The Queen was born at 2.40am on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London.
She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
At the time she stood third in line of succession to the throne after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and her father, The Duke of York. But it was not expected that her father would become King, or that she would become Queen.

The Princess was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace. She was named after her mother, while her two middle names are those of her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra, and paternal grandmother, Queen Mary.
Princess Elizabeth was educated at home with Princess Margaret, her younger sister.
Princess Elizabeth was a strong swimmer. She won the Children’s Challenge Shield at London’s Bath Club when she was 13.

Princess Elizabeth enrolled as a Girl Guide when she was 11, and later became a Sea Ranger.
In 1940, at the height of the Blitz, the young Princesses were moved for their safety to Windsor Castle, where they spent most of the War years.
Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947. The event was fairly simple, as Britain was still recovering from the War, and Princess Elizabeth had to collect clothing coupons for her dress, like any other young bride.

Princess Elizabeth visited Malta four times while Prince Philip was stationed there on naval duties, and enjoyed the life of a naval wife and young mother.
On Wednesday, 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth received the news of her father’s death and her own Accession to the throne, while staying in a remote part of Kenya.
Princess Elizabeth made her first public speech in October 1940, when she was 14. In a live broadcast, she sent a message during the BBC’s children’s programme to all the children of Britain and the Commonwealth, particularly to those children who were being evacuated for safety reasons.

During their visit to Australia and New Zealand in 1970, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh initiated a new practice – the ‘walkabout’ – to allow them to meet as many people as possible.
In 1977, The Queen marked 25 years as Sovereign. The Silver Jubilee was met with a nationwide tour, Commonwealth visits and celebrations at every level. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh travelled 56,000 miles in total to mark the occasion in as many parts of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth as possible.
On 20 November 1997, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their Golden Wedding. A special garden party for couples celebrating their Golden Wedding was held at Buckingham Palace in July.

In 2006, The Queen celebrated her 80th birthday with a public walkabout in Windsor town centre. She also hosted a lunch for other people celebrating their 80th birthday on the same day, and enjoyed a family dinner at Kew Palace.
In 2011, Her Majesty undertook an historic visit to Ireland, the first visit by a British monarch since Ireland gained independence.
The Queen attends the Derby at Epsom, one of the classic flat races in Britain, and the Summer Race Meeting at Ascot, which has been a Royal occasion since 1911.
As an owner and breeder of thoroughbreds, she often visits other race meetings to watch her horses run, and also frequently attends equestrian events.

The Queen’s horses have won races at Royal Ascot on a number of occasions. There was a notable double on 18 June 1954, when Landau won the Rous Memorial Stakes and a stallion called Aureole won the Hardwicke Stakes; in 1957, The Queen had four winners during Royal Ascot week.
Other interests include walking in the countryside and working her Labradors, which were bred at Sandringham.
A lesser-known interest is Scottish country dancing. Each year during her stay at Balmoral Castle, The Queen gives dances known as Gillies’ Balls, for neighbours, estate and Castle staff and members of the local community.