Her majesty Queen Elizabeth II

I was born on April 21^st, 1926, in London. My father, Prince Albert was not supposed to become the King because he had an older brother, Prince Edward.

But when my grandfather, George V, died, my uncle became King Edward VIII but he decided to abdicate because he wanted to marry an American divorcee called Wallis Simpsons.

In 1936, my father became King George VI and I understood I was going to be Queen one day: I was only 10 years old.

When I was 21, I married my distant cousin Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy. He was also Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. The marriage took place in Westminster Abbey on November 20^th, 1947. Philip became the Duke of Edinburgh.

Our first child, Prince Charles was born in November 1948, at Buckingham Palace. Anne, our only daughter was born in August 1950.

In the summer of 1951 my father's health became very bad and when Philip and I were in Kenya, he died on February 6^th, 1952. 

It was just before my 26th birthday and I was now Queen Elizabeth II: I came back to England immediately. 

I was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 2^nd, 1953.

I started a very long reign.

Philip and I had two more children: Andrew, in 1960 and Edward in 1964.

I visited all the countries of the Commonwealth, the countries with a strong link with the United Kingdom, our ancient colonies!

In 1977, we celebrated my “Silver Jubilee” for my 25 years as a Queen.

I had a big London banquet with the leaders of the 36 members of the Commonwealth. I traveled all over Britain and Northern Ireland, and went to the South Pacific and Australia, to Canada, and to the Caribbean.

During the 1980s, our children got married and we became grandparents: William was born in 1982, Harry in 1984.

Unfortunatelly, in the 1990s, the royal family faced many challenges. It was my "annus horribilis". 3 of our children divorced: Prince Charles and his wife, Diana, Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, and Anne and her husband Mark.

My castle, the royal residence of Windsor Castle, was destroyed by fire and I decided to open Buckingham Palace to the public in the summer to pay for repairs. 

Princess Diana, William and Harry's mother died in 1997 in a car accident in Paris and I was very criticised because people thought I didn't care about her death.

2011 was a great year because Prince William married Princess Catherine and I love her very much!

In 2012 I celebrated my “Diamond Jubilee”: 60 years on the throne. 

I also became a great-grandmother!

On September 9^th, 2015, I broke Queen Victoria’s record of 63 years and 216 days as a Queen!

Because of Covid, I had to leave London in March 2020 and I lived in Windsor but I couldn't see my family very much.

In 2021, my dear husband Prince Philip died a few weeks before his 100th birthday.

In 2022, I was the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee: 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

To celebrate this unprecedented anniversary, events and initiatives took place throughout the year, culminating in a four day bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2^nd to Sunday 5^th of June. 

Soon after the jubilee, I left Windsor to spend the summer as usuall in my Scottish residence, Balmoral Castle. It's a place I really loved and had a lot of wonderful memories there.

In September 2022, I had a last meeting with the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss and I died 2 days after, peacefully, on September 8th as all my children together with Prince William and Harry took a plane to come to my bedside as fast as they could.

The Queen is dead... Long live the King! 

My son automatically became King Charles III.

10 days of mourning started until my official funerals in Westminster Cathedral, Monday September 19th.

I was buried in Windsor next to my parents, my sister and my husband.