Queen Elizabeth II became Queen upon the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952. She was not expected to be Queen, but when her uncle abdicated the throne to her father, she was suddenly next in line. At age 92, she is still Queen today. She is the longest reigning monarch in the history of the world.
Elizabeth II married Prince Philip in 1947. They met when she was 13, and started exchanging letters. He gave up his Greek and Danish titles to become a British citizen and marry her. They have four children, and Elizabeth II is the first queen since 1857 to have a child while ruling.
Queen Elizabeth II has owned more than 30 corgis over the course of her reign. She has launched 23 ships and given royal assent to more than 3,500 acts of parliament. She lives in Buckingham Palace most of the time, but also spends time at Windsor Castle on weekends, Balmoral Castle in Scotland in the fall, and Sandringham House in Norfolk every Christmas.
Hannah Miner 