A young Elizabeth with her mother (Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother) after the coronation of her father King George VI in 1937. His ascent to the throne was a result of the crisis that followed the abdication of Edward VIII
In 1947, the then-Princess Elizabeth married her distant cousin, Philip Mountbatten. Prince Philip would go on to be the longest-serving royal consort, until his death in April 2021
Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey in 1953. She had become queen in 1952 after the unexpected death of George VI
At her beloved Balmoral Castle in 1952
A family photo from 1953
Her reign spanned eight decades, and saw the transition from Empire to Commonwealth of which she was head. There were frequent visits to Australia, Canada and New Zealand, where she was given a traditional Maori welcome in 2002
The Troubles in Northern Ireland which claimed thousands of lives dominated nearly half her reign, and the royal family was not immune from the violence. The queen here at the funeral of her cousin Lord Mountbatten, who was killed by an IRA bomb in Sligo
The queen inspects the damage after a fire at Windsor Castle in 1992 – a year she referred to as her 'annus horribilis'. That year, as well as the fire, the marriages of three of her children - Charles, Anne and Andrew - broke up
The queen walks past tributes from the British public to Princess Diana in 1997. The monarch had faced criticism for not properly judging the mood of the British people in the aftermath of Diana's death in a Paris car crash
As Anglo-Irish relations improved, President Mary Robinson became the first Irish Head of State to meet the queen since Irish independence, visiting Buckingham Palace in 1993
The first visit by a reigning British monarch to the Republic of Ireland took place in 2011. On the first day of the historic trip, Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by President Mary McAleese, laid a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin
During that visit in 2011 was also an appearance at Croke Park, almost 90 years after 14 players and spectators were killed in the stadium by British forces
The queen's speech at a State dinner in Dublin Castle opened with the words: 'A Uachtaráin agus a chairde'
Powerful symbolism was also on display during a visit to Belfast in June 2012, when there was a handshake between the queen and Martin McGuinness, Stormont's Deputy First Minister and former senior commander within the IRA
The queen's visit to the Republic was reciprocated by President Michael D Higgins, who travelled to Windsor Castle in 2014, cementing a new milestone in relations between Ireland and Britain
The queen presents jockey Frankie Dettori with his medal after King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes in 1999. Her keen interest in racing meant that she was a regular presence at the big meetings. She was also a highly successful racehorse owner
A lighter moment from the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony with Queen Elizabeth's appearance with James Bond (Daniel Craig) in a Danny Boyle-directed short film. It ended with doubles of the pair being parachuted into the stadium
During her 70 years on the throne, 15 prime ministers served under her - from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss. She met six of them in Downing Street in 1985, at an event to mark the 250th anniversary of the prime minister's office
Prince Philip died in 2021 after a 73-year marriage to the queen, with his funeral arrangements restricted by Covid-19. The queen watched alone as pallbearers carried his coffin into St George's Chapel
In a break of tradition, Prince Charles stood in to deliver the 'Queen's Speech' to open parliament at the House of Lords in May of this year due to his mother's mobility issues
Platinum Jubilee June 2022: Despite concerns about her mobility, the queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to mark the beginning of her Platinum Jubiliee celebrations
Much loved by many, thousands gathered on the Mall to see the queen following the Trooping of the Colour, which marked her official birthday – and the start of the four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations
Queen Elizabeth pictured alongside the next three in line to the throne – her son Prince Charles, grandson Prince William and great-grandson Prince George
Her final prime minister: Queen Elizabeth with Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle earlier this week when she invited Ms Truss to form a government
