Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th Birthday - Her Life In Pictures
Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her official 90th birthday on 11 June 2016.
Britain is coming together to celebrate, with street parties popping up all over the country and pubs staying open extra late.
On Saturday The Trooping of the Colour will kick off in the morning, along with a carriage parade. The Royal Family will then take to the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the RAF flypast.
The next day in London a mass party for 10,000 people will be held on The Mall. Revellers will crack into a giant picnic in honour of Her Majesty.
The longest serving monarch in the history of Britain, Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1953, aged just 25.
But when she was born in 1926, it was not expected that the baby girl christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary would ever become queen. She was third in line to the throne after Edward, Prince of Wales, and her father, The Duke of York.
She spent the early part of her life living at 145 Piccadilly, her parent’s London home, and at White Lodge in Richmond Park.
When her grandfather died in 1936, Elizabeth’s uncle was crowned King Edward VIII. But, within a year, Edward abdicated the throne in order to marry the woman he loved. Elizabeth’s father then acceded to the throne as King George VI, and Elizabeth was the first in line.
Elizabeth announced her engagement to Phillip Mountbatten in July 1947, and they married later that year. The couple’s first child, Prince Charles, was born in 1948, and his younger sister Anne two years later.
In 1952, King George VI died following a prolonged illness, and Elizabeth immediately became Queen. Her coronation took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey.
During The Queen’s reign there have been 12 British Prime Ministers, seven Archbishops of Canterbury and seven popes.
Her Majesty has acted as a patron or president of more than 600 charities, and has completed a record number of overseas engagements.
As well as her official engagements, Queen Elizabeth II has always found time to indulge her passions - horses and dogs. She is an owner and breeder of thoroughbred horses, and frequently attends racing meets to watch her horses run.
As she celebrates this milestone birthday, we take a look back at her life with a picture from each year:
