Who was Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was the queen of the United Kingdom from 1952 until her death in 2022. She reigned for just over 70 years, the longest in British history. She is succeeded by her eldest son Charles III.

Upon her father, King George V's death in February of 1952, at age 25, Elizabeth was crowned the queen regnant of 7 independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

As queen, Elizabeth worked as part of a constitutional monarchy, meaning the monarch acts under the constitution to help influence policy, but does not personally set public policy or choose political leaders.

At age 18, parliament changed a law so that she could become one of the five Counsellors of State. This meant that if her father were incapacitated or overseas she could step in. During WWII she was trained as a driver and mechanic and given the rank of honorary junior commander.

Her first tour overseas was in 1947 to southern Africa. Throughout her life she made numerous historic visits around the world including to China in 1986, Russia in 1994, the Republic of Ireland in 2011 and visits with five Popes.

Elizabeth married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1947. The two had their first child, Prince Charles in November of 1948, then Princess Anne was born in August of 1950, Prince Andrew was born in 1960 and Prince Edward was born in 1964.

Notable achievements during her reign include Elizabeth's supporting more than 600 organizations and charities, estimated at $1.4b in aid.

A Gallup poll revealed Queen Elizabeth is the third most admired woman in the world, as her 52 appearances on the list were in the top 10 more than any other woman in history.

The queen's wealth was estimated to be around £350 million, making her the 372nd richest person in the UK. That's not counting the numerous assets not owned by her personally but being held in a trust for her successors such as the Royal Collection of art and Crown Jewels.

Queen Elizabeth II will go down in history as a beloved figure, depicted as a "fairytale queen" who represented hope, progress and a "new Elizabethan age" after the trauma of World War II.