Elizabeth II (21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death. The first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth), she became heir presumptive when the duke became king in 1936 upon the abdication of Edward VIII. During the Second World War, she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She married Philip Mountbatten in 1947; they were wed for 73 years until his death in 2021. She became queen on her father's death in 1952, and reigned for seven decades through dramatic changes in her realms, attaining the oldest age of any British monarch (96), and having the longest reign. She faced media criticism of her family over the breakups of her children's marriages, and after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. However, support for the monarchy in Britain remained high, as did her popularity. Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle and was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III. This 1933 oil-on-canvas painting of Elizabeth (then Princess Elizabeth of York) aged seven was created by Anglo-Hungarian artist Philip de László. It is now in the Royal Collection.
Author: Philip de László
