Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign is reflected by her presence almost everywhere in the UK, from stamps and banknotes to her royal cypher on post boxes.
The queen has been on the throne since she was 25, an ever-present figure for the lives of most people in Britain, as well as one of the most recognisable people around the world.
Her popularity with the public has remained consistently high, even as deference lessened and attitudes changed towards the monarchy over the decades.
“The only monarch most of us in this country have ever known and the rock to which our nation and our people have been anchored throughout all that the past 70 years have thrown at us,” said Boris Johnson in parliament, paying tribute to the queen in the run-up to four days of celebrations of her reign.
Jubilees to remember
The platinum jubilee is only the ninth jubilee celebration by a British monarch since King George III in 1809.
Both the current ruler and Queen Victoria, who ruled from 1837 to 1901, have had silver, golden and diamond events to mark their 25th, 50th and 60th years as monarch.
But Elizabeth II is the only one to celebrate her 70th year on the throne.
The queen, 96, achieved the milestone in February, and nationwide events to commemorate her platinum jubilee, including a thanksgiving service and a music concert outside Buckingham Palace, will take place from June 2 to June 5.
At her silver jubilee in 1977, about one million people thronged central London to see the monarch during a carriage procession, while she also made a River Thames boat trip and toured 36 counties of the UK with her husband Prince Philip.
A limited number of new 25-pence coins were minted and the London Underground's newest addition was named the Jubilee Line.
With the UK economy on the skids in 1977, not everyone felt like partying.
The Sex Pistols released their anti-authoritarian punk anthem God Save The Queen, which was banned by the BBC.
“These 25 years have seen much change for Britain,” Queen Elizabeth said at the time in a speech to parliament.
“No longer an imperial power, we have been coming to terms with what this means for ourselves and for our relations with the rest of the world.”
The golden jubilee in 2002 defied expectations of cynicism and apathy. The 1990s had been marked by a trio of royal divorces, a fire at Windsor Castle and Princess Diana's death.
That, and a plunge in the popularity of the royal family, led to predictions the event would be a flop.
But the festivities again saw nationwide communal street parties, with Union Jacks in abundance.
A Buckingham Palace garden pop concert in front of 12,000 people was crowned by Queen guitarist Brian May playing the national anthem on the roof, as a million people filled the streets outside.
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Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her platinum jubilee in 2022. 'The National' looks back at jubilee celebrations during her reign. All photos: Getty Images -
A portrait of the queen is displayed on the large screen at Piccadilly Circus in London to mark the start of the platinum jubilee in February. -
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Prince William, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Price Harry wave to the crowds from Buckingham Palace during the diamond jubilee celebrations in June 2012. -
Queen Elizabeth is joined on stage by Prince Charles and performers during the diamond jubilee celebrations at a Buckingham Palace concert in June 2012. -
Queen Elizabeth arrives at St Paul's Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving in June 2012 to mark her diamond jubilee. -
Queen Elizabeth meets Sir Elton John, Sir Cliff Richard, Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Tom Jones and Sir Paul McCartney backstage after the diamond jubilee Buckingham Palace concert in June 2012. -
Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on board the 'Spirit of Chartwell' during the diamond jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. -
British expatriates living in New Delhi, India, take rides on Rupa, a rented elephant, at an event to celebrate the diamond jubilee at the British High Commission in June 2012. -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attend a diamond jubilee event at Stormont in Belfast, Northern Ireland. -
The queen's barge 'Spirit of Chartwell' passes under Tower Bridge in London, as part of her diamond jubilee Pageant on the River Thames. -
Queen Elizabeth chats to people attending a street party in Sunderland, north-east England as part of her diamond jubilee tour in July 2012. -
Members of the public admire a large floral crown made to mark the diamond jubilee in St James's Park, London in May 2012. -
The queen receives flowers from members of the public in Victoria Square, Birmingham during her diamond jubilee visit in July 2012. -
Members of the public cheer and wave flags as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip embark from Chelsea Harbour in London on the first part of their jubilee river pageant to celebrate the diamond jubilee in June 2012. -
Queen Elizabeth meets members of the public during a visit to Leeds, northern England to celebrate her diamond jubilee in July 2012. -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip ride in the Golden State Carriage at the head of a parade from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral celebrating her golden jubilee in June 2002. -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip watch a fireworks display to celebrate her golden jubilee at Buckingham Palace in June 2002. -
Queen Elizabeth is welcomed to Wells, south-west England during a tour of the UK in May 2002 to celebrate her golden jubilee. -
Queen Elizabeth and her family wave to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during celebrations of her golden jubilee in June 2002. -
Lina Sultana, 8, has her face painted at a golden jubilee street party in June 2002 in Stepney, east London. -
A dog sports a Union flag during the golden jubilee celebrations in Stepney in 2002. -
Queen Elizabeth addresses the British Parliament in the run-up to her silver jubilee at Westminster Hall, London in May 1977. -
Residents in celebrate in Brixton, south London, after they won a competition for the best decorated street to celebrate the silver jubilee in June 1977. -
A double-decker bus in livery commemorating the silver jubilee on the Thames Embankment in London. -
A young boy holding two British flags and a cup with the jubilee logo, celebrates the silver jubilee in Trafalgar Square, central London in June 1977. -
Vic Hiscoke shows his support of the British monarch during her silver jubilee in June 1977. -
Queen Elizabeth in Deptford, south-east London, during a walkabout to commemorate her silver jubilee in June 1977. -
People celebrate the silver jubilee in Fulham, south-west London in May 1977. -
A Scots Guard takes a picture during the silver jubilee celebrations at Buckingham Palace. -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the River Thames travelling from Greenwich to Lambeth, London in June 1977.
“It has been a pretty remarkable 50 years by any standards,” the queen said in 2002.
“There have been ups and downs but anyone who can remember what things were like after those six long years of war appreciates what immense changes have been achieved since then.
“I think we can look back with measured pride.”
The 2012 diamond jubilee came in the same year that London hosted the Olympics and Paralympics.
The celebrations saw a river pageant, beacons lit, a thanksgiving service and another pop concert.
Prince Charles, in its closing speech, thanked his “mummy” for “making us proud to be British”, to huge cheers.
A slimmed-down Buckingham Palace balcony appearance featured the queen, Prince Charles and his family, signalling the monarchy's future direction.
Platinum queen with a sense of humour
Difficulties in walking and standing have made her dwindling number of public appearances in recent years decline even further. She made a trip to the Chelsea Flower Show and the Windsor Horse Show this month, but missed the State Opening of Parliament for only the third time.
Her eldest son and heir Prince Charles, 73, has gradually assumed more responsibilities to prepare for the time when he takes over.
Prince William is second in line to the throne and his son, Prince George, is third, meaning Britain is unlikely to have another reigning queen for quite some time.
The queen still regularly hosts foreign dignitaries and diplomats. According to those who know her, she remains sharp as a tack and has a “delightful sense of humour”.
Royal biographer Penny Junor said: “We all saw a different side with the queen … when she went along with that James Bond spoof … for the opening of the London Olympics.
“What the queen has is a very professional front that she has shown the world in her professional role and a very mischievous and delightful sense of humour that she has in private and that her family see.”
In a short, tongue-in-cheek film broadcast to a packed London Stadium and a massive worldwide television audience, the queen met James Bond actor Daniel Craig and boarded a helicopter with him. Stunt doubles for the pair then skydived into the stadium, before the real queen took her seat.
She is also said to be a good mimic. “She has entertained privately members of her family with impersonations of various world leaders,” said Charles Rae, former royal correspondent at The Sun newspaper.
The death in April last year of Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, inevitably affected her deeply and she cut a lonely figure at his funeral, which was held under coronavirus restrictions.
She has spent most of her time at her favoured Windsor Castle home west of London, after leaving Buckingham Palace at the start of the pandemic in early 2020.
An unexpected queen
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in London on April 21, 1926 and only became queen by an accident of history.
Her father became King George VI in 1936 when his elder brother Edward VIII abdicated to marry a twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson.
That made Princess “Lilibet” heir to the throne.
As German bombs rained down on London in the Second World War, she and her younger sister Margaret were evacuated to Windsor.
At the age of 19, she became an army mechanic and driver on the Home Front, endearing herself to the country for her part in the war effort.
At 21, she married Philip Mountbatten, the son of a Greek prince, at a ceremony that brought a dash of glamour to austere, post-war Britain.
The couple were in Kenya on February 6, 1952 when news reached them of her father's death, making her the new monarch.
She returned to Britain immediately and on June 2, 1953 was crowned queen of the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka).
Currently, she is head of state in the UK and 14 Commonwealth countries.
Queen of the Commonwealth
Mr Johnson said the people of the UK and the Commonwealth, the group of 54 countries which the queen also heads, would be unabashed in celebrating not the institution but the individual who wore the crown.
“This remarkable woman who by God and her right has led her country through good times and bad,” he will say, “who has dedicated her life to her people, to her beloved Commonwealth, to the very idea of what a constitutional monarchy can and should be.”
With a sense of duty instilled in her since childhood, the queen has carried out hundreds of engagements each year, from receptions for foreign dignitaries to awarding civilian and military honours, and royal visits around the world.
She spent an unscheduled night in hospital last October after undergoing unspecified tests. Doctors have since advised her to rest and reduce her workload.
For support in fulfilling her duties, she has turned to her immediate family but one without two notable members — second son Prince Andrew and grandson Prince Harry.
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Workers add the final parts to the Tree of Trees sculpture, part of the Queen's Green Canopy Project. The sculpture, which will stand outside Buckingham Palace for the duration of the queen's platinum jubilee celebrations, consists of 350 native British trees planted in aluminium pots. Getty Images -
Thomas Heatherwick, designer of the Tree of Trees sculpture, poses in front of Buckingham Palace. AFP -
Royal superfan John Loughrey jumps for joy on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London, where he is already camped out for a prime position to view the platinum jubilee celebrations. PA -
Model-maker Paula Young places a Lego replica of Queen Elizabeth II in a display replicating the royal balcony scene at Buckingham Palace for the Legoland platinum jubilee display in Windsor. PA -
British Union flags are on display at Kirby Estate in London. EPA -
The gold state coach passes the Houses of Parliament during an early morning rehearsal through London for Sunday's platinum jubilee pageant. PA -
Workers hang bunting outside a hotel in central London. Reuters -
Voyager and Rivet Joint aircraft perform in the sky for the queen's platinum jubilee fly-past rehearsal in Sleaford. EPA -
A view from a cockpit during the rehearsal. PA -
Royal Marines drummers play for residents of Church Hill near Birmingham. The nationwide celebrations will mark the 70th anniversary of the queen's accession to the throne. PA -
The 15-kilogram Queen's Platinum Jubilee coin, made with fine gold, is the largest coin made by the Royal Mint, produced in celebration of her 70-year milestone. PA -
Chelsea Pensioners Ted Fell, left, and George Reid pose as they view 'The Queen's Platinum Jubilee' display by Simon Lycett at Chelsea Flower Show in London. Reuters -
Union flags are displayed along The Mall in London. AP -
Fiona Baxter makes Union flags at the Flying Colours Flagmakers factory in Knaresborough. Getty Images -
People stand underneath Union Jack flags hanging in Covent Garden, London. Reuters -
Construction work at Buckingham Palace in London before Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee. EPA -
A display paying homage to Queen Elizabeth II is shown outside the Sloane Club in London, as part of 'Chelsea in Bloom'. AP -
One of eight London buses given a purple makeover to celebrate the jubilee makes its way across central London. PA -
Jemma Melvin poses in Fortnum and Mason, central London, with her lemon Swiss roll trifle that beat 5,000 desserts to become the official pudding of the jubilee celebrations. PA -
A man has his photograph taken next to a life-size cardboard cut-out of Queen Elizabeth II displayed in a shop in Windsor. Getty Images -
Flags designed by British fashion illustrator Anjelica Roselyn on display across South Molton Street in Mayfair to celebrate the jubilee. PA -
People pass a shop window display commemorating the platinum jubilee in Windsor. Getty Images -
A knitted figure of the queen is displayed on top of a post box in Wallasey. Reuters -
Temporary structures are built around Buckingham Palace for the celebrations. Reuters -
Linda Bainbridge and Miyuki Griffin put finishing touches to The Crown, Orb and Sceptre exhibit as part of 'A Festival of Flowers' at Salisbury Cathedral. PA -
A glittering banner stretches across Carnaby Street shopping district in London. EPA -
Lewis Wilde from Selkirk tests a gas-fuelled beacon he has made to signal the start of the celebrations, which will culminate with a four-day bank holiday in June. PA -
The gold state coach stands in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace. The coach will be used as part of the jubilee celebrations. Getty Images -
Union flags decorate a street Mayfair, London. EPA -
Puppet-maker Louise Jones puts the finishing touches to her group of corgis, each based on past and present royal corgis, for the platinum jubilee pageant. AP Photo -
Grounds staff change bedding plants outside Buckingham Palace. Getty Images -
A member of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets holding the Commonwealth of Nations' Globe on its arrival at the Tower of London. It will be on display until June 2, when it will be used to light Buckingham Palace's principal beacon. PA -
Power stilt artist Bouncy Bruce performs at the final unveiling of the platinum jubilee pageant at Bafta in London's West End. Reuters -
Workers place a decorative crown at the top of a flag pole facing Buckingham Palace. Reuters -
Abbey Marshall Leticia Edwards looks out at the view from the Henry VII roof of Westminster Abbey, which will be open to the public for the first time for guided tours, as part of its plans to celebrate the jubilee. PA -
Members of the Household Cavalry during a musical ride rehearsal at Hyde Park in London for the Royal Windsor horse show, as part of the jubilee celebration. Reuters -
A gardener sows seeds into the moat surrounding the Tower of London that will grow into a 'superbloom' display to celebrate the jubilee later this year. Reuters -
Gilder Claire Wright applies gold paint by hand as she works to produce a platinum jubilee commemorative beaker for Goviers, as part of its Royal Commemoratives collection. AFP -
Members of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment take part in the Maj Gen's Inspection in Hyde Park. The ceremonial unit must pass the inspection to take part in state duties. EPA
Prince Andrew, often considered to be her favourite son, has been stripped of his royal functions due to his links to the convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Prince Harry quit royal life in 2020 and moved to the US, from where he and his wife Meghan accused the family of racism.
Over the decades, the queen has been seen as a rock of stability in the turbulence of royal life.
In 1992 — a year she called her “annus horribilis” — three of her four children split from their partners and Windsor Castle went up in flames.
But she faced criticism in 1997 for misjudging the public mood after the death of Princess Diana in a Paris car crash, by initially refusing to return to London and fly the flag at half-mast over Buckingham Palace.
Never complain, never explain
Even though she makes a recorded televised address every Christmas Day, she has never given an interview and is careful not to divulge her personal opinions.
As head of a constitutional monarchy, she is politically neutral and her weekly private conservations with the prime minister of the day about current issues remain exactly that — private.
Summers have typically meant a stay at her Balmoral retreat in north-east Scotland, where she swaps her self-styled “uniform” of formal hats and matching outfits for the country look, complete with a simple headscarf and Wellington boots.
An avid owner of corgis and a horse rider since she was young, she was still in the saddle as she moved into her 90s.
“Almost everybody knows the queen has a great love of racing but I think possibly people don't recognise that she has effectively all but raced herself,” author of The Queen and historian Matthew Dennison said.
“It was a royal family tradition in the early years of the queen's reign that during Ascot week the royal family themselves would race before the racing … the queen and members of her family did indeed ride extremely fast over the course.
“I think somewhere there, there's a kind of poignancy because in moving incredibly quickly on horseback among a group of family, trusted courtiers and close friends, there's a kind of freedom that obviously she didn't very often have.”
Her mobility issues have prevented her taking up her love of riding recently, but her love of horses remains evident.
Her platinum jubilee will not have the international tour that marked previous jubilees, but her incredible reign will be met with respect across the globe.
A record-breaking queen
Queen Elizabeth II has notched up a number of milestones in her record-breaking 70 years on the throne.
She has reigned for 70 years and nearly four months, longer than any other monarch in British history.
The previous record was held by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, seven months and two days until 1901.
At 96, Queen Elizabeth II is the oldest current monarch and head of state in the world.
Only two kings have ruled for longer: France's Louis XIV — more than 72 years between 1643 and 1715 — and Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej — 70 years and four months, until his death in October 2016.
The queen has travelled to more than 100 countries since 1952 — another record for a British monarch — and made more than 150 visits to Commonwealth countries.
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Sheikh Zayed, the Founding President, meets Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in June 1969. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as they meet for an audience at Windsor Castle in March 2022. AFP -
Queen Elizabeth receives Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman during an audience at Windsor Castle in December 2021. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth with US President Joe Biden in the Grand Corridor during their visit to Windsor Castle in June 2021. Getty Images -
French President Emmanuel Macron and Queen Elizabeth chat as they arrive at a reception for the queen at The Eden Project in Cornwall, during the G7 Summit in June 2021. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Queen Rania during a private audience at Buckingham Palace in February 2019. Getty Images -
Former US president Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth inspect a Guard of Honour at Windsor Castle in July 2018. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth greets Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand, in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace in April 2018. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth greets Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during a private audience at Buckingham Palace in March 2018. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets the Sultan of Brunei during a private audience at Buckingham Palace in December 2017. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and King Felipe VI of Spain ride in a carriage during a state visit by the king and queen of Spain, at Buckingham Palace in July 2017. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip pose with Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez ahead of a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in November 2016. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Buckingham Palace in November 2015. Getty Images -
President of China Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan accompany Queen Elizabeth as they arrive for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in October 2015. Getty Images -
President of Mexico Enrique Pena Nieto is shown Mexican items in the Royal Collection by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in March 2015. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth walks around the Paris Flower Market with former French president Francois Hollande in June 2014. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth shows Irish President Michael D Higgins Irish related items from the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle in April 2014. It was the first official visit by an Irish head of state to the UK. Getty Images -
Pope Francis welcomes Queen Elizabeth for a private audience during a visit to Rome in April 2014. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets former German chancellor Angela Merkel at Buckingham Palace in February 2014. Getty Images -
Former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai attends an audience with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in October 2013. Getty Images -
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle in April 2013. Getty Images -
Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, poses with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle in November 2012. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip greet Bahrain's King Hamad as he arrives at Windsor Castle in May 2012. Getty Images -
Former US President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth and Michelle Obama arrive at Winfield House, London, the residence of the ambassador of the US, in May 2011. Getty Images -
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi in November 2010. Andrew Henderson/The National -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Queen Elizabeth greet spectators at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi in November 2010. Andrew Henderson/The National -
Queen Elizabeth walks towards her plane with former Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said Al Said, at Muscat Airport in November 2010. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip walk with Pope Benedict XVI to the Morning Drawing Room in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's official residence in Scotland, in September 2010. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth with the former president of India, Prathibha Devi Singh Patil, as she arrived in Windsor for a state visit in October 2009. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth accompanied by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a David Beckham-signed football to a Turkish boy at a garden party held for her birthday at the British Embassy in Ankara in May 2008. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah at a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in October 2007. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth chats to former French president Jacques Chirac at Gleneagles, Scotland, in July 2005. Getty Images -
Former US president George W. Bush, Queen Elizabeth, Laura Bush and Prince Philip pose in the music room at Buckingham Palace in November 2003. Getty Images -
Russian President Vladimir Putin is accompanied by Queen Elizabeth during a procession on The Mall, London, in June 2003. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth with the late president Nelson Mandela of South Africa riding in a carriage on The Mall in London, in July 1996. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip sit with former US president Bill Clinton at a banquet held at Portsmouth Guildhall in June 1994. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are greeted by former US president George Bush and Barbara Bush at the White House during a state visit to the US in May 1991. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Li Xiannian, the former president of China, standing outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in October 1986. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are met by former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi and president Zail Singh at Palam Airport during a tour of India in November 1983. Getty Images -
Former US president Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth at a gala dinner at Windsor Castle in June 1982. Getty Images -
The late Pope John Paul II with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in May 1982. Getty Images -
Former US president Gerald Ford dancing with Queen Elizabeth at a ball at the White House during the Bicentennial Celebrations of the Declaration of Independence, in July 1976. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth with then Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito during a state visit to Yugoslavia in October 1972. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip pictured with former French president Georges Pompidou and his wife Claude Pompidou at the British Embassy in Paris in May 1972. Getty Images -
Former US president Richard Nixon, Queen Elizabeth, and former British prime minister Edward Heath walking in the rose garden at Chequers, the prime minister's official residence in England, in October 1970. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth stands next to former president Heinrich Lubke of West Germany in Bonn during a state visit in May 1965. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip meeting Pope John XXIII at the Vatican in May 1961. Getty Images -
Prince Philip, Princess Anne, former US president Dwight D. Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Capt John Eisenhower, at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, in September 1959. Getty Images -
West German President Theodor Heuss travels by landau from Victoria Station in London to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by Queen Elizabeth, in October 1958. Getty Images -
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip smiling as former US president Harry Truman gives a speech in Washington, in November 1951. Getty Images
She has been 22 times to Canada — more than any other country. In Europe, she has visited France the most — 13 times — and speaks the language.
The Daily Telegraph calculated that she had travelled the equivalent of 42 times around the world before stopping overseas trips in November 2015, aged 89.
Her longest foreign trip lasted 168 days from November 1953 to May 1954, during which she visited 13 countries.
As queen, she has carried out about 21,000 engagements, given royal assent to 4,000 pieces of legislation and hosted 112 visits by foreign heads of state.
More than 180 garden parties have been held at Buckingham Palace, attended by more than 1.5 million people.
A total of 14 British prime ministers have served under the queen. Her first was Winston Churchill (1952-1955) and the latest is Mr Johnson, since 2019.
Queen Elizabeth II has met 13 of the last 14 US presidents, the exception being Lyndon B Johnson. Her last visitor from the White House was Joe Biden in 2021.
The queen is the supreme governor of the Church of England, a position dating back to the creation of the church under King Henry VIII in the 16th century.
She has met four popes on official visits — John XXIII (1961), John Paul II (1980, 1982 and 2000), Benedict XVI (2010) and Francis I (2014).
The queen has sent about 300,000 cards of congratulation to centenarians and more than 900,000 to couples celebrating 60 years of marriage.
She was married for 73 years — another record for a British monarch. Her husband Prince Philip died aged 99 in April last year.
The queen has posed for more than 200 portraits since the age of 7.
