The Queen has died, Buckingham Palace has announced. The monarch passed away at her Balmoral estate in Scotland.
In June, the Queen celebrated 70 years on the throne, making her the UK’s longest reigning monarch.
She has been succeeded by her son, Charles, who is now King of England.
But how was the Queen when she died and how old was she when was she crowned?
Queen Elizabeth II turns 96 today--but her official birthday will be celebrated in June. (PA)
How old is the Queen?
The Queen was born on April 21, 1926, meaning she was 96 years old when she died on September 8, 2022.
Queen Elizabeth II: The Early Years of Princess Elizabeth
Princess Elizabeth waving from the carriage as she drives in London in May 1928 (PA)
Princess Elizabeth arriving at the 16th century church at Balcombe, Sussex, for the wedding of Lady May Cambridge and Captain Henry Abel Smith in 1931 (PA )
The then Duke and Duchess of York with their daughter Princess Elizabeth at her christening on May 1, 1926. It was not expected that Elizabeth would become Queen (PA)
Princess Elizabeth in the park in 1929 (PA )
Princess Elizabeth arriving at Olympia for the Royal Tournament in 1930 (PA)
Princess Elizabeth, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York in 1930 (PA)
Princess Elizabeth and a Highland Regiment drummer, during a visit to Scotland in 1930 (PA )
Princess Elizabeth walking bareheaded through the rain to visit the Royal Tournament at Olympia, London in 1932 (PA)
Two-year-old Princess Margaret with her sister Princess Elizabeth in 1933 (PA)
Princess Elizabeth attends the Exhibition of Disabled Men's Work in 1933 (PA)
Princess Elizabeth (left, later Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister Princess Margaret Rose out for a ride with their nanny in their horse-drawn carriage, in 1933. (PA )
How old was the Queen when she was crowned?
The Queen was the longest reigning monarch of the UK, having been on the throne for 70 years. She became Queen on February 6, 1952, and was crowned the following year on June 2, 1953.
Queen Elizabeth II was only 25 when she became Queen of England.
How many birthdays does the Queen have?
The Queen has been reigning for 70 years and will become the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. (AP)
The Queen had two birthdays–one on the day she was born (April 21) and an official celebration on a Saturday in June.
On her actual birthday, the Queen mostly celebrated privately, but there were usually gun salutes in Hyde Park, Windsor Great Park, and at the Tower of London.
Her June birthday celebration is a more official affair that involves an annual military parade known as Trooping the Colour, which took place on Thursday, June 2, this year.
To celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, the UK had two consecutive bank holidays, on Thursday, June 2, and Friday, June 3.
Why does the Queen have two birthdays?
Seventy photos for 70 years of the Queen’s record-breaking reign
2016: Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to the Prince’s Trust Centre in Kennington, London, to mark the 40th anniversary of the charity (PA)
1953: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (PA)
1957: The Queen, in a gold lame dress, is seen in the Long Library at Sandringham shortly after making the traditional Christmas Day broadcast to the nation. On the desk are portraits of Prince Charles and Princess Anne. The Queen is holding the copy of ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’, from which she read a few lines during her message. The broadcast was televised this year for the first time and was carried by both the BBC and ITV. It was the 25th anniversary of the first radio message to the Commonwealth by her grandfather, King George V (PA)
2007: Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at Broadlands for their Royal Wedding Diamond Anniversary (PA)
1952: The new Queen, Elizabeth II (formerly Princess Elizabeth), returns to Clarence House, London, with the Duke of Edinburgh from London Airport after the sudden death of her father, King George VI. She succeeded the King on his death a day earlier (PA)
1954: Prince Charles and Princess Anne stand with their parents, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following their return from the Commonwealth tour (PA)
1955: Watched by Lady Churchill, Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill bows low to Queen Elizabeth II as he welcomes her and the Duke of Edinburgh to 10 Downing Street for dinner (PA)
1956: The Queen strolls through Windsor Great Park with Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and two of her corgies. The were there to watch the Duke of Edinburgh play polo (PA)
1958: Miners see the Queen wearing white overalls, scarf and helmet and black gumboots during her visit to Rothes Colliery Fifeshire. It was the Queen;s first visit to a coal mine and she spent about half an hour underground visiting the coal face (PA)
1959: Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor joined by Sugar, one of the Royal corgis (PA)
1960: The Queen holding Prince Andrew during an outing in the grounds at Balmoral, Scotland, where the Royal Family are on holiday (PA)
Simply put, the Queen had two birthdays due to British weather.
As the monarch’s birthday is typically celebrated with outdoor events, such as Trooping the Colour, it makes more sense to celebrate in the summer, when there’s a greater chance of nice weather.
But the Queen wasn’t the first monarch to celebrate two birthdays.
According to Royal Museums Greenwich, George II started the tradition in 1748. He moved his birthday celebrations to coincide with the annual military parade, as he thought the public wouldn’t be able to celebrate in November, his actual birth month.
Furthermore, Queen Elizabeth II’s great-grandfather, Edward VII, was born in November, but his birthday was celebrated in May and June throughout his reign.
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