Queen of Hearts: The life and times of Elizabeth II

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II poses on her Coronation Day held in London in 1953. The eldest daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-serving Monarch, Elizabeth II was born in London in 1926. She became a queen at the young age of 25 following her father’s death in 1952. AFP

Princess Elizabeth II taking out the plugs of a car during her training at the Auxiliary Territorial Service – the women’s army service of Britain. Before becoming a queen, she played an active role in the Second World War. As the German bombing reached the Buckingham Palace in 1940, Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret were moved to Windsor Castle. During this time, she delivered a speech to other children who had been evacuated from their homes. By 1945, the future Queen of England, had joined ATS where she was trained as a car mechanic. AFP

Princess Elizabeth (future Queen Elizabeth II) with her fiance Philip Mountbatten (Future Duke of Edinburgh) on their engagement day announcement in 1947. Philip and Elizabeth had first crossed paths in 1934 at a royal family event and then met again five years later. They got married just four months after their engagement. AFP

Queen Elizabeth II with her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh waves at the crowd after Her Majesty’s coronation at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth II formally became the Queen of England after the Archbishop placed St. Edward’s solid gold crown upon her head. According to Vanity Fair, once the crown was placed, the congregation shouted “All hail the Queen” three times. AP

Queen Elizabeth II riding a horse outside Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty’s love for horses began at the age of three which was when she rode a horse for the very first time. According to NBC Chicago, the queen was one of the biggest faces of British and global horse racing. She had even attended America’s biggest horse race, the Kentucky Derby, in 2007. AP

A family photo of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and their children Prince Charles of Wales and Princess Anne of England. The couple had four children amongst whom Prince Charles is the eldest. Apart from Charles and Anne, the Queen has two sons — Andrew and Edward. AFP

Queen Elizabeth II with her trainer, captain Boyd-Rochfort, before the Derby Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse. AP

Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to the New Hebrides Condominium. Elizabeth Norton, a historian told Al Jazeera that Her Majesty always put her duties as a queen first. The historian said, “During her long life, she weathered many storms. Elizabeth II mostly stood apart from controversy in the royal family. She will justly be remembered as one of the best-loved monarchs of the modern period.” AFP

Her Majesty working during one of her train rides near Darlington in 2002. Queen Elizabeth made her first live Christmas Day speech in 1957. She had quickly adapted to the evolving technologies by mastering the art of pre-recording her festive messages to the public. By 2010, she was actively making use of platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. AP

During her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth had made hundreds of official stops in countries like Russia, China and the US. She also visited Ireland in 2011. This visit was considered historic as she was the first British monarch who visited the country after years of tension and bitterness. She hosted many renowned leaders like Nelson Mandela and former US President Barack Obama. AFP

Queen Elizabeth II cuts a cake to mark her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. The Platinum Jubilee celebration was a sign of how much affection she had received from the public. AFP