Queen Elizabeth II 

1953 - Date

Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, born 21 April 1926) is the constitutional monarch of 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

In addition, as Head of the Commonwealth, she is the figurehead of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations and, as the British monarch, she is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Elizabeth was educated privately at home. Her father, King George VI, became King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India in 1936.  She began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. After the war and Indian independence George VI's title of Emperor of India was abandoned, and the evolution of the British Empire into the Commonwealth accelerated.

In 1947, Princess Elizabeth made the first of many tours around the Commonwealth, and married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.  They have four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

In 1949, George VI became the first Head of the Commonwealth, a "symbol of the free association of its independent member nations".  On his death in 1952, Elizabeth became Head of the Commonwealth, and queen of 7  independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon.

Her coronation service in 1953 was the first to be televised.

During her reign, she became queen of 25 other countries within the Commonwealth as they gained independence. Between 1956 and 1992, half of her realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became republics.

In 1992, which Elizabeth termed her annus horribilis ("horrible year"), two of her sons separated from their wives, her daughter divorced, and a severe fire destroyed part of Windsor Castle.

Her Silver and Golden Jubilees were celebrated in 1977 and 2002; her Diamond Jubilee will be in 2012.

The present Queen of England is married to Baron Greenwich (one of the titles that the Duke of Edinburgh holds)

Time-line

1954: Last observations at Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

1956: Sir Richard Woolley appointed Astronomer Royal.

1957: Cutty Sark open to public.

1958: Greenwich Royal Observatory moves to Herstmonceux.

1967: Francis Chichester arrives at Greenwich in Gipsy Moth IV and knighted by Queen Elizabeth II (using the same sword used by Queen Elizabeth I to knight Sir Francis Drake in 1582)

1967: Second bore of Blackwall Tunnel opens.

1972: Sir Martin Ryle appointed Astronomer Royal.

1972: Former Greenwich resident Poet Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis (1904 - 1972) died.

1981: First London Marathon starts in Greenwich.

1982: Sir Francis Graham Smith appointed Astronomer Royal.

1982: Thames Barrier constructed.

1986: Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) replaces Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as standard definition of time.

1990: Greenwich Royal Observatory moves to Cambridge

1991: Arnold Wolfendale appointed Astronomer Royal.

1997: HM Queen Elizabeth II arrives on the internet at www.royal.gov.uk

1998: Structure of Millennium Dome completed.

1999: Greenwich Royal Observatory re-established at Greenwich after closure at Cambridge.  Opened by Prince Andrew (son of Queen Elizabeth II)

1999: Re-opens refurbished National Maritime Museum.

•  The Official Site of HM Queen Elizabeth II is at: www.royal.gov.uk