuity with his father. Her mother became Queen Elizabeth.

Fifteen years later, the monarchy changed hands again when King George died. The younger Elizabeth assumed the responsibilities of the ruling monarch on February 6, 1952. At that point, the 25-year-old became Queen Elizabeth II, and her mother became Queen Mother.

Elizabeth was crowned on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey, at the age of 27. For the first time ever, the coronation ceremony was broadcast on television, allowing people from across the globe to witness the pomp and spectacle of the event.

Elizabeth married her distant cousin Philip Mountbatten (a surname adopted from his mother’s side) on November 20, 1947, at London’s Westminster Abbey.

Elizabeth first met Philip, son of Prince Andrew of Greece, when she was only 13. She was smitten with him from the start. The two kept in touch over the years and eventually fell in love.

They made an unusual pair. Elizabeth was quiet and reserved, while Philip was boisterous and outspoken. Her father, King George, was hesitant about the match because, while Mountbatten had ties to both the Danish and Greek royal families, he didn’t possess great wealth and was considered by some to have a rough personality.

At the time of their wedding, Great Britain was still recovering from the ravages of World War II, and Elizabeth collected clothing coupons to get fabric for her gown.

The family took on the name Windsor, a move pushed by her mother and Prime Minister Winston Churchill that caused tension with her husband. In 1960, she reversed course, issuing orders that her descendants who didn’t carry royal titles (or needed last names for legal purposes such as weddings) would use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. Over the years, Philip inspired numerous public relations headaches with his off-the-cuff, controversial comments and rumors of possible infidelities.

Philip died on April 9, 2021, at age 99. Days later, Prince Andrew told the media Queen Elizabeth described his death “as having left a huge void in her life.” She had previously said he was her “strength and stay.”

Elizabeth and Philip wasted no time in producing an heir: Their son Charles was born in 1948, the year after their wedding, and their daughter, Anne , arrived in 1950. As queen, Elizabeth had two more children—sons Andrew and Edward —in 1960 and 1964, respectively.

King Charles III

In 1969, Elizabeth officially made Charles her successor by granting him the title of Prince of Wales. Hundreds of millions of people tuned in to see the ceremony on television.

In 1981, Charles, then 32, wed 19-year-old Diana Spencer, who became known as Princess Diana . The wedding drew enormous crowds in the streets of London, and millions watched the proceedings on television. Public opinion of the monarchy was especially strong at that time. Later, rumors surfaced that he was pressured into the marriage by his family.

Now King Charles III, he is married to Queen Camilla .

Princess Anne

Princess Anne began working as a member of the royal family when she was 18 in 1969 and continues today. She is also heavily involved in charity work. A noted equestrian, Anne competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Her mother opened the Games that year, and the rest of the royal family traveled to support Anne.

Previously married to Captain Mark Phillips, she and her current husband, Timothy Laurence, wed in 1992.

Prince Andrew

Andrew was the first child born to a reigning monarch in more than 100 years. In 1979, he joined the British Royal Navy, became a helicopter pilot, and served during the Falkland War in the early 1980s. He became the Duke of York after marrying Sarah Ferguson , though the couple later divorced. Following scandal, Andrew stepped back from public duties in his royal capacity in 2019, a decision that was made permanent in 2022.

Prince Edward

The queen’s youngest child, Edward, worked in theater and television production for many years, at one point through his own production company. Since 2002, he has worked full-time supporting his mother and now brother. Edward is married to Sophie Rhys-Jones. He became the Duke of Edinburgh—a title previously held by his father—in March 2023.

Queen Elizabeth had eight grandchildren and was great-grandmother to 12 in her lifetime.

Her most well-known grandchildren are Charles and Diana’s sons, Prince William , who became second-in-line to the throne at his birth in 1982, and Prince Harry , born in 1984. Elizabeth emerged as a devoted grandmother to her grandsons. Prince William has said that she offered invaluable support and guidance as he and Kate Middleton planned their 2011 wedding.

In addition to Princes William and Harry, the queen’s other grandchildren are: Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, born to Princess Anne; Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York, born to Prince Andrew; and Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, born to Prince Edward. Peter is Elizabeth’s oldest grandchild; he was born in 1977, four years before his sister and five years before Prince William.

