Before
£5 coins, major Royal events and national celebrations were marked by
the Royal Mint with Crown Coins — struck to the exact same specification
as today's £5 coins.
A crown tariffed at 25 pence
Elizabeth II, in full Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, officially Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, (born April 21, 1926, London, England—died September 8, 2022, Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland), queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from February 6, 1952, to September 8, 2022. In 2015 she surpassed Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
Early life
Queen Elizabeth, King George VI, Princess Margaret, and Princess Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth, King George VI, Princess Margaret, and Princess Elizabeth
Princess Elizabeth
Princess Elizabeth
Elizabeth was the elder daughter of Prince Albert, duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. As the child of a younger son of King George V, the young Elizabeth had little prospect of acceding to the throne until her uncle, Edward VIII (afterward duke of Windsor), abdicated in her father’s favour on December 11, 1936, at which time her father became King George VI and she became heir presumptive. The princess’s education was supervised by her mother, who entrusted her daughters to a governess, Marion Crawford; the princess was also grounded in history by C.H.K. Marten, afterward provost of Eton College, and had instruction from visiting teachers in music and languages. During World War II she and her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, perforce spent much of their time safely away from the London blitz and separated from their parents, living mostly at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and at the Royal Lodge, Windsor, and Windsor Castle.
Prince William and Catherine, duke and duchess of Cambridge
More From Britannica
Prince William and Catherine Middleton: The Royal Wedding of 2011: Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, duke of Edinburgh
wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip, duke of Edinburgh
wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip, duke of Edinburgh
Elizabeth II: family
Elizabeth II: family
Philip, duke of Edinburgh
Philip, duke of Edinburgh
Early in 1947 Princess Elizabeth went with the king and queen to South Africa. After her return there was an announcement of her betrothal to her distant cousin Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy, formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. The marriage took place in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. On the eve of the wedding her father, the king, conferred upon the bridegroom the titles of duke of Edinburgh, earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich. They took residence at Clarence House in London. Their first child, Prince Charles (Charles Philip Arthur George), was born November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace.
Accession to the throne
Elizabeth II: coronation
Elizabeth II: coronation
proclamation declaring Elizabeth II queen of the United Kingdom
proclamation declaring Elizabeth II queen of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II: opening of Parliament
Elizabeth II: opening of Parliament
Elizabeth II after her coronation
Elizabeth II after her coronation
Elizabeth II: Christmas broadcast
Elizabeth II: Christmas broadcast
In the summer of 1951 the health of King George VI entered into a serious decline, and Princess Elizabeth represented him at the Trooping the Colour and on various other state occasions. On October 7 she and her husband set out on a highly successful tour of Canada and Washington, D.C. After Christmas in England she and the duke set out in January 1952 for a tour of Australia and New Zealand, but en route, at Sagana, Kenya, news reached them of the king’s death on February 6, 1952. Elizabeth, now queen, at once flew back to England. The first three months of her reign, the period of full mourning for her father, were passed in comparative seclusion. But in the summer, after she had moved from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace, she undertook the routine duties of the sovereign and carried out her first state opening of Parliament on November 4, 1952. Her coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953.
Elizabeth II: royal tour of New Zealand
Elizabeth II: royal tour of New Zealand
Beginning in November 1953 the queen and the duke of Edinburgh made a six-month round-the-world tour of the Commonwealth, which included the first visit to Australia and New Zealand by a reigning British monarch. In 1957, after state visits to various European nations, she and the duke visited Canada and the United States. In 1961 she made the first royal British tour of the Indian subcontinent in 50 years, and she was also the first reigning British monarch to visit South America (in 1968) and the Persian Gulf countries (in 1979). During her “Silver Jubilee” in 1977, she presided at a London banquet attended by the leaders of the 36 members of the Commonwealth, traveled all over Britain and Northern Ireland, and toured overseas in the South Pacific and Australia, in Canada, and in the Caribbean.
