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Queen Elizabeth II: A
life in pictures
7 hours ago
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
Queen Elizabeth II lived her life in the spotlight. We
look back at her reign, from baby to heir to Britain's
longest-reigning monarch.
PA MEDIA
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on 21
April 1926, in a house off Berkeley Square in London.
She was the first child of Albert, Duke of York - the
second son of George V - and his wife, the former
Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
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In her early years, the throne was not her destiny
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However, she was said to have shown a sense of
responsibility from a very young age
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Both Elizabeth and her sister, Margaret Rose,
who was born in 1930, were educated at home
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Following the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936,
Elizabeth's father became King George VI and she
became heir
TOPICAL PRESS AGENCY / GETTY IMAGES
During World War Two, Elizabeth and her sister
Margaret were evacuated to Windsor. This picture
shows them broadcasting to the nation for Children's
Hour on the BBC
ATEIZES)
AFP
The young princess briefly joined the Auxiliary
Territorial Service (ATS) towards the end of the war,
learning to drive and service a lorry
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In 1947 she married a distant cousin, Philip
Mountbatten, who became Duke of Edinburgh
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Their first child, Charles (pictured), was born in
1948, followed by a sister, Anne, who arrived in
1950
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Elizabeth remained very close to her mother
throughout her life. They are pictured here in 1951
attending a wedding
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In January 1952, Elizabeth and Philip set off on an
overseas tour in place of her father, who had been ill.
The King died in his sleep just days later
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Elizabeth returned home immediately. The new
Queen was just 25 years old
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First came the King's funeral. Here Queen Mary,
his mother, watches as the body of George VI is
brought to Westminster Hall, London, for the
lying-in-state. Queen Elizabeth stands behind
her grandmother, and the Queen Mother is on
the right
UNIVERSAL HISTORY ARCHIVE
Then, in June 1953, Elizabeth was crowned at
Westminster Abbey
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Following the coronation, Queen Elizabeth II and the
Duke of Edinburgh made an appearance on the
Buckingham Palace balcony and waved to the
cheering crowds
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Although Britain was still enduring post-war
austerity, some commentators described the
coronation as the dawn of a new Elizabethan age.
Here, Queen Elizabeth II ascends the Grand Staircase
at the Opera in Paris, France
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In 1957, the Queen made the first of many televised
Christmas Day broadcasts to the nation
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British society and attitudes to the monarchy
were changing and the term "the Monarchy" was
gradually replaced by "the Royal Family". The
Queen is the object of the neighbours' gaze while
visiting the home of Mr and Mrs Eddie Hammond
at Crawley New Town, Sussex in 1958
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Between official engagements Elizabeth spent
time with her family - here with her daughter
Princess Anne at Frogmore, Windsor Castle
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In 1966, at Wembley, the Queen presented the Jules
Rimet Trophy to England captain Bobby Moore aher
he led his team to a 4-2 World Cup final victory over
West Germany
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On 29 October 1966, the Queen visited the
Welsh village of Aberfan, eight days aher a coal
tip landslide engulfed Pantglas Junior School
killing 144 people, 116 of them children. The
Queen was visibly moved and it remains one of
the most emotive moments of her reign
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In 1969, the documentary Royal Family was first
broadcast. It gave audiences an unprecedented view
of a year in the private and public life of the Queen
and her family
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The Queen formally invested her son Prince
Charles with the Coronet of the Prince of Wales
during a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle. He took
on the title when he was nine, but the Queen
insisted the ceremony should wait until he fully
understood its significance
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In 1972 the Queen was pictured on board HMY
Britannia as part of series of photographs taken
for use during her Silver Wedding Celebrations.
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Throughout her reign the Queen has been pictured
with corgis at her side. The Royal Family's ties with
the breed began when the future George VI bought a
corgi called Dookie for his daughters in 1933
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In 1977 the country celebrated the Queen's
Silver Jubilee, marking 25 years on the throne.
The Queen was met by enthusiastic crowds as
she toured the country
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Her Majesty visited 36 counties over 10 weeks -
including Avon, where she observed people making
the most of the summer weather. She also travelled
56,000 miles around the world in celebration
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The Queen and the duke were on hand to wave as
Concorde flew low past by the Royal Yacht Britannia
as the royal couple neared Barbados
