Queen Elizabeth II: Her royal life from coronation to 'The Crown' portrayal

A photo of the original Kenyan tree house-style lodge where Queen Elizabeth II was staying the night she became queen. Then-Princess Elizabeth was deep in the Kenyan forest spotting wildlife from the treetops at the moment her father, King George VI, died on Feb. 6, 1952, at Sandringham. This picture was taken on April 10, 2021, at Treetops Lodge in Aberdare National Park in Kenya.

She was 25, married and the mother of two when her father George VI died Feb. 6, 1952. She was in Kenya on holiday, staying in a treetop hotel, and became queen without even knowing it at first. Two days later, she arrived home, descending the plane steps as queen to meet a line of somber ministers (that's Winston Churchill at the foot of the stairs), and prepared to take up a duty she had anticipated since the age of 10.

General view of the formal ceremony of the proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne, Feb. 8, 1952, in London.

The Archbishop of Canterbury gives the queen a sword prior to her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey.

After the coronation in the Abbey, the queen and her husband, Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, pose in Buckingham Palace.

The coronation culminates in the traditional Buckingham Palace balcony appearance, to wave to the throngs of celebrating Brits on the Mall.

Like her father before her, the queen delivers a speech to the nation every Christmas, one of the only times she speaks her own words, without government scrutiny. This is a screen grab of her first televised Christmas speech, in 1957. "I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct," she told her audience.

The queen gave birth to two more children after she was crowned, including here, Prince Andrew, in 1960, and Prince Edward in 1964. This photo, with Princess Anne, Prince Philip and Prince Charles and one of her ever-present corgis, was taken on the lawn at Balmoral on September 8, 1960.

Prince Charles' investiture as the Prince of Wales, an elaborate ceremony updated for the modern era, took place on July 1, 1969, when he was 20, at the medieval Caernarfon castle in Wales, where tradition holds all early princes of Wales resided. This ceremony, too, was televised for millions around the world. Although he had been Prince of Wales since age 9, the queen waited until he was old enough to understand the significance of the ceremony, in which she invested her heir with the insignia of his principality and Earldom of Chester: a sword, coronet, mantle, gold ring and gold rod. Charles later delivered a speech in the difficult Welsh language.

In March 1981, just before the wedding, the queen, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer looked delighted with each other, at Buckingham Palace in London.

Llong-unseen, never-before-published, behind-the-scenes wedding pictures of the former Lady Diana Spencer and the queen and members of the wedding party were snapped at Buckingham Palace shortly after the wedding by royal relative Lord Patrick Lichfield. The photos are to be auctioned in Boston later in September.

The new heir, Prince William, was born June 21, 1982, and was christened on August 4. The official christening photo featured the queen with her two heirs, Charles and William, plus Princess Diana, Prince Philip and and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at Buckingham Palace.

At the end of November 1992 she spoke at the Guildhall, lunch to mark her 40th anniversary on the throne. She said 1992 was her 'Annus Horribilis' after three of her children divorced or separated, Windsor burned and criticism of the royal family mounted.

The queen and Prince Philip, view the sea of floral tributes to Diana at Buckingham Palace upon their arrival in London. There were even more flowers at Kensington Palace where Diana lived and throughout a grief-stricken country.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, pose with their four children at Clarence House in London, in 2007, at a dinner hosted by Prince Charles to mark the Diamond Wedding Anniversary of their parents. From left, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Prince Edward.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visit the Tower of London's 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' poppy installation on Oct. 16, 2014. The art installation with more than 800,000 ceramic poppies commemorated British military fatalities in WWI.

Queen Elizabeth II on Remembrance Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, travel in a horse-drawn carriage past Buckingham Palace on their way to Horse Guards Parade for the Queen's Birthday Parade, "Trooping the Colour," in London on June 11, 2016.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh wave to guests attending "The Patron's Lunch" celebrations for the queen's 90th birthday celebrations on The Mall on June 12, 2016, in London.

Queen Elizabeth II during the Remembrance ceremony at the Cenotaph in London on Nov. 13, 2016. The ceremony, one of the most important in the royal diary, commemorates British armed forces killed in line of duty since WWI. 

Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Goodenough College during a visit in London on Dec. 1, 2016.

Queen Elizabeth II arrives at St. Mary Magdalene Church in King's Lynn, England, on Jan. 8, 2017.

