Elizabeth II

Reign: 1952 – 2022
Life: 1926–2022

She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime and was the monarch of 15 realms at her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch, the second-longest of any sovereign state, and the longest of any queen regnant in history. Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, making the ten-year-old Princess Elizabeth 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.

During Elizabeth II's reign, Beatrix of the Netherlands ruled Netherlands, Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden ruled Sweden, and Juan Carlos I of Spain ruled Spain.

Want to learn more? Further reading

Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith

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The World During Their Reign

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

Meanwhile in history

One “meanwhile in history” story each week: who ruled where, and what was happening on thrones across the world.

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Go deeper on Elizabeth II

Hand-picked histories and biographies for readers who want more than the timeline: the same era, told in full.

Elizabeth the Queen

Sally Bedell Smith

A balanced portrait of Elizabeth II's long reign, duty, and adaptation through a changing Britain.

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