Elizabeth II and her family
Elizabeth II and her family
Elizabeth II and her corgis
Elizabeth II and her corgis
On the accession of Queen Elizabeth, her son Prince Charles became heir apparent; he was named prince of Wales on July 26, 1958, and was so invested on July 1, 1969. The queen’s other children were Princess Anne (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise), born August 15, 1950, and created princess royal in 1987; Prince Andrew (Andrew Albert Christian Edward), born February 19, 1960, and created duke of York in 1986; and Prince Edward (Edward Anthony Richard Louis), born March 10, 1964, and created earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn in 1999. All these children have the surname “of Windsor,” but in 1960 Elizabeth decided to create the hyphenated name Mountbatten-Windsor for other descendants not styled prince or princess and royal highness. Elizabeth’s first grandchild (Princess Anne’s son) was born on November 15, 1977.
Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content.
The modern monarchy
Elizabeth II at the funeral for Princess Diana
Elizabeth II at the funeral for Princess Diana
Elizabeth II at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Elizabeth II at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
The queen seemed increasingly aware of the modern role of the monarchy, allowing, for example, the televising of the royal family’s domestic life in 1970 and condoning the formal dissolution of her sister’s marriage in 1978. In the 1990s, however, the royal family faced a number of challenges. In 1992, a year that Elizabeth referred to as the royal family’s annus horribilis, Prince Charles and his wife, Diana, princess of Wales, separated, as did Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, duchess of York. Moreover, Anne divorced, and a fire gutted the royal residence of Windsor Castle. In addition, as the country struggled with a recession, resentment over the royals’ lifestyle mounted, and in 1992 Elizabeth, although personally exempt, agreed to pay taxes on her private income. The separation and later divorce (1996) of Charles and the immensely popular Diana further eroded support for the royal family, which was viewed by some as antiquated and unfeeling. The criticism intensified following Diana’s death in 1997, especially after Elizabeth initially refused to allow the national flag to fly at half-staff over Buckingham Palace. In line with her earlier attempts at modernizing the monarchy, the queen subsequently sought to present a less-stuffy and less-traditional image of the monarchy. These attempts were met with mixed success.
British royal family in 2015
British royal family in 2015
Elizabeth II with U.S. Pres. Barack Obama
Elizabeth II with U.S. Pres. Barack Obama
Discover how Camilla overcame controversy to become queen consort
Discover how Camilla overcame controversy to become queen consortSee all videos for this article
Elizabeth II and Catherine, duchess of Cambridge
Elizabeth II and Catherine, duchess of Cambridge
In 2002 Elizabeth celebrated her 50th year on the throne. As part of her “Golden Jubilee,” events were held throughout the Commonwealth, including several days of festivities in London. The celebrations were somewhat diminished by the deaths of Elizabeth’s mother and sister early in the year. Beginning in the latter part of the first decade of the 21st century, the public standing of the royal family rebounded, and even Charles’s 2005 marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles found much support among the British people. In April 2011 Elizabeth led the family in celebrating the wedding of Prince William of Wales—the elder son of Charles and Diana—and Catherine Middleton. The following month she surpassed George III to become the second longest-reigning monarch in British history, behind Victoria. Also in May, Elizabeth made a historic trip to Ireland, becoming both the first British monarch to visit the Irish republic and the first to set foot in Ireland since 1911. In 2012 Elizabeth celebrated her “Diamond Jubilee,” marking 60 years on the throne. On September 9, 2015, she surpassed Victoria’s record reign of 63 years and 216 days.
Elizabeth II at the funeral of Philip, duke of Edinburgh
Elizabeth II at the funeral of Philip, duke of Edinburgh
Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
In August 2017 Prince Philip officially retired from public life, though he periodically appeared at official engagements after that. In the meantime, Elizabeth began to reduce her own official engagements, passing some duties on to Prince Charles and other senior members of the royal family, though the pool of stand-ins shrank when Charles’s younger son, Prince Harry, duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan, duchess of Sussex, controversially chose to give up their royal roles in March 2020. During this period, public interest in the queen and the royal family grew as a result of the widespread popularity of The Crown, a Netflix television series about the Windsors that debuted in 2016. Having dealt with several physical setbacks in recent years, Philip, who had been Elizabeth’s husband for more than seven decades, died in April 2021. On their 50th wedding anniversary, in 1997, Elizabeth had said of Philip, “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.” Because of social-distancing protocols brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the queen sat alone in a choir stall in St. George’s Chapel (in Windsor Castle) at Philip’s funeral. The widely disseminated images of her tragic isolation were heartbreaking but emblematic of the dignity and courage that she brought to her reign.