Queen Elizabeth II tours an exhibition about Fiji during a visit to the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, east England on Jan. 27, 2017.

Queen Elizabeth II in a 2014 picture by David Bailey, released Feb. 6, 2017, to mark her Sapphire Jubilee of 65 years on the throne. She is wearing a suite of sapphire jewelry given to her by her father, King George VI, for her wedding in 1947.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh feed Donna the elephant a banana as they visit the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo on April 11, 2017 in Dunstable, northwest of London.

Queen Elizabeth II was delighted to open an elephant care center at a zoo and tour an independent living scheme for older residents, in Dunstable, northwest of London, on April 11, 2017.

Queen Elizabeth, seen here during Easter festivities at Windsor Castle on April 16, 2017, marked her 91st birthday on April 21.

Some of the queen's grandchildren, including Princesses Eugenie (center) and Beatrice, Duchess Kate of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, welcome the queen to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for Easter services on April 16, 2017.

Here she is smiling at Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in London on April 18, 2018.

Here she is with Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern during a private audience at Buckingham Palace on April 19, 2018, in London.

She stepped out in a skirt and blazer during the unveiling of a panel marking the walkway in Buckingham Palace gardens in relation to the Commonwealth Walkway project on April 18, 2018 in London.

Here she is seen at The Queen's Dinner at Buckingham Palace in London on April 19, 2018.

She was all smiles with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May at the formal opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Buckingham Palace in London on April 19, 2018.

Queen Elizabeth II greets Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the Blue Drawing Room during a reception before The Queen's Dinner during The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Buckingham Palace on April 19, 2018.

Queen Elizabeth II speaks to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson from Windsor Castle for their weekly meeting on March 25, 2020, after the coronavirus pandemic forced her to cancel in-person meetings.

Queen Elizabeth II addresses Britain and the Commonwealth in a special broadcast about the coronavirus pandemic, at Windsor Castle on April 5, 2020.

Queen Elizabeth, decked out in a springtime green with a matching floral hat, made a rare public appearance on March 31, 2021, visiting the Royal Australian Air Force Memorial in honor of the Air Force's 100-year anniversary. 

Queen Elizabeth II sat alone in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle as pallbearers carried in the coffin of her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, during his funeral on April 17, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth, dressed head to toe in blue, visited AG Barr's factory as part of her traditional trip to Scotland for Holyrood Week on June 28, 2021, in Cumbernauld, Scotland. The factory is where the Irn-Bru drink is manufactured.

The queen always pays close attention to her guides when she's visiting a museum or historic place in her kingdom. After officially opening the new Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders' Museum at Stirling Castle in Scotland, she took a look at some of the exhibits that reflect the Highlanders’ proud military history, June 29, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II also visited Skypark in Glasgow to get a briefing from the UK Space Agency and view satellite production, on June 30, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II continued Royal Week in Scotland with a visit to Glasgow's Children's Wood Project, a dedicated green space designed to connect local people with nature through outdoor activities such as gardening, beekeeping and forest schools, on June 30, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II is in Scotland for Royal Week, her annual visit to the north where she will celebrate Scottish history and innovation in visits to businesses, charities and cultural institutions. She went to Stirling on June 29, 2021, to open the new Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders' Museum at Stirling Castle, as patron of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Association.

Queen Elizabeth II emerges from the ancient stones of Stirling Castle after officially opening the new Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders' Museum in Stirling, Scotland, as part of her traditional trip north for Royal Week, on June 29, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II was accompanied by her only daughter, Princess Anne the Princess Royal, when she visited the Children's Wood Project in Glasgow on June 30, 2021, as part of her traditional trip to Scotland for Royal Week.

Queen Elizabeth II and her daughter Princess Anne meet kids roasting marshmallows during a visit to the Children's Wood Project in Glasgow on June 30, 2021, as part of the queen's traditional trip to Scotland for Royal Week. The monarch also was gifted a jar of honey from the hives operated on the site.

Queen Elizabeth II visited Manchester Cathedral in northwest England on July 8, 2021.

Inside the studio set of the Rovers Return pub, the queen met more cast and crew of "Coronation Street," on July 8, 2021 in Manchester.

Queen Elizabeth II strolled the cobblestones of "Coronation Street," where she met cast and crew during a visit to mark the 60th birthday of the long-running soap opera, in Manchester on July 8, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II unveiled a plaque commemorating her visit to Manchester Cathedral on July 8, 2021 in Manchester, England.

