Elizabeth II

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Elizabeth II

queen of United Kingdom

Also known as: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jan 1, 2025 • Article History

Quick Facts

In full:: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary

Officially:: Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

Born:: April 21, 1926, London, England

Died:: September 8, 2022, Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (aged 96)

House / Dynasty:: house of Windsor

News •

Government wrestled with Mary Robinson’s plan to make historic first visit to Queen Elizabeth II • Dec. 29, 2024, 3:30 AM ET (Irish Times)

At King George VI Hospital Kenyans were treated last • Dec. 28, 2024, 1:50 AM ET (The Standard)

Reginald Ellicott obituary • Dec. 21, 2024, 12:39 AM ET (The Guardian)

Harrogate man's Royal Christmas cards sell for thousands • Dec. 15, 2024, 12:03 AM ET (BBC)

Day of mourning for Queen wasn't paid holiday for London outside workers, appellate court rules • Dec. 14, 2024, 2:07 AM ET (CBC)

Elizabeth II (born April 21, 1926, London, England—died September 8, 2022, Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) was the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from February 6, 1952, to September 8, 2022. In 2015 she surpassed Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Elizabeth was the elder daughter of Prince Albert, duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. As the child of a younger son of King George V, the young Elizabeth had little prospect of acceding to the throne until her uncle, Edward VIII (afterward duke of Windsor), abdicated in her ...(100 of 1654 words)

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