Elizabeth II and Liz Truss
Elizabeth II and Liz Truss
In June 2022 Britain celebrated Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne with the “Platinum Jubilee,” a four-day national holiday that included the Trooping the Colour ceremony, a thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, a pop music concert at Buckingham Palace, and a pageant that employed street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival, and costume to honour the queen’s reign. Health issues limited Elizabeth’s involvement. Concerns about the queen’s health also led to a break in tradition when, in September, she appointed Boris Johnson’s replacement as prime minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral rather than at Buckingham Palace, where she had formally appointed more than a dozen prime ministers.
How long did Prince Charles wait to become King Charles III?
How long did Prince Charles wait to become King Charles III?See all videos for this article
Just days later, on September 8, Elizabeth’s death, at age 96, shocked Britain and the world. Prince Charles succeeded her on the throne as King Charles III. Ten days of national commemoration of her life and legacy—long planned as “Operation London Bridge”—followed. Notably, the queen lay in state for a day in St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh and then for three days in Westminster Hall in London, outside of which mourners stood in a line that stretched for miles, in some cases waiting for more than 24 hours to view Elizabeth’s casket. Her sombre funeral ceremony in Westminster Abbey on September 19 was attended by an estimated 100 heads of foreign governments. Following a procession to Wellington Arch, during which Big Ben tolled, the queen’s casket was borne by hearse to her final resting place in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth was known to favour simplicity in court life and was also known to take a serious and informed interest in government business, aside from the traditional and ceremonial duties. Privately, she became a keen horsewoman; she kept racehorses, frequently attended races, and periodically visited the Kentucky stud farms in the United States. Her financial and property holdings made her one of the world’s richest women.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch. He is the husband to Queen Elizabeth II and father to four children. Born in Greece, he moved to Britain in the 1940s and was naturalized as a British subject after marrying the Queen in 1947.
Prince Philip started his royal duties in the 1950s, and since then he has been a vital part of the British royal family. He dedicated himself to a diverse range of causes and represented the Queen in engagements – both in the United Kingdom and abroad. He was an innovator, particularly in modernizing the monarchy and opening the royal family up to the public.
Throughout his career, Prince Philip played an active role in numerous organizations. He founded the Duke of Edinburgh Award in 1956 and was a patron of hundreds of charities and organizations. He regularly spoke out on issues relating to the environment and global conservation, which he developed an interest in during the early years of his marriage.
Prince Philip was a strong support to the Queen throughout his life. He prioritized his family and adapted to the ever-changing role of the monarchy. He made sure to cultivate an understanding of the world around him by adapting to its changes.
Despite the longer public service life of many members of the monarchy, Prince Philip stands out for his unwavering loyalty to the Queen, his determination to modernize the monarchy, and his dedication to numerous causes. His lifelong devotion to the monarchy and to his family is something to be admired, along with his contributions to the country. While he has since retired from public duties in 2017, his legacy will continue for many years to come.
The wedding of Queen Elizabeth II of England and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947 was a grand event attended by people from near and far. It captured the imagination of the world, representing a powerful symbol of hope at the end of World War II. After eight years of courtship, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip wed in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947.
The lead-up to the wedding was a grand affair, with an impressive display of royal extravagance. The royal wedding invitations were adorned with a royal crest and the words “By Appointment to His Majesty King George VI.” The invitation included a traditional poem addressed to family and friends of the Royal Family. The service was broadcast worldwide and was watched by over 20 million people.
The bride was exquisitely dressed in a beautiful white silk Norman Hartnell wedding dress. The dress featured a 16-foot-long train and a tulle veil with a pearl encrusted headdress. The bridal bouquet was a traditional gesture of tribute and love for the groom and included a sprig of white heather for luck. Prince Philip, in his naval uniform, was at his bride's side, with his best man, King George VI, the Queen's father, standing behind them.
