Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years, from 1953 to 2022. Join us on a trip back through history to discover our favourite facts about the Queen.

1. Queen Elizabeth II was born at 2.40 am on 21 April 1926

To parents, the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother).

2. She was crowned Queen on 2 June 1953

Watched by a TV audience of 20 million people. Her reign ended on 8 September 2022, when she passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle, Scotland.

3. She was the longest reigning monarch ever in Britain

Beating even

4. She was the longest reigning monarch ever in Britain

Beating even Queen Victoria (her great-great-grandma!). (her great-great-grandma!).

5. As Queen, she was served by 15 UK Prime Ministers

Including Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and more recently, Boris Johnson.

6. She was the only person in the UK allowed to drive without a licence

And she kept driving even in her later years!

7. Queen Elizabeth became a homeowner at just six years old

When the people of Wales gifted her a house in the grounds of Windsor’s Royal Lodge. It was named Y Bwthyn Bach, which means “little cottage”.

8. In her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth II sent around 50,000 Christmas cards

– what a lot of post! 

9. She owned an elephant, two giant turtles, a jaguar and a pair of sloths

Presents from other countries, all of which live in London Zoo.

10. Even the monarch went undercover sometimes…

She met some American tourists on a low-key trip to Scotland while walking. When the tourists asked if she lived locally, she mentioned that she had a house nearby, and when asked if she’d ever met the Queen, she simply pointed at her security guard and said, “No, but he has!”