William and Kate have three children, who are Elizabeth’s great-grandchildren. The Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed Prince George Alexander Louis in July 2013, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana in May 2015, and Prince Louis Arthur Charles in April 2018. All three are currently in the line of succession directly after their father.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan Markle gave the queen two more great-grandchildren with the birth of their son, Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor , and daughter, Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor , in May 2019 and June 2021, respectively.

Elizabeth’s other great-grandchildren include Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Lena Tindall, August Brooksbank, Lucas Tindall, and Sienna Mozzi.

Elizabeth’s long and mainly peaceful reign was marked by vast changes in her people’s lives, in her country’s power, how Britain is viewed abroad, and how the monarchy is regarded and portrayed. As a constitutional monarch, Elizabeth didn’t weigh in on political matters, nor did she reveal her political views. However, she conferred regularly with her prime ministers.

When Elizabeth became queen, post-war Britain still had a substantial empire, dominions, and dependencies. However, during the 1950s and 1960s, many of these countries achieved independence, and the British Empire evolved into the Commonwealth of Nations. Elizabeth II thus made visits to other countries as head of the Commonwealth and a representative of Britain, including a groundbreaking trip to Germany in 1965. She became the first British monarch to make a state visit there in more than five decades.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Elizabeth continued to travel extensively. In 1973, she attended the Commonwealth Conference in Ottawa, Canada and, in 1976, traveled to the United States for the 200 th anniversary celebration of America’s independence from Britain. More than a week later, she was in Montreal to open the Summer Olympics. In 1979, she traveled to Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, which garnered international attention and widespread respect.

In 1982, Elizabeth worried about her second son, Prince Andrew , who served as a helicopter pilot in the British Royal Navy during the Falklands War. Britain went to war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, a clash that lasted for several weeks. While more than 250 British soldiers died in the conflict, Prince Andrew returned home safe and well, much to his mother’s relief.

In 2011, Elizabeth showed that the crown still had symbolic and diplomatic power when she became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland since 1911 (when all of Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom).

As queen, Elizabeth modernized the monarchy, dropping some of its formalities and making certain sites and treasures more accessible to the public. As Britain and other nations struggled financially, Britain abolished the Civil List in 2012, which was a public funding system of the monarchy dating back roughly 250 years. The royal family continues to receive some government support, but the queen cut back on spending.

Also in 2012, Elizabeth celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years as queen. As part of the jubilee festivities, a special BBC concert was held on June 4 featuring the likes of Shirley Bassey , Paul McCartney , Tom Jones , Stevie Wonder , and Kylie Minogue. Elizabeth was surrounded by family at this historic event, including her husband Philip, son Charles, and grandsons Harry and William.

On September 9, 2015, she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest-ruling monarch, who reigned for 63 years.

Despite the occasional call to step aside for Charles, Elizabeth remained steadfast in her royal obligations as she passed her 90 th birthday in 2016. She continued making more than 400 engagements per year, maintaining her support of hundreds of charitable organizations and programs.

On February 6, 2017, the queen celebrated 65 years on the throne, the only British monarch to ever celebrate her Sapphire Jubilee. The date also marks the anniversary of the death of her father. The queen chose to spend the day quietly at Sandringham, her country estate north of London, where she attended a church service. In London, there were royal gun salutes at Green Park and at the Tower of London to mark the occasion. The Royal Mint also issued eight new commemorative coins in honor of the queen’s Sapphire Jubilee.

Later that year, the monarchy took what was considered a major step toward transitioning to the next generation: On November 12, Charles handled the traditional Remembrance Sunday duty of placing a wreath at the Cenotaph war memorial, as the queen watched from a nearby balcony.

In August 2019, Elizabeth made a rare intrusion into political matters when she agreed to a request by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to suspend Parliament until October 14, less than three weeks before Britain’s planned departure from the European Union.

In 2022, the nation celebrated Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee year. Another milestone for the monarchy, it marked her 70 years on the throne.

Relationship With Prime Ministers

Elizabeth had 15 prime ministers placed into power during her reign, with the queen and PM having a weekly, confidential meeting. (Elizabeth also met about a quarter of all the U.S. presidents in history, most recently receiving Joe Biden for a state visit in June 2021.)