The ceremony itself was an elaborate affair, featuring attended by notables such as the Princess of Wales, the Queen’s aunt, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who presented the couple with homemade rings. After the ceremony, the couple appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to greet their well-wishers.
The long-anticipated wedding was a powerful symbol of hope and joy and marked the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, who is the longest reigning monarch in British history. A lavish reception at Buckingham Palace followed the ceremony, with the highlight being a four-course meal for the couple’s guests. The wedding celebration concluded with the couple residing at their Windsor Castle home for their honeymoon.
The grand wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip was a celebration like no other and a testament to the power of love and commitment. It was an event to be remembered and an inspiration for generations to come.
Here’s a look at the life of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.
Personal
Birth date: April 21, 1926
Death date: September 8, 2022
Birth place: London, England
Birth name: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary
Father: King George VI
ADVERTISEMENT
Ad Feedback
Mother: Queen Elizabeth
Marriage: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (November 20, 1947-April 09, 2021, his death)
Children: Edward, Earl of Wessex (March 10, 1964); Andrew, Duke of York (February 19, 1960); Anne, Princess Royal (August 15, 1950); King Charles III (November 14, 1948)
Grandchildren: By Prince Charles and Princess Diana: Prince William and Prince Henry (called Harry); By Princess Anne and Mark Phillips: Peter Phillips and Zara Phillips; By Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie; By Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones: Lady Louise Windsor and James Windsor, Viscount Severn
Great-Grandchildren: By Zara Phillips Tindall: Mia Grace, Lena Elizabeth and Lucas Philip; By Prince William: George Alexander Louis, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana and Louis Arthur Charles; By Peter Phillips: Savannah and Isla; By Prince Harry: Archie Harrison and Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor; By Princess Eugenie: August Philip Hawke Brooksbank; by Princess Beatrice: Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi.
Sir Norman Hartnell, pale blue silk faille evening gown worn at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, during the State Visit of King Olav of Norway in 1962.
GALLERY
Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen's Wardrobe
Other Facts
Named after her mother Queen Elizabeth, her paternal great-grandmother Queen Alexandra and her paternal grandmother Queen Mary.
Was not declared the heir apparent when her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated because of the possibility of a male heir.
When World War II began, she was a Girl Guide (British Girl Scouts) and went through the same training as the other Girl Guides her age.
Official title after March 26, 1953: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
The sixth female to ascend to the British throne and the longest-reigning monarch. In September 2015, she surpassed the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who ruled for 63 years, seven months.
During her reign as queen for 63 years, Queen Elizabeth II has made numerous trips abroad, often leading an exhaustive schedule. Her travels have taken her all over the world and today she will be visiting Germany, her first trip abroad since D-Day in 2014.
GALLERY
Queen meets the world: 6 decades of globetrotting
Timeline
May 29, 1926 - Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, third in line to the throne, is christened. She is the first royal child to be christened in the chapel at Buckingham Palace and wears a gown made of lace worn by Queen Elizabeth I.
December 11, 1936 - Elizabeth becomes heir presumptive when her father becomes King George VI, after the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII.
May 12, 1937 - Elizabeth attends the coronation of her parents, King George VI and Queen Consort Elizabeth. She is the first female heir presumptive to see her parents crowned.
1939 - World War II breaks out. Elizabeth moves, with her sister, to the Royal Lodge at Windsor Castle. This is thought to be the time period when Elizabeth meets Prince Philip of Greece.
1942 - King George VI makes Elizabeth an honorary colonel in the Grenadier Guards, a regiment of the British Army.
April 21, 1942 - Elizabeth makes her official public debut with a review of 500 members of the Grenadier Guards at Windsor Palace.
1944 - Elizabeth is made a member of the Privy Council and the Council of State. She is now able to act for the king during his absence from the country.
July 10, 1947 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth announce Elizabeth’s engagement to Prince Philip of Greece, a lieutenant in the British Navy.
