Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years and 214 days — the longest reign of any British monarch and the second-longest of any sovereign in recorded history. She came to the throne on 6 February 1952 and died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral in Scotland.
The reign in numbers
- 15 Prime Ministers, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss.
- 14 Commonwealth realms at her death.
- 21,000 official engagements during her reign.
- 4 Jubilees — Silver (1977), Golden (2002), Diamond (2012) and Platinum (2022).
Further reading: a related editorial guide on this topic opens in a new window for additional context.
Coronation and accession
Elizabeth was crowned on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey. Her coronation was the first to be televised, watched by an estimated 27 million people in the UK alone. The ceremony broadly follows a pattern that has been used for British monarchs for over a thousand years.
A changing role
During her reign Britain joined the European Communities (1973), saw devolution to Scotland and Wales (1999), the end of most of the Empire and the transformation of the country into a multicultural democracy. Through it all the Queen remained politically neutral, fulfilling the constitutional principle that the monarch reigns but does not rule.
Why she still appears in the test
Although the test has been updated to reflect King Charles III's accession, candidates may still see questions about Queen Elizabeth II — for example, the year of her coronation (1953) or the year she became monarch (1952). The handbook celebrates her record-breaking reign as a defining feature of modern Britain.
Keep going
- Read the full study notes for Modern Society.
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