Elizabeth II, in full Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, (born April 21, 1926, London, Eng.—died Sept. 8, 2022, Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scot.), Queen of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022. She became heir presumptive when her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated and her father became king as George VI. In 1947 she married her distant cousin Philip, duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021), with whom she had four children, including Charles, who succeeded her in 2022. She became queen on her father’s death in 1952. Increasingly aware of the modern role of the monarchy, she favoured simplicity in court life and took an informed interest in government business. In the 1990s the monarchy was troubled by the highly publicized marital difficulties of two of the queen’s sons and the death of Diana, princess of Wales. In 2002 the queen’s mother and sister died within two months of each other. Elizabeth became the longest-reigning monarch in British history in 2015, and she celebrated 70 years on the throne with a “Platinum Jubilee” in 2022.