November 20, 1947 - Princess Elizabeth marries Philip. After becoming a British citizen and renouncing his Greek title, Philip becomes His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Elizabeth becomes the Duchess of Edinburgh.
February 6, 1952 - King George VI dies of lung cancer, and Elizabeth ascends to the throne.
April 11, 1952 - The Queen decrees that she and her descendants will continue to use the surname Windsor, first adopted by the British royal family during World War I.
June 2, 1953 - Coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey.
October 16-22, 1957 - Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip make their first state visit to the United States, and she addresses the General Assembly of the United Nations.
May 14, 1965 - Queen Elizabeth II dedicates a memorial and one acre of land at Runnymede to the United States as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.
June 13, 1981 - A teenager, Marcus Simon Sarjeant, fires six blanks at the Queen while she is riding on horseback through London. He is arrested and charged with treason.
July 9, 1982 - A man gets past security at Buckingham Palace and encounters the Queen in her bedroom.
May 16, 1991 - The Queen addresses a joint session of the US Congress, the first British monarch to do so.
November 24, 1992 - At a luncheon commemorating her 40th anniversary on the throne, the Queen declares 1992 as an “Annus Horribilis.” That year marked the separation of the Duke and Duchess of York, the divorce of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, the increasing estrangement of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and a fire at Windsor Castle.
November 26, 1992 - Prime Minister John Major announces that the Queen will begin paying taxes on her personal income. Her personal fortune is estimated to be $11.7 billion.
April 1993 - Taxation of the Queen and Prince Charles goes into effect with the provision that they may “opt-out” of the agreement at any time after April 1994.
August 1993 - Buckingham Palace is opened to the public for the first time. Money raised from the tours is to help pay for the restoration of Windsor Castle.
December 1995 - After heavy media coverage of the estrangement and affairs of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, the Queen urges them to divorce.
1997 - Addresses the nation via live television to express grief over the death of Princess Diana.
1998 - Endorses a plan to end gender discrimination in the line of succession for the throne.
2002 - The Queen celebrates her Golden Jubilee, or 50th anniversary, on the throne.
December 2006 - The Queen issues her annual Christmas broadcast live for the first time since 1960.
May 3-8, 2007 - The Queen and Prince Philip visit the United States for the 400th anniversary of America’s first settlement by a British company in Jamestown in 1607. They attend the Kentucky Derby on May 5 and a State Dinner at the White House on May 7.
April 2, 2009 - Meets Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace and the ladies are photographed with their arms around one another. This causes lots of media attention as touching the queen is not a typical occurrence.
July 6, 2010 - Addresses the General Assembly of the United Nations for the second time.
April 21, 2011 - On the Queen’s 85th birthday, the palace releases the Queen’s official consent, the Instrument of Consent, to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. By law, the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, the monarch must consent to most royal marriages.
May 17, 2011 - Makes the first state visit to the Republic of Ireland by a British monarch.
February 6-June 5, 2012 - Celebrations take place throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, or 60th anniversary, on the throne. Festivities include a 1,000-boat flotilla along the River Thames and a concert at Buckingham Palace.
November 20, 2012 - The Queen and Prince Philip celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.
December 18, 2012 - Queen Elizabeth II attends a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing St, marking the end of the celebration of her Diamond Jubilee. It is the first time a British monarch has attended a cabinet meeting in more than 100 years.
March 3-4, 2013 - Is admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis. She is released the following day.
June 2, 2013 - Services at Westminster Abbey mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.
June 20, 2013 - The Royal Ascot signature race is won by Estimate, the Queen’s horse. The Gold Cup win makes the Queen the first reigning British monarch to win Ascot’s biggest race.
April 8, 2014 - The Queen hosts a state dinner for Ireland’s president Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina. Also in attendance are actors Daniel Day-Lewis and Dame Judi Dench. Martin McGuinness, former IRA commander and current Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister, also attends.
November 26, 2014 - The Queen is honored with the inaugural lifetime achievement award from the world governing body of horse sport, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).
