Queen Elizabeth II: A look at her life as British royalty

LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch of the UK, died on Thursday, aged 96. The Queen was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London.

She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York - who later became King George VI - and Queen Elizabeth. Going back into time, let's look at her life as British royalty, ruling on the throne for 70 years.

Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 3, in 1929. The Queen was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London.

From the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the newly crowned King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, along with Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose, acknowledged the cheers of the public as they left Westminster Abbey.

King George VI and Princess Elizabeth in the gardens at Windsor Castle, England, July 8, 1946.

Following dinner at Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth stands next to Jacqueline Kennedy with a beaming smile on her face. The Queen and Prince Philip hosted the American president and first lady. Since 1918, no American president had dined at Buckingham Palace prior to this one.

Queen Elizabeth II with a group of local children during her state visit to Mexico, February-March 1975.

To commemorate their diamond wedding anniversary, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip paid a second visit to Broadlands. In November 1947, the royal couple spent their wedding night in Broadlands in Hampshire, which had once belonged to Prince Philip's uncle, Earl Mountbatten.