Elizabeth II
About Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II was on the throne from 1952 to 2022 and was the only head of state in the world to reign over more than one independent country - she was Queen of sixteen other states, including Australia and Canada.
Born in 1926 and acceding to the throne at 26 years old, Elizabeth II was one of the longest reigning monarchs in history. In 2006 she marked her eightieth birthday with a tour of the country, and in 2002 celebrated her Golden Jubilee with a raft of special parades and concerts.
The monarch aside from their position as head of state, also holds a number of important ceremonial roles, such as head of the Church of England - known as Defender of the Faith - and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, who are asked to swear allegiance to King/ Queen and country.
As head of state The Queen enjoyed a number of Royal residences at the tax payer's expense, and was said to dislike her ceremonial home, Buckingham Palace, preferring to spend her time at Windsor Castle, Sandringham or Balmoral in Scotland.
Something that the present Queen was well known for was her many regular official trips abroad, in fact she has made more overseas visits than any other British monarch in history. Even in her later years, she usually went on at least one Royal tour, with the Commonwealth unsurprisingly receiving most attention.