She enjoyed a father-figure relationship with the iconic Winston Churchill and was later able to loosen up a bit and be somewhat informal with Labour leaders Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. In contrast, she and Margaret Thatcher had a very formal, distant relationship, with the PM tending to be a grating lecturer to the queen on a variety of issues.

Tony Blair saw certain concepts around the monarchy as somewhat outdated, though he did appreciate Elizabeth making a public statement after the death of Princess Diana .

Later, Conservative leader David Cameron, who was Elizabeth’s fifth cousin removed, enjoyed a warm rapport with the queen. He apologized in 2014 for revealing in a conversation that she was against the Scottish referendum to seek independence from Great Britain.

Theresa May was described as being tight-lipped about Brexit plans to leave the European Union, with a rumor circulating that Elizabeth was perturbed over not being informed about future exit strategies.

Two days before her death, Elizabeth welcomed her final prime minister, Liz Truss , at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The September 6, 2022, meeting was her final act as monarch.

Threats to Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family

Elizabeth worked tirelessly to protect the image of the monarchy and to prepare for its future. But she saw the monarchy come under attack during her lifetime. The once-revered institution weathered a number of storms, including death threats against the royal family.

In 1979, Elizabeth suffered a significant personal loss when Lord Mountbatten, her husband’s uncle, died in a terrorist bombing. Mountbatten and several members of his family were aboard his boat off the west coast of Ireland when the vessel exploded on August 27. He and three others, including one of his grandsons, were killed. The Irish Republican Army, which opposed British rule in Northern Ireland, took responsibility for the attack.

In June 1981, Elizabeth herself had a dangerous encounter. She was riding in the Trooping the Colour, a special military parade to celebrate her official birthday when a man in the crowd pointed a gun at her. He fired, but fortunately, the gun was loaded with blanks. Other than receiving a good scare, the queen wasn’t hurt.

Elizabeth had an even closer call the following year when an intruder broke into Buckingham Palace and confronted her in her bedroom. When the press got wind of the fact that Prince Philip was nowhere to be seen during this incident, they speculated about the state of the royal marriage.

The marriage of Elizabeth’s son Charles to Diana made headlines for years before the couple announced their separation in 1992, followed by their formal divorce in 1996. In the wake of Diana’s death in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, Elizabeth experienced intense media scrutiny. Her incredibly popular ex-daughter-in-law had been called the “People’s Princess.”

The queen was at her Balmoral estate in Scotland with Charles and his sons with Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry, at the time. For days, Elizabeth remained silent while the country mourned Diana’s passing, and she was sharply criticized for her lack of response.

Stories circulated that the queen didn’t want to give Diana a royal funeral, which only fueled public sentiment against the monarch. Nearly a week after Diana’s death, Elizabeth returned to London and issued a statement on the late princess.

Elizabeth also initially objected to the relationship between her son Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles . Charles and Camilla had dated years before he met his family, but the relationship ended under family pressure, only to resume during Charles and Diana’s marriage. Known to be a stickler for ceremony and tradition, she eventually showed signs of softening her stance over the years. When Charles and Camilla wed in 2005, Elizabeth and Prince Philip didn’t attend the civil ceremony but attended a religious blessing and held a reception in their honor at Windsor Castle.

In 1992, another of Elizabeth’s children, Prince Andrew, ended up in the tabloids after photos emerged of his wife, Sarah Ferguson , and another man engaged in romantic activity. The couple divorced soon after. Along with the dissolution of Charles’ and Andrew’s marriages, Princess Anne divorced her husband Mark Phillips that year. More bad news came when a fire broke out at Windsor Castle in November. The 15-hour blaze destroyed 115 rooms, though it only consumed two pieces of art from the queen’s valuable private collection. The year became known as her “annus horribilis.”

After the start of the 21 st century, Elizabeth experienced two great losses. She said goodbye to both her sister, Margaret, and her mother in 2002, the same year she celebrated her Golden Jubilee that marked her 50 th year on the throne. Margaret, known for being more of an adventurous soul than other royals and who was barred from marrying an early love, died in February after suffering a stroke. Only a few weeks later, Elizabeth’s mother died at Royal Lodge on March 30 at the age of 101.