Queen Elizabeth II meets representatives of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery to mark the 150th Anniversary of the foundation of A and B Batteries, at Windsor Castle, on Oct. 6, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II at the gates of Buckingham Palace as she launches the baton relay for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, on Oct. 7, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II attended a service of thanksgiving to mark the centenary of The Royal British Legion at Westminster Abbey on Oct.12, 2021 in London. It was Her Majesty's latest public engagement in recent weeks as she returns to work following the COVID-19 pandemic and the death of her husband, Prince Philip, in April.

Queen Elizabeth II again used a walking stick when she opened the sixth session of the Welsh Parliament, at the Senedd, on Oct. 14, 2021 in Cardiff, Wales. The queen, 95, has used canes before, after knee surgery in 2003; this was the second time in a week she was photographed in public with one.

Queen Elizabeth II appears on a screen via video from Windsor Castle during a virtual audience at Buckingham Palace to receive new ambassadors to the United Kingdom, on Oct. 26, 2021. It was her first appearance since her doctors ordered her to rest last week.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles just before they planted a tree to mark the start of the official planting season for the Queen's Green Canopy at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Oct. 1, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II receives a special memento from Sir Francis Brooke, her representative at Ascot Racecourse, to mark her induction into the British Champions Series Hall of Fame, the official Hall of Fame for British racing, on Oct. 16, 2021 in Ascot, England. Famous as a horse breeder and racer, the queen was recognized for her outstanding contribution to British racing.

Queen Elizabeth II greets Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff, General Nick Carter, during an audience at Windsor Castle, on Nov. 17, 2021. The audience came three days after she was forced to miss the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony due to a strained back, the palace said.

Queen Elizabeth II held another in-person audience following her period of rest, receiving the Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle, on Nov. 24, 2021.

In her latest in-person audience, Queen Elizabeth II presented English concert organist Thomas Trotter with the Queen's Medal for Music on Dec. 8, 2021 at Windsor Castle

Queen Elizabeth II's annual Christmas broadcast was especially personal in 2021: She spoke of loss, including her own from the death of her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Speaking from Windsor Castle where she spent her first Christmas as a widow, she wore a festive red dress with a sapphire brooch her husband gave her for their 1947 honeymoon. She's wearing it in the photo to her right, taken in 2007 at Broadlands, Philip's family estate, where they marked their diamond wedding anniversary.

Queen Elizabeth II cuts a cake with a Platinum Jubilee emblem during a reception for local residents and charities at Sandringham House in Norfolk on Feb. 5, 2022.

Queen Elizabeth II, maskless and holding a cane, appeared for her first in-person audience since she had tea with Prince Charles who subsequently tested positive for COVID, at Windsor Castle on Feb. 16, 2022.

Queen Elizabeth II, holding a cane, welcomed outgoing Defence Service Secretaries Rear Admiral James Macleod (R) and incoming Defence Service Secretaries Major General Eldon Millar (C) at an in-person audience at Windsor Castle on Feb. 16, 2022.

Queen Elizabeth II receives Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during an audience at Windsor Castle, on March 7, 2022, her first in-person audience since being diagnosed with COVID-19 in late February.

Queen Elizabeth II seemed delighted to welcome a 70-year-old British craftworks company, Halcyon Days, to the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle on March 23, 2022. She met with artisans and company leaders and viewed a selection of the hand-painted enamelware trinkets and English fine bone china the company has made starting in the 1950s.

Queen Elizabeth II carried a walking cane when she arrived in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle on March 23, 2022, to see a display of trinkets from British craftwork company, Halcyon Days, which, like her, is celebrating a 70th anniversary this year.

Queen Elizabeth II views artifacts from the archives of British craftwork company, Halcyon Days, in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, March 23, 2022. The company has been making hand-decorated enamel-on-copper trinkets since the 1950s, and now also makes English fine bone china. Master artisans showed the queen traditional methods of enamel decoration and gilding by hand.

Queen Elizabeth II attends a service of thanksgiving for her late husband, Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey on March 29, 2022.

Queen Elizabeth II, walking with a cane, entered Westminster Abbey on the arm of her second son, Prince Andrew Duke of York, for the memorial service for her late husband, Prince Philip, on March 29, 2022. It was her first major public appearance at an in-person gathering in months and since her COVID-19 diagnosis in February.