On April 21st, 2016, HM Queen Elizabeth II will turn 90 years old, becoming the first British monarch in history to do so. At 63 years and counting, her reign is the longest in British history, having surpassed Queen Victoria’s record on September 9th last year. Over the course of this remarkable period, the Queen has been to 128 countries on around 270 official visits, where she has met a plethora of world leaders, countless subjects and many millions of admirers. To celebrate this historic birthday, The Gentleman’s Journal gives you a photographic insight in to the life of the most famous woman in the world.
1928 – A two year old Princess Elizabeth. Photograph: Marcus Adams/Camera Press
1936 – Princess Elizabeth with the Queen Mother. Photograph: Rex Features
1940 – Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret make a broadcast to the children of the Empire. Photograph: Getty Images
1942 – At 16 years old, Princess Elizabeth registers for war service. Photograph: Getty Images
1944 – King George VI, the Queen Mother and Elizabeth watch a passing Churchill tank. Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty
1945 – Silver gelatin print by Cecil Beaton. Photograph: Cecil Beaton/Victoria and Albert Museum, London
1945 – The Queen with members of the public in the East End of London. The date is 9th May, 1945 – the day after VE day. Photograph: Getty Images
1947 – The Queen and Prince Philip during their honeymoon at Broadlands, Hampshire. Photograph: Getty Images
1947 – The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham palace on their wedding day, the 20th November, 1947. Photograph: Getty Images
1948 – Elizabeth with her firstborn, Charles. Photograph: Associated Press
1951 – Elizabeth with President Harry S. Truman. Photograph: George Skadding/The LIFE picture collection
1953 – Elizabeth’s Coronation, which took place in Westminster Abbey, was watched by over 20 million. Many of these people had bought their first television set in order to watch this historic occasion. Photograph: AP
1953 – The Queen on her Coronation Day. Photograph: Associated Press
1953 – The official portrait taken by Cecil Beaton after the ceremony. Photograph: Cecil Beaton/Camera Press
1953 – Elizabeth with Winston Churchill. Many years after this photo was taken, the Queen was asked which PM she enjoyed meeting with the most. Her reply: “Winston of course, because it was always such fun.” Photograph: Central Press / Getty Images
1954 – The Queen on her way to a garden party in Sydney during her first state visit to Australia. Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images
1956 – The Queen meeting film stars (including Marilyn Monroe, second from the right). Photograph: Harry Myers
1956 – The Queen with Marilyn Monroe. Photograph: Press Association
1957 – Queen Elizabeth (holding the video camera) and Princess Margaret at the horse shows in Badminton, Gloucestershire. Photograph: Associated Press
1958 – The Queen and Prince Philip pose for a portrait in Buckingham Palace. Photograph: Getty Images
1958 – The Queen visiting Rothes Colliery, Fife, where she spent about half an hour underground while inspecting the mine. Photograph: Press Association
1960 – Princess Anne, the Duke of Edinburgh, a baby Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles at Balmoral. Photograph: Associated Press
1961 – Elizabeth and Philip with the Kennedys at Buckingham Palace. Photograph: Getty Images
1963 – Queen Elizabeth inspects troops shortly after arriving ashore at Newstead Wharf in Brisbane, Australia. Photograph: Getty Images
1966 – Queen Elizabeth presents England football captain Bobby Moore with the World Cup Trophy. Photograph: Associated Press
1966 – Commissioned by the Postmaster General, John Hedgecoe’s iconic profile shot of the Queen has been reproduced some 200 billion times. Photograph: John Hedgecoe
1966 – Queen Elizabeth is shown a model of a Concorde at the British Aircraft Corporation’s facilties in Filton, Bristol. Photograph: Gamma-Keystone
1967 – The Queen visiting her coronation regalia and the Crown Jewels. Photograph: Edward Sampson
1969 – Queen Elizabeth with US astronauts Michael Collins, Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. Photograph: Associated Press
1969 – Elizabeth formally invests Prince Charles with the Coronet of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle. Photograph: Press Association
1970 – The Queen passes a fainted guardsman while inspecting the troops during the Trooping the Colour parade. Photograph: Getty Images
1972 – The Queen on board HMY Britannia. The photographer, Lichfield, had just been pushed in to the pool, prompting the Queen’s laughter. Photograph: Patrick Lichfield
1979 – The queen on a state visit to Oman. Photograph: Associated Press
1980 – The Queen visits the Vatican for the first time. Photograph: Associated Press
1982 – While Staying at Windsor Castle, Ronald Regan indulges the Queen by accompanying her riding – her favourite pastime. Photograph: Georges De Keerle
1983 – The Queen presents Mother Theresa of Calcutta with the Honorary Order of Merit. Photograph: Associated Press
1984 – Elizabeth, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher at a banquet following the London Economic Summit. Photograph: Press Association
1984 – Queen Elizabeth inspects the Royal Regiment of Artillery in Dortmund, Germany. Photograph: Getty Images
1985 – The Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Photograph: Getty Images
1986 – Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh on the Great Wall of China. Elizabeth made history by being the first British Monarch to travel to mainland China (and, by default, as the first to walk on the Great Wall). Photograph: PA
1989 – The Queen with Mikhail Gorbachev, the President of the Soviet Union, during his official visit to Britain. Photograph: Andre De Wet/AFP
1991 – The Queen at work in her study onboard the the Royal Yacht Britannia. Photograph: Camera Press
1991 – Elizabeth with President George H.W. Bush. Photograph: Tim Graham/Getty Images
1993 – The Queen fires an SA80 assault rifle at the National Shooting Centre, Bisley. Photograph: Rex Features
2000 – Philip and the Queen toast the millenium at the Millenium Dome, London. Photograph: Arthur Edwards
2000 – Elizabeth with Nelson Mandela at Buckingham Palace. Photograph: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
2001 – The Queen sitting for Lucian Freud. Photograph: David Dawson
2003 – A startled Queen taking tea with Eton schoolboys. Photograph: Mark Stewart
2001 – The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. Photograph: Getty Images
2006 – The Queen, sitting in the Regency Room, looks at some of the birthday cards that were sent to her for her 80th Birthday. Photograph: Press Association
2007 – A portrait of Elizabeth captured by photographer Annie Leibowitz. Photograph: Annie Leibowitz
2007 – The Queen with George W. Bush on the balcony of the White House. Photograph: Anwar Hussein
2010 – The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh wear 3d glasses while at a film screening at Pinewood Studios in Toronto, Canada. Photograph: John Stillwell
2011 – The Queen makes a toast during the banquet that was given in honour of President Barack Obama’s first visit to Britain. Photograph: WPA Pool/Getty Images
2011 – President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama pose with Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. Photograph: Associated Press
2012 – The Official Diamond Jubilee portrait. Photograph: John Swannell/Royal Household
2013 – The Queen pictured at Royal Ascot moments after her horse, Estimate, wins the Gold Cup. Photograph: Paul Grover/The Telegraph
2014 – Angelina Jolie is made an honorary Dame in recognition of her campaigning against sexual violence. Photograph:Press Association
The Queen with her box of official papers. Photograph: David Secombe
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