In November 2017, the media reported the queen had some $13 million invested in offshore accounts. The news came following the leak of the so-called “Paradise Papers” to a German newspaper, which shared the documents with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The Duchy of Lancaster, which holds assets for the queen, confirmed that some of its investments were overseas accounts but insisted they were all legitimate.

Also in 2017, the former owner of the lingerie company Rigby & Peller, which had serviced Elizabeth for more than 50 years, wrote a tell-all autobiography that included some of her experiences with the royal family. Although the author insisted that “the book doesn’t contain anything naughty,” the queen responded in early 2018 by revoking Rigby & Peller’s royal warrant.

In 2019, Prince Andrew was forced to step down from public duties, following a media firestorm. Andrew had courted years of scandal surrounding his controversial business pursuits and friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ,

Just weeks later, in January 2020, the family again found themselves in the spotlight, following the bombshell decision by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle , the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to step away from their roles as senior royals.

For much of her life, the queen surrounded herself with dogs. She was especially known for her love of corgis, owning more than 30 descendants of the first corgi she received as a teenager, until the death of the final one, Willow, in 2018.

Elizabeth was also a horse enthusiast who bred thoroughbreds and attended racing events for many years.

Not one for the spotlight, Elizabeth liked quiet pastimes. She enjoyed reading mysteries, working on crossword puzzles, and reportedly, even watching wrestling on television.

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at her Balmoral estate in Scotland on September 8, 2022, at 3:10 p.m. local time. She was 96 years old. Her official cause of death was old age, according to her death certificate.

The public was first aware of the queen’s ill health earlier that day when Buckingham Palace issued at statement around 12:30 p.m. that said, “Following further evaluation this morning, the queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.”

Soon, members of the royal family began traveling to see the queen. At the time of her death, Prince Charles and Camilla, as well as Princess Anne were at the castle. William, Harry, Andrew, Edward, and Sophie arrived later in the evening. Kate Middleton didn’t travel to say her final goodbyes, citing the recent start of the school year for her children. Meghan Markle was also absent.

Her death was publicly announced at 6:30 p.m. After, newly minted King Charles issued a statement that said:

The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.

On September 14, Elizabeth’s coffin traveled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall by horse-drawn carriage and lay in state for four days. The day of her state funeral, September 19, was declared a bank holiday. The funeral was held at Westminster Abbey and ended with two minutes of silence, observed there and throughout the United Kingdom.

President Joe Biden , First Lady Jill Biden , French President Emmanuel Macron , and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were among the dozens of world leaders and 2,000 total people in attendance. Millions more watched or listened in; the funeral was broadcast on TV and radio and streamed on YouTube. Elizabeth’s pony and her corgis, Muick and Sandy, watched the procession, as did tens of thousands of people.

A private burial came later that day. Elizabeth was buried with Prince Philip at the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

• I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.
• 1992 is not a year I shall look back on with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an “annus horribilis.”
• When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.
• Discrimination still exists. Some people feel that their own beliefs are being threatened. Some are unhappy about unfamiliar cultures. They all need to be reassured that there is so much to be gained by reaching out to others; that diversity is indeed a strength and not a threat.
• Grief is the price we pay for love.
• I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice, but I can do something else, I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.
• In remembering the appalling suffering of war on both sides, we recognize how precious is the peace we have built in Europe since 1945.
• We lost the American colonies because we lacked the statesmanship to know the right time and the manner of yielding what is impossible to keep.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us !

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Adrienne directs the daily news operation and content production for Biography.com. She joined the staff in October 2022 and most recently worked as an editor for Popular Mechanics , Runner’s World , and Bicycling . Adrienne has served as editor-in-chief of two regional print magazines, and her work has won several awards, including the Best Explanatory Journalism award from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. Her current working theory is that people are the point of life, and she’s fascinated by everyone who (and every system that) creates our societal norms. When she’s not behind the news desk, find her hiking, working on her latest cocktail project, or eating mint chocolate chip ice cream. 

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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1926 - 2022)

Themes: reflecting on the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (1926 - 2022).

Summary: Queen Elizabeth II was born in London on 21 April 1926. She became Queen when her father King George VI died in February 1952 and reigned for over 70 years. Earlier this year the 70th anniversary of her succession was marked with the Platinum Jubilee.

Resources : a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II taken from our film.

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Video transcript video transcript.

Elizabeth became Queen in 1952, aged 25, after the death of her father, King George VI.

