Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, born 21 April 1926)[a] is
Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms.[b]
Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke
and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). Her
father ascended the throne on the abdication of his brother King
Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She
was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties
during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial
Service. In 1947 she married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a former
prince of Greece and Denmark, with whom she has four children:
Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of
York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.When her father died in
February 1952, Elizabeth became head of the Commonwealth and queen
regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United
Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and
Ceylon. She has reigned as a constitutional monarch through major
political changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, accession
of the United Kingdom to the European Communities, Brexit, Canadian
patriation, and the decolonisation of Africa. Between 1956 and 1992,
the number of her realms varied as territories gained independence,
and as realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed
Sri Lanka), became republics. Her many historic visits and meetings
include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and visits to or from
five popes. Significant events have included her coronation in 1953
and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees in
1977, 2002, and 2012, respectively. In 2017, she became the first
British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee. She is the longest-lived
and longest-reigning British monarch. She is the longest-serving
female head of state in world history, and the world's oldest living
monarch, longest-reigning current monarch, and oldest and
longest-serving current head of state.Elizabeth has occasionally faced
republican sentiments and press criticism of the royal family, in
particular after the breakdown of her children's marriages, her annus
horribilis in 1992, and the death in 1997 of her former
daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales. However, support for the
monarchy in the United Kingdom has been and remains consistently high,
as does her personal popularity. Elizabeth II Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter