At the time of her birth on 21 April 1926, the then Princess Elizabeth was third in line to the throne – the eldest daughter of a second son, and thus considered unlikely to rule. Fast-forward 10 years, and she became the heir presumptive, as her uncle abdicated the throne, throwing the country into crisis. In 1947, she married the dashing Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, with the couple staying together for 73 years. While travelling in Kenya in February 1952, she learned that her father had died, and thus her reign began. A mother to four children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, she had eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, and was the longest-reigning British monarch in history. Here is her life in pictures.
