Elizabeth II (Elizabeth AlexandraMary; born 21 April 1926) is the reigningqueen of 16 independent sovereign statesknown as the Commonwealth realms:

the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia,New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, theBahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea,the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kittsand Nevis. In addition, as Head of theCommonwealth, she is the figurehead of the 54-member Commonwealthof Nations. She is the titular Supreme Governor of the Church of Englandwhere it is the established church.

Elizabeth was educated privately at home. Her father, George VI,became King-Emperor of the British Empire in 1936. She began toundertake public duties during the Second World War, in which she servedin the Auxiliary Territorial Service. After the war and Indian independenceGeorge VI’s title of Emperor of India was abandoned, and the evolution ofthe Empire into the Commonwealth accelerated. In 1947, Elizabeth madethe first of many tours around theCommonwealth, and married PrincePhilip, Duke of Edinburgh. They havefour children: Charles, Anne, Andrewand Edward.

In 1949, George VI became thefirst Head of the Commonwealth, asymbol of the free association of theindependent countries comprisingthe Commonwealth of Nations. Onhis death in 1952, Elizabeth becameHead of the Commonwealth, and constitutional monarch of sevenindependent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada,Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon. Hercoronation in 1953 was the first to be televised. During her reign, whichat 58 years is one of the longest for a British monarch, she becamequeen of 25 other countries within the Commonwealth as they gainedindependence. Between 1956 and 1992, half of her realms, includingSouth Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), becamerepublics.

In 1992, which Elizabeth termed her annus horribilis, meaning horribleyear, two of her sons separated, her daughter divorced, and a severe firedestroyed part of Windsor Castle. Revelations on the state of her eldest sonCharles’s marriage continued, and he divorced in 1996. After the 1997 deathof her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales, the royal familyremained at Balmoral Castle for five days at a time of national mourning,for which they were attacked in sections of the press. Elizabeth and herfamily returned to London the day before Diana’s funeral, appearing inpublic and assuaging much of the public controversy. Elizabeth’s personalpopularity has since remained high. Her Silver and Golden Jubilees werecelebrated in 1977 and 2002 respectively, and planning for her DiamondJubilee in 2012 is underway.