Life and times

Here are the key milestones in her life:

April 21, 1926: Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary is born in Mayfair, London, the first child of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later called the Queen Mother.

Oct. 13, 1940: Elizabeth makes first public speech at age 14 on the BBC Children’s Hour to comfort children who had been separated from their parents during the Blitz.

Nov. 20, 1947: Elizabeth marries Philip Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh and a former prince of Greece and Denmark, at Westminster Abbey. (Philip became a British prince in 1957.)

1945: Elizabeth is made a Subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, serving for Britain during World War II.

Nov. 14, 1948: Prince Charles, now the Prince of Wales, heir-apparent to the throne, is born.

Aug. 15, 1950: Elizabeth’s second child and only daughter, Princess Anne, is born.

June 2, 1953: Queen Elizabeth II is crowned at Westminster Abbey at the age of 25, upon the death of her father, George VI. Many Britons bought their first television so they could watch the ceremony. The new monarch sets out on a tour of the Commonwealth, including Bermuda, Fiji, Tonga, Australia, and Gibraltar.

Feb. 19, 1960: Elizabeth’s third child, Prince Andrew, is born.

March 10, 1964: Elizabeth’s fourth child, Prince Edward, is born.

May 1965: Elizabeth makes a historic visit to West Germany, the first German visit by a British monarch in 52 years.

1977: Elizabeth celebrates her Silver Jubilee, which marks 25 years on the throne.

1992: Elizabeth has what she describes as an

annus horribilis, which is Latin for “horrible year”. The year sees marriages of three of her four children end. Also that year, a fire damages Windsor Castle. A public outcry over the cost of repairs amid a recession prompts the queen to volunteer to pay income taxes.

Aug. 31, 1997: Princess Diana dies in a car crash in Paris. Under public pressure to demonstrate her grief, Elizabeth makes an unprecedented TV broadcast in tribute to Diana’s memory.

2002: Elizabeth marks 50 years of reign with her Golden Jubilee. The year also sees the deaths of Elizabeth’s mother and her sister, Princess Margaret.

Dec. 2007: Elizabeth becomes the longest-living British monarch, overtaking Victoria, who died at age 81.

May 2011: Elizabeth makes a historic visit to Ireland — the first visit by a British monarch since Irish independence in 1922.

2012: Elizabeth marks 60 years of her reign with her Diamond Jubilee.