The life of Queen Elizabeth II was remarkable in more ways than one. Born on April 21 in 1926, she was the longest-reigning British monarch in history upon her death on September 8, 2022, at age 96. She also holds the distinction of being the fourth-longest reigning monarch of all time worldwide, having spent 70 years on the throne.
In 1945, before she became queen, Elizabeth joined the women's Auxiliary Territorial Service (a branch of the British Army) and trained as a truck driver and mechanic. She was only 18 years old. Just under 10 years later, she was crowned as Queen Elizabeth II, beginning a reign that for most citizens of Britain and the Commonwealth is the only one they’ve ever known. And in her time as monarch, she worked with 14 British prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Boris Johnson.
The monarch’s life was marked with moments of great joy and fanfare, but also great tragedy. In times of crisis, she never wavered. Even the staunchest anti-royalist might begrudgingly agree that Elizabeth showed a fierce and unfaltering dedication in her role as queen. As the following quotes show, she was always ready to show support in times of need with words of wisdom and empathy, or with witty remarks that showed that even the Queen of England can have a sense of humor.
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