March 2, 2015 - The Royal Mint reveals a newly designed portrait of the Queen that will be used on coins in the United Kingdom. The new royal coinage will make 2015 a vintage year.
June 24-26, 2015 - The Queen visits Germany, meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel and stressing the importance of unity in Europe during a speech. The Queen says, “We know that division in Europe is dangerous and that we must guard against it in the west, as well as in the east of our continent. That remains a common endeavor.” On her last day in Germany, the Queen visits the site of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and meets with Holocaust survivors, as well as WWII veterans who helped liberate the camp.
July 18, 2015 - The Sun newspaper in Britain stirs up controversy, publishing a 1933 image of the Queen as a child apparently raising her hand in a Nazi salute. The picture is a screen grab from a private home movie that was shot when the Queen was about 6 years old and it depicts her playing with her siblings. A source close to the royal family tells CNN, “Most people will see these pictures in their proper context and time. This is a family playing and momentarily referencing a gesture many would have seen from contemporary news reels.”
September 9, 2015 - Becomes the longest reigning monarch in British history.
March 9, 2016 - In light of a Buckingham Palace complaint to the Independent Press Standards Organization over a front-page article in The Sun headlined, “Queen backs Brexit,” the palace issues a statement insisting the Queen is neutral on whether the UK should vote to leave the European Union – a development widely referred to in the press as “Brexit,” or “British exit.”
March 2, 2018 - Documents are released confirming and describing an assassination attempt on the Queen by a New Zealand teenager in 1981.
April 15, 2018 - Loses the last descendant of her original corgi when 14-year-old Willow is put down following a battle with cancer, according to UK media reports. While the Queen still reportedly owns several other dogs, Willow was the only remaining descendant of Susan, the original corgi given to then-Princess Elizabeth on her 18th birthday in 1944.
January 24, 2019 - In a speech to Sandringham’s Women’s Institute, the Queen calls for respecting of other view points and seeking common ground, “As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture.” Her comments are seen as a message to lawmakers amid Brexit divisions.
January 18, 2020 - Buckingham Palace announces that Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are no longer working members of the royal family. As part of the agreement, the couple will be required to step back from their royal duties, including military appointments, and no longer represent the Queen. The couple will also repay the Sovereign Grant funds they recently spent to renovate their official residence at Frogmore Cottage – £2.4 million (about $3 million) of British taxpayers’ money.
April 5, 2020 - Makes a rare national address to the nation in a pre-recorded video calling for unity amid the coronavirus pandemic. “This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavor, using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal.”
October 21, 2021 - According to a Buckingham palace spokesperson, the Queen spent the night at a hospital and underwent “preliminary investigations.” She is in “good spirits” and resting at Windsor Castle.
February 6, 2022 - Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British Monarch to reign for 70 years, extending her record as the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Platinum Jubilee celebrations will take place throughout the year.
February 20, 2022 - Buckingham Palace announces Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for coronavirus, and is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms. UK media have reported that the Queen is fully vaccinated.
March 29, 2022 - Makes her first public appearance in five months when she joins the royal family and other dignitaries at a memorial service in honor of her husband Prince Philip.
June 2-5, 2022 - The “Platinum Jubilee Weekend,” celebrating the queen’s 70 year reign, features a variety of public events and community activities, including a birthday parade, known as “Trooping the Colour,” a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, a horse race, and nationwide street parties. The Platinum Jubilee Pageant closes out the four-day-long celebration. Queen Elizabeth does not attend the church service, after experiencing “discomfort” during the opening day parade.
September 8, 2022 - Dies at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
King Charles III, the 62nd British monarch to serve over the past 1,200 years, ascended to the throne on September 8, 2022, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. At age 73, British history’s longest-serving heir-apparent was officially proclaimed king two days later at a ceremony at St. James’s Palace near Buckingham Palace, making him the oldest person to assume the title.
King Charles III's Early Life
Born November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was the first child of then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip and grandson of King George VI. On February 6, 1952, at the age of 3, he became heir-apparent when his mother ascended the throne.
At age 4, Charles was famously shown seated between the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret at Elizabeth’s coronation ceremony and continued to spend his life in the public eye.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Prince Charles with Princess Margaret Rose shown in the royal box at Westminster Abbey during the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II.
