Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death: Her life in the Royal Family in pictures
- Published
On 8 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II died. She had a remarkable life, filled with important duties as the UK's head of state, life-changing moments and a 70-year reign. Newsround looks back at her life in pictures.
Her state funeral took place on Monday 19th September 2022, at 11am. Her life and reign were remembered in a procession through London and services at Westminster Abbey and St George's chapel, Windsor.
Her family and members of the armed forces followed the Queen's coffin as she made her final journey. Millions of people watched the event in person or on TV, and royals, presidents and leaders from all around the world came to pay their respects.
Princess Elizabeth is photographed with her father King George VI. He died in 1952 at the age of 56, which meant his daughter was to take over as Queen.
Elizabeth was crowned at her coronation on 2 June 1953. She stepped into the royal role when she was just 25 years old.
Queen Elizabeth II had many important duties, including being head of the Commonwealth. Here, the Queen and her husband Prince Philip arrived in Tasmania during their Commonwealth Tour of Australia in 1954.
The Queen was photographed meeting people in Nairobi while on a tour in Kenya, another Commonwealth country, in 1983.
Her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, was a huge support for the Queen until his death in 2021. She called him her "strength and stay" throughout her long reign
Another job of the Queen was to give guidance to the UK's prime ministers, which included former Conservative leader Boris Johnson.
The Queen met with 15 prime ministers in total during her 70-year reign, including Winston Churchill in 1952.
The Queen also met with many world leaders. She was photographed here speaking to former US president Barack Obama during his state visit to the UK in 2011.
The Queen delivered a Christmas message to the nation every single year of her reign apart from 1969, when a documentary was released. The Queen decided the family had received enough media coverage that year and decided to write a letter instead.
The Queen also faced some tough moments during her life. There was a terrible fire at Windsor Castle in 1992, where she had spent a lot of her childhood during the war.
The death of Princess Diana also proved to be a very difficult time. Here, the Queen was photographed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the princess who was the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry.
The Queen and her husband Prince Philip were photographed looking at flowers left outside of Buckingham Palace following the death of Princess Diana.
In 2021, The Queen's grandson Harry and his wife Meghan stepped down from royal duties. The couple had spoken about some of the pressures they faced as royals and some of the mental health issues they experienced as a result.
The Queen's husband Prince Philip passed away in 2021 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The Queen had to sit alone at his funeral due to the strict rules that were in place at the time.
Many people found times difficult during the coronavirus pandemic. The Queen encouraged people in the United Kingdom to keep going during a time of national crisis.
Despite the tough moments, there were also many joyous occasions during the Queen's life. This included the wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, who now have three children.
William and Catherine's wedding was a huge national celebration and it was watched by people all over the world.
Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years, celebrating her Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilees. She travelled all over the UK as part of her Diamond Jubilee Tour, which was when this photo was taken.
The Diamond Jubilee was in the same year as the 2012 London Olympics. A stunt-double of the Queen jumped out of a helicopter during the opening ceremony in London. It showed her sense of humour.
The Queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in 2022. There were lots of celebrations all across the country, including a special concert. Her 70 years on the throne made her one of the longest reigning monarchs in the world.
- Published6 June 2023
- Published19 September 2022
- Published19 September 2022
