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Queen Elizabeth II
She was born April 21, 1926 in London England -
Public Duties
Elizabeth soon started taking on other public duties. Appointed colonel-in-chief of the Grenadier Guards by her father, Elizabeth made her first public appearance inspecting the troops in 1942. -
Joined the Auxiliart Territorial
In 1945, Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service to help in the war effort -
Getting married
She married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947. -
King George VI Died
On February 6, 1952, King George VI died, and Elizabeth assumed the responsibilities of the ruling monarch. -
Becoming queen
became queen on February 6, 1952, and was crowned on June 2, 1953. -
Pomp
Her official coronation took place on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey. For the first time, the ceremony was broadcast on television, allowing people from across the globe to witness the pomp and spectacle of the event. -
Royal Family
Elizabeth had two more children—sons Andrew and Edward—in 1960 and 1964 respectively. She worked tirelessly to protect the image of the monarchy and to prepare for its future. In 1969, she officially made Prince Charles her successor by granting him the title of Prince of Wales. Hundreds of millions of people tuned in to see the ceremony on television. -
History
As the longest-serving monarch in British history, she has tried to make her reign more modern and sensitive to a changing public.