Queen Elizabeth II was born via caesarean section at the Mayfair home of her mother’s parents. She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was named Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, with her middle names honoring her paternal great-grandmothers.

Following the death of her father, King George VI, Princess Elizabeth ascended to the throne at the age of 25, becoming Queen Elizabeth II. She became the monarch of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon, as well as the head of the Commonwealth.