TOPICAL PRESS AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES
QUEEN ELIZABETH, THE QUEEN MOTHER AND PRINCE CHARLES WITH PRINCESS MARGARET ROSE IN THE ROYAL BOX AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY DURING THE CORONATION CEREMONY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II.
According to Royal.uk, the official website of the British royal family, Charles's parents chose to send him to school, making him the first heir to receive an outside education, rather than one from private tutors. He attended several schools, including a private boarding school in Scotland and two terms as an exchange student in Melbourne.
Charles was also the first heir to the British crown to earn a bachelor’s degree, attending Trinity College, at Cambridge University from 1967-1970. He studied archaeology, anthropology and, eventually, history. It was during this time, in 1969, that, at age 20, he was titled Prince of Wales.
Following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-grandfathers, Charles served in the Royal Navy from 1971-1976 where he flew helicopters, first training as a Royal Air Force pilot and eventually serving as commander of the minesweeper the HMS Bronington.
Marriage and Divorce
Princess Diana and Prince Charles on their wedding day.
ANWAR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGS
PRINCESS DIANA AND PRINCE CHARLES ON THEIR WEDDING DAY, JULY 29, 1981.
Charles began dating Lady Diana Spencer in 1980 when she was 19 and he was 31. Charles had met Diana three years earlier while dating her older sister, Sarah. In February 1981, their engagement was announced, causing a media frenzy over their relationship. When asked during a TV interview if they were in love, Diana responded, “Of course,” while Charles said, “Whatever ‘in love’ means.”
They were married on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in a ceremony witnessed by a record-breaking 750 million TV viewers across the globe. The day was declared a national holiday in Great Britain. Diana became the first English woman since 1660 to marry an heir to the throne.
The couple’s first son, Prince William, was born June 21, 1982, and Prince Harry was born two years later on September 15, 1984.
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 - 1997) riding in a sleigh with Prince William and Prince Harry during a skiing holiday in Lech, Austria, 30th March 1993.
JAYNE FINCHER/PRINCESS DIANA ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES
DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES (1961 - 1997) RIDING IN A SLEIGH WITH PRINCE WILLIAM (LEFT) AND PRINCE HARRY DURING A SKIING HOLIDAY IN LECH, AUSTRIA, MARCH 30, 1993.
Beloved by the public for her beauty, grace and humanitarian work that included working with HIV/AIDS and leprosy patients and advocating for landmine removal and homelessness causes, Diana had the support of the public when the couple separated in 1992. This became especially true following Charles’s admission that he had engaged in a long-running affair with Camilla Parker Bowles during a 1994 interview. “There were three of us in this marriage,” Diana later responded. Charles and Diana divorced in 1996. Tragically, on August 31, 1997, Diana was killed in a car wreck in Paris, along with her companion, Dodi Al-Fayed and driver, Henri Paul.
In 2004, Charles and Parker Bowles announced their engagement, and wed the next year with Parker Bowles given the title Duchess of Cornwall.
Play Video
What Made These Royal Marriages So Scandalous?
WATCH VIDEO: What Made These Royal Marriages Controversial?
Ascension and Coronation
When Queen Elizabeth died at age 96 after serving as Britain’s longest-serving monarch on September 8, 2022, Charles immediately became king, with an official proclamation taking place on September 10.
“My mother gave an example of lifelong love and of selfless service,” he told the Assession Council. “Even as we grieve, we give thanks for this most faithful life. I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me.”
King Charles III attends the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on September 19, 2022 in Windsor, England.
MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY IMAGES
KING CHARLES III ATTENDS THE COMMITTAL SERVICE FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH II AT ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL, WINDSOR CASTLE ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 IN WINDSOR, ENGLAND.
A coronation date has yet to be announced, but will likely occur in 2023 at London's Westminster Abbey, where he will become the 40th monarch crowned there in the 900 years the ceremony has been held at the landmark. As king, Charles is head of the Commonwealth, which includes 54 countries, including 14, plus the United Kingdom, in which he is also the head of state.
