For a queen who was never supposed to be, Elizabeth II defied expectations and became an historic, record-breaking monarch. She was born in April 1926, in central London, and in 1947, at the age of 21, she married Prince Philip.
Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1952, following the shocking death of her father, King George VI, and was coronated in 1953.
She is the longest reigning monarch in British history, and celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in 2022. The Queen captured the hearts of many, oversaw periods of intense social change, and remained a figurehead for the nation throughout.
Her most recent royal meeting was to invite Liz Truss to form a Government, a meeting which she carried out at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire due to her declining health. Here we look at iconic photos from her life, from her birth in 1926 to her final photo welcoming the new Prime Minister on Tuesday.
5. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on their wedding day
Princess Elizabeth (future Queen Elizabeth II) (L) and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (R) pose on their wedding day at Buckingham Palace in London on November 20, 1947. | AFP via Getty Images
6. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation
A canopy of cloth of gold is placed over Elizabeth II by the four Garter Knights prior to her anointing by the Archbishop of Canterbury at coronation ceremonies in London's Westminster Abbey, on June 2, 1953 | INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty
7. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip with Prince Charles and Princess Anne
Undated picture showing the Royal British couple, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, and her husband Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with their two children, Charles, Prince of Wales (L) and Princess Anne (R). ( | AFP via Getty Images
8. In Melbourne in 1954
The Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Government House, Melbourne, during her tour of Australia, March 1954. Credit: Getty | Getty Images