Elizabeth II was never meant to be a queen. When she was born in April 1926, the fact that her father was the second son of the monarch made it unlikely that she would ever rule. But when Edward VIII gave up the throne and her father became King, Princess Elizabeth became the heir presumptive to the British throne.
Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II had passed away at her home in Balmoral, Scotland, after ruling for 70 years. Age-wise, she was 96.
In her 96 years of life, she became the British monarch who ruled the longest. Here are the important photos of her incredible life, from childhood to the present.
#1: Queen Elizabeth with Princess Elizabeth in 1926, (1937)
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#2: A Royal Smile. H.R.H. Princess Elizabeth’, circa 1929
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#3: Crown Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain, later Queen Elizabeth II, with her pony, at age 10
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#4: Queen Elizabeth II, 26 years young, is radiantly happy here as she waves and smiles in acknowledgement of the cheers of the crowd
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#5: Queen Elizabeth II is shown in this unusual camera study as she visited an exhibition of handicrafts by disabled servicemen at the Lord Roberts Workshops in London.
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#6: Queen Elizabeth II of England at Balmoral Castle with one of her Corgis, 28th September 1952
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#7: Sandringham, Norfolk, England, UK: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II smiles radiantly during a picture-taking session in the salon at Sandringham House. Her pet dog looks up at her
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#8: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward waving to the crowds from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, during the Trooping of the Colour
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#9: Queen Elizabeth II tours Queen Mother Square on October 27, 2016 in Poundbury, Dorset
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#10: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrive by carriage on Ladies Day of Royal Ascot 2012 at Ascot Racecourse on June 21, 2012 in Ascot, United Kingdom
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#11: Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh wave at the crowds from the balcony at Buckingham Palace
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#12: Queen Elizabeth II presents Prince Charles, Prince of Wales with the Royal Horticultural Society’s Victoria Medal of Honour during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show on May 18, 2009 in London
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