With Charles’s ascension, his son William inherited his father’s former title, Prince of Wales and became the heir to the throne. Camilla’s title changed to Queen Consort. Charles has five grandchildren: Prince George (next in line to the crown after William), Princess Charlotte and Prince Louie, all born to Prince William and Kate Middleton; and Archie and Lilibet, children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Causes and Interests
Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, playing polo, circa 1980.
TIM GRAHAM PHOTO LIBRARY VIA GETTY IMAGES
KING CHARLES III, THEN PRINCE CHARLES, THE PRINCE OF WALES, PLAYING POLO, CIRCA 1980.
As a younger man, Charles took part in polo, playing around the world, was a competitive jockey and was often photographed surfing, skiing and taking part in other sports, meaning him the nickname of “action man.”
According to Royal.uk, he has helped establish more than 20 charities, which include The Prince’s Trust, The Prince’s Foundation and The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund. Causes he has publicly supported include those related to the environment, sustainability and climate change, health care and alternative medicine, education and the arts.
Sources
"King Charles III, the New Monarch," September 19, 2022, BBC News.
"After a lifetime of preparation, Charles takes the throne," September 9, 2022, Associated Press.
"Key dates in the life of Charles, Britain’s new king," September 8, 2022, Associated Press.
"The King," Royal.uk
"Charles III, Britain's Conflicted New Monarch," September 8, 2022, Reuters.
BY: HISTORY.COM EDITORS
HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen.
Citation Information
Article TitleKing Charles III
AuthorHistory.com Editors
Website NameHISTORY
URLhttps://www.history.com/topics/european-history/king-charles-iii
DateApril 7, 2023
PublisherA&E Television Networks
Last UpdatedSeptember 20, 2022
Original Published DateSeptember 20, 2022
Fact Check
We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.
PRINT PAGE
British Royals
More on this Topic | European History
The Imperial State Crown in the Jewel House, Tower of London.
7 Facts About British Royal Coronations
Royal coronations are ceremonies marking the formal ascension of a British monarch to the throne. The event is a mixture of political and religious rites rich in pomp, circumstance, and symbolism, with traditions dating back centuries. “The institution is over 1,000 years old. With this history on full display, the coronation ceremony is an opportunity […]
Read more
An image of the Soviet flag.
Photos: 7 Decades of the Soviet Union
Formation of the Soviet Union On November 7, 1917, Bolshevik forces led by the Marxist ideologue Vladimir Lenin and his compatriots Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin, seized power in the Russian capital, Petrograd. What followed was a protracted and bloody Russian civil war that ended in 1921 with the victory of the Bolshevik Red Army. […]
Read more
Napoleon Bonaparte depicted in exile on the island of Saint Helena, as he traces the letter "N" in the sand, 1815.
Napoleon’s Life—and Mysterious Death—in Exile
The facts about Napoleon Bonaparte’s life— his awesome military achievements against the united powers of Europe, his sweeping reforms of law and bureaucracy across an entire continent—are extraordinary. But Napoleon Bonaparte’s final years were just as extraordinary, with humiliating exile, a mysterious death at age 51, and a bizarre postmortem chain of events. After Napoleon was […]
Read more
Emperor Negus Menelik II of Ethiopia at Battle of Adwa 1896 Ethiopia (Photo by Chris Hellier/Corbis via Getty Images)
How Ethiopia Beat Back Colonizers in the Battle of Adwa
In the late 19th century, the European powers ran roughshod over Africa, brutally colonizing one country after another. Italy, for its part, targeted Ethiopia. But when its troops attacked on March 1, 1896, near the town of Adwa, they were overpowered by a large and well-armed Ethiopian force. In winning this pivotal victory, Ethiopia not […]
Read more
Martin Bashir interviews Princess Diana in Kensington Palace in November 1995 for the television program Panorama.
Why Princess Diana’s 1995 BBC Interview Shocked the World
Princess Diana’s BBC interview with Martin Bashir, “An Interview with HRH The Princess of Wales,” aired on November 20, 1995 on the documentary series “Panorama.”