Since her accession to the throne at the age of 25, Elizabeth II has been a constant presence in the life of most of Britain, as well as one of the best-known figures in the world.
His reduced number of public appearances in recent years has been caused by problems with walking and standing at the age of 96.
Prince Charles, his eldest son and heir, has steadily taken on additional duties in preparation for the day he will take over.
However, it continues to receive international dignitaries and diplomats on a regular basis. Those who know her say she is still as sharp as a tack.
The loss of her 73-year-old husband Prince Philip in April last year inevitably touched her severely and made a lonely figure during her coronavirus-free burial.
After leaving Buckingham Palace at the start of the outbreak in early 2020, he spent most of his time at his favorite house in Windsor Castle in west London.
A platinum jubilee has never been honored by a British queen before, and her 70-year reign is honored just about everywhere, from stamps and coins to her figure on mailboxes.
Its popularity with the population has remained stable over the decades, although respect for the monarchy has declined and sentiments against the monarchy have changed.
Time to get to work
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on April 21, 1926 in London and became queen only by accident.
When her father’s older brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice divorced American, his father became King George VI.
As a result, Princess “Lilibet” became heir to the crown
She and her younger sister Margaret were evacuated to Windsor as German bombs rained down on London during World War II.
However, She joined the army as an army mechanic and driver on the home front at the age of 19, gaining popularity among the British for her contribution to the war effort.
Elizabeth II married Philip Mountbatten, the son of a Greek royal, at the age of 21 in a marriage that added a touch of glitz to postwar Britain.
On February 6, 1952, the couple were in Kenya when they learned of their father’s death, which made them the new monarch.
She promptly returned to the United Kingdom and was proclaimed queen of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon on 2 June 1953 (now Sri Lanka).
He is now the head of state of the UK and 14 other Commonwealth nations
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The queen carried out hundreds of engagements each year, from dinners for foreign visitors to granting civilian and military accolades, as well as royal travels across the world, with a feeling of responsibility instilled in her from infancy.
Last October, Elizabeth spent an unplanned night in the hospital after undergoing unspecified tests. Doctors have subsequently encouraged her to take it easy and relax.
Elizabeth II has turned to her personal family for help in carrying out her responsibilities, albeit one that is missing two key members — second son Prince Andrew and grandson Harry.
Andrew, who is widely regarded as her favourite son, has had his royal duties taken away owing to his ties to convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
In 2020, Harry left the royal family and relocated to the United States, where he and his wife Meghan accused the royal family of bigotry.
Throughout the volatility of royal life, the queen has been seen as a rock of stability.
Three of her four children divorced their partners in 1992, which she dubbed “annus horribilis,” and Windsor Castle burned down.
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However, chastised in 1997 for misreading popular sentiment following Princess Diana’s death in a Paris car disaster by refusing to return to London and fly the flag at half-mast above Buckingham Palace.
Despite the fact that she gives a taped broadcast message on Christmas Day, she has never given an interview and avoids sharing her own ideas.
She is politically neutral as the head of a constitutional monarchy, and her weekly secret conservations with the prime minister of the day regarding current issues are just that – private.
Summers have typically meant a stay at her Balmoral retreat in northeast Scotland, where she swaps her self-styled “uniform” of formal hats and matching outfits for the country look, complete with a simple headscarf and Wellington boots.
An avid owner of corgis and a horse rider since she was young, she was also still in the saddle as she moved into her 90s.