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Queen Elizabeth II meets American actress and model Marilyn Monroe at the premiere for the film 'Battle of River Plate' in London in 1956. Getty Images -
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie is presented with the Insignia of an Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in 2014. Getty Images -
Legendary American singer Frank Sinatra bows as he is presented to a smiling Queen Elizabeth at the premiere for film 'Me and the Colonel', in London in 1958. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets Sir Elton John, Sir Cliff Richard, Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Tom Jones and Sir Paul McCartney backstage after the diamond jubilee Buckingham Palace concert in June 2012. Getty Images -
Star of the silent film era Charlie Chaplin greets Queen Elizabeth during the premiere of 'Limelight' at the Empire cinema in Leicester Square, London, 1952. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets pop star Madonna at the world premiere of James Bond movie 'Die Another Day' in London. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth speaks to singer Lady Gaga after the 2009 Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool. Getty Images -
A television screen grab image taken on July 29, 2012, shows footage featured during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games starring British actor Daniel Craig (L) playing James Bond escorting Britain's Queen Elizabeth II through the corridors of Buckingham Palace. (Photo by LOCOG / AFP) -
Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar David Beckham at Buckingham Palace in 2018. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez backstage at the Dominion Theatre in London in 2001. Getty Images -
1990s girl band The Spice Girls meet Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Command Performance in 1997. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth receives an honorary Bafta from actor and director Kenneth Branagh in recognition of a lifetime's support to British Film and Television, at Windsor Castle in 2013. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets tennis royalty in 2010, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, as she attends Wimbledon Championships. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth watches Dame Helen Mirren delivering a speech from Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' at a dramatic arts reception in the ballroom of the Buckingham Palace in 2014. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth greets Italian operatic tenor Andrea Bocelli at the Royal Variety Performance in 2012. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets former One Direction member Liam Payne after the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in 2018. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and American singer and actress Bette Midler chat after the Royal Variety Performance in 2009. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth greets Penny Lancaster and pop star Rod Stewart at St James's Palace in 2013. Getty Images -
British tennis great Andy Murray meets Queen Elizabeth at Wimbledon in 2010. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets Star Wars and Indiana Jones creator George Lucas at Windsor Castle in 2013. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth shakes the hand of former James Bond actor Sir Roger Moore at Windsor Castle in 2006. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and former Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox attend a reception at the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 2016. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth presents artist David Hockney with the Order of Merit at Buckingham Palace in 2012. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets comic actor Rowan Atkinson and 'X-Files' star Gillian Anderson at Buckingham Palace in 2012. Getty Images -
Cinema stars Veronica Hurst and Rock Hudson are introduced to Queen Elizabeth in Leicester Square, London, in 1952. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets horror film actor Christopher Lee at Windsor Castle in 2013. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth talks to British boxer Anthony Joshua at the Commonwealth Day Service in 2020. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and former Take That frontman Gary Barlow on stage as part of her diamond jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace in 2012. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth presents jockey Frankie Dettori with his award for winning The Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in 2018. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth greets Australian singer Kylie Minogue, as American singer Neil Diamond looks on at the Royal Variety Performance in 2012. Getty Images -
Hollywood star Rex Harrison meets Queen Elizabeth at the premiere of the film 'Dr Dolittle' in London, in 1967. Getty Images -
Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal meets Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in 2012. Getty Images -
Members of the band Girls Aloud smile as Queen Elizabeth attends the Royal Variety Performance in 2012. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets the show's stars on a visit to the set of the long-running television soap opera Coronation Street, in 2021. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets actress Joan Collins and singer Shirley Bassey at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2012. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with actress Carey Mulligan at Windsor Castle in 2013. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth greets Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist Bill Gates at Windsor Castle in 2021. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne at Windsor Castle in 2013. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth sits next to editor-in-chief of 'Vogue' Anna Wintour as she visits London Fashion Week in 2018. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth meets British artist Tracey Emin while visiting the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate, in 2011. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth welcomes actress Gemma Arterton to a reception at Buckingham Palace in 2014. Getty Images
In 1996, the queen became the first British monarch to visit mainland China. In 1991 she was the first to address the House of Representatives in Washington.
She sent her first email on March 26, 1976 during a visit to a Ministry of Defence research centre.
In 1997, she launched the Buckingham Palace website and in 2014 sent her first tweet. Three years ago, she made her debut on Instagram.
The queen is the only monarch to have jumped out of a helicopter with James Bond and parachuted into the opening ceremony of the Olympics … kind of.