During the last 70 years the Queen has devoted herself to her role as Head of State - taking part in national ceremonies; working with her Prime Ministers and governments; travelling around the globe meeting other world leaders.

In that time she’s also been a mother, and become a grandmother, and a great grandmother.

And our country has changed a lot in that time, too.

Elizabeth was crowned Queen during the Coronation of 1953. And people all around the country were able to join in and watch it because of a recent invention: the television. In most streets, only one or two families had one, so everyone else crowded in to try and get a glimpse.

It was a special day full of excitement - but everyday life in 1953 could be very different.

Many families lived in crowded housing with poor facilities. And childhood didn’t last as long. Most children left school to start work when they were just 14 or 15. Many of the jobs available were in heavy industry, so the work was often hard, dirty, and exhausting.

If you were a girl, you'd also go out to work - but only until you got married. After that you’d most likely become a stay-at-home housewife - which wasn’t easy.

Things were changing fast, though.

In the 1950s and 60s Britain welcomed people from places all around the world, like Asia and the Caribbean. They moved to this country and made it their home, helping to make Britain a diverse, multi-ethnic, and multicultural nation.

And more and more women proved that they could have families and pursue careers. After all, even our hard working Queen balanced her duties to the country with bringing up a family.

By the time of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 the United Kingdom had become a very different country.

But perhaps the biggest changes to all our lives have come about through technology. New inventions have changed how we work, how we travel, and, most of all, how we communicate.

At the time of the Queen’s coronation in 1953, a computer was a machine that filled a whole room and was operated by a team of people. Nobody then could have predicted that 70 years later, everyone would be carrying a powerful computer around in their pockets.

The Queen has made sure to keep up with these changes too; for example, with social media accounts for herself and the Royal Family.

In the last 70 years there has also been much discussion about the environment and concern regarding climate change. In 2021 it was the Queen who welcomed scientists and world leaders to the United Nations Climate Change Conference - or COP26 - held in the UK.

The world has the chance to join in the shared objective of creating a safer, stabler future for our people and for the planet on which we depend.

This short film for primary schools celebrates the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as well as exploring some of the changes that took place during her long reign.

The video covers changes in the work place, in technology and communications, in the increasing diversity of UK society, and our understanding of the environment and climate change. It was a period marked by great change, but also by one notable constant – the presence of Queen Elizabeth herself.

Teachers might find this video useful for playing in an assembly or classroom. You could share it with your pupils as a way of commemorating the Queen's remarkable life.

Below are a number of question prompts you might like to share with pupils, in order to help them reflect on the life of Queen Elizabeth II:

• When have you seen pictures of the Queen? What was the occasion?
• Where else might you see pictures of the Queen? (On coins/stamps/banknotes).
• When the Queen was young she wasn't expected to become the Queen. But when her father became King she knew that one day she would become the Queen. How do you think she felt knowing that?
• The Queen reigned for 70 years. How can we describe that length of time to help us understand how long it is? How many times older than you is it?
• What do you think life was like when Elizabeth became Queen in 1952? What things do you think were different then? What things the same? What important changes do you think happened during the reign of Queen Elizabeth?
• In 2012 the Queen repeated a promise, or pledge, that she had first made at the age of 21. She said: "I dedicate myself anew to your service." What do we mean by the words "dedicate" and "service"? What is "dedication"? How does a monarch, like the Queen, "serve"?
• What parts of the being Queen do you think Queen Elizabeth enjoyed most? Do you think she found some of her duties less enjoyable? Do you think you would enjoy the duties of a King or Queen?
• The Queen was part of a special family – the Royal Family. Although the Queen has died her son, Charles, will now reign as King Charles III. Why is that continuity important? What does it mean for the country as a whole?
• What words would you use to describe the Queen? What things about her inspire you?
• We've heard many tributes paid to the Queen – people saying why they think she was important. How do you think we should remember Queen Elizabeth II?

King Charles III: What does a King do? document King Charles III: What does a King do?

A Newsround article explaining what a Head of State is and what a King does.

Queen Elizabeth II: A Bitesize guide for primary schools. document Queen Elizabeth II: A Bitesize guide for primary schools

A Bitesize guide for primary schools with key facts, dates and images from the Queen's life.