Rare Photos Of The Queen Shed A New Light On Her Extraordinary Life
Queen Elizabeth II’s 96 years of life included some incredible moments, many of which went unseen or faded from memory. Despite being one of the most recognizable figures of the last century, Queen Elizabeth's personal life wasn't exactly an open book. But over the years, photographers managed to capture some of Elizabeth’s candid moments, giving us a rare glimpse into the life of Britain's longest-reigning monarch. From her early years as a princess to her later years as a respected leader, Queen Elizabeth's life was nothing short of extraordinary.
1927: Born a princess
At the time of her birth, Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, was third in line to the throne, as her father, Prince Albert, Duke of York, had yet to become the King — more on that later. In this photo, taken in June 1927, the one-year-old princess was snapped passing through the gates of her parents’ London residence in the back of a carriage.
It’s such a poignant photo when you think of the hugely influential world leader that this baby girl would grow up to become.
1929: Starting a life of service
By the time her 90th birthday rolled around in April of 2016, Queen Elizabeth II was lending her patronage to hundreds of charities. But this photo from 1929 proves that she began her quest to serve others early in life. She’s shown here greeting former servicemen at a Disabled Soldiers Embroidery Industry Exhibition in June 1929.
Elizabeth was just three years old at the time of this photograph. We’d love to know how many people’s hands she would go on to shake during the course of her life and reign!
1936: Her love of corgis blossoms
Queen Elizabeth II was famously a fan of Corgis, but do you know just how far back her love of these dogs went? Her father acquired their first Corgi in 1933 — a pooch that the family named Dookie — after Elizabeth became very fond of a friend’s dog of the same breed.
During her reign, Queen Elizabeth is said to have had around 30 of these dogs in her charge. In this photo, nine-year-old Elizabeth is pictured cuddling one of her furry friends.
1937: Becoming heir to the throne
In 1936 Elizabeth’s uncle ascended to the throne as King Edward VIII. However, Edward reigned for less than a year, choosing to abdicate in order to marry divorcée Wallis Simpson — a major scandal at the time. This fateful decision meant that Elizabeth’s father was made king as George VI, and she became his heir apparent.
Had Edward not abandoned the crown, Elizabeth may never have become queen. Here she is aged 11, giving a big wave at her father’s historic coronation on May 12, 1937.
1939: A one-of-a-kind life
Naturally, being the future Queen of England has its perks. For 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth, this included having the chance to get up close and personal with some of the animals at London Zoo in 1939. Along with meeting penguins, a panda, and chimpanzees, she and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, got to ride on the back of an elephant.
This probably wouldn’t fly nowadays, though, since it’s more widely known now that riding elephants can cause injuries and have other detrimental effects.
1939: Monarch in training
In the years before becoming queen, Elizabeth was homeschooled and learned everything from art and music to law and French. Naturally for a princess, she also did a lot of horseback riding. The young Elizabeth was a keen swimmer, too, and even once won a coveted medal.
Here she is aged 13 winning a life-saving award at the Children's Challenge Shield Competition in London in June 1939, an achievement of which she was very proud.
1940: The art of speech making
In October 1940, in the midst of World War II, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret spoke on the BBC’s Children’s Hour radio show to address kids who had been displaced or otherwise affected by the conflict. This was the young Elizabeth’s very first public speech.
The 14-year-old future queen said, “We know, everyone of us, that in the end all will be well; for God will care for us and give us victory and peace. And when peace comes, remember it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place.”
1941: Helping the war effort
Princess Elizabeth famously aided the war effort in more ways than one. For example, in 1941 she and her family put on a royal performance of Cinderella at Windsor Castle (Elizabeth, her mother, and Margaret are pictured here).
Their production raised money for the Queen’s Wool Fund, a charity that purchased the raw materials needed to produce military apparel.
1942: Girl Guides
The 1st Buckingham Palace Company of the Girl Guides was created just so that the then-Princess Elizabeth could be around other girls. They were all daughters of palace employees and court officials, enrolled b. Princess Mary (Elizabeth and Margaret’s aunt).
Much like Girl Scouts in the United States, British Girl Guides learn everything from survival skills to career prep and camping training. And Elizabeth’s special group were able to do so in the safety and privacy of the grounds of Windsor Castle.
1942: At home
Fun fact: if you lived at Buckingham Palace like Elizabeth did, you’d never need to wear a watch or check the time on your smartphone. That’s because there are clocks everywhere. The palace has at least 350 of them, in fact! And it falls to one person – the horological conservator – to keep them in working order and make sure that every last one displays the correct time.
One particularly ornate clock can be seen in this photo from 1942, where a then-princess Elizabeth seems more concerned with her knitting than the time, anyway!
1945: A princess at war
Princess Elizabeth aspired to join the women’s armed forces during World War II, in spite of the fact that her father, the King, didn’t want her to. But he eventually gave in, and she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service.
She picked up car maintenance skills during her service, which she can be seen using here.
1945: Getting her hands dirty
Serving in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service also meant that Princess Elizabeth drove ambulances, constructed engines, changed tires, and plenty more. In contrast to her non-royal colleagues in the force, though, she was allowed to return home and sleep each night.
Elizabeth’s family stayed at Windsor Castle for most of World War II, in fact.
1947: Traveling abroad
After the war was over, Elizabeth and her immediate family – her father, King George VI, mother Queen Elizabeth, and sister Princess Margaret – went on a historic trip. From February to April of 1947, they traveled 10,000 miles across the nation of South Africa.
There, the royals met with their subjects across the country, including the mayor of Port Elizabeth, who Elizabeth can be seen talking to in this photograph.
1947: The future queen finds love
Elizabeth accepted Philip Mountbatten’s marriage proposal before even discussing the matter her mother and father; that’s how crazy they were about each other. The King gave his consent, so long as they kept the engagement a secret until April of 1947, when Elizabeth would turn 21. Seven months after that, the couple wed in Westminster Abbey.
The couple had first met years before when Elizabeth was only 13 years old and Philip was 18.
1948: Royal motherhood
Just a year shy of their first wedding anniversary, Princess Elizabeth and her husband, who now had the title of Duke of Edinburgh, welcomed their first child, a son. With that, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George became second in line for the British throne, behind his mother.
Perhaps no one could have imagined then that he would have to wait 73 years to become King.
1948: Christening the future King
This photograph is of Princess Elizabeth posing at the christening of Prince Charles in 1948. Charles is wearing a christening gown that had been passed down from Queen Victoria herself. Princess Elizabeth is glowing in her new role of "mummy"!
Many years later, Charles' own sons, William and Harry, would wear the same gown as babies at their own christenings.
1950: Mother of two
On August 15, 1950, Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh had another child, a daughter named Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise. In October of that same year, the newest princess had her christening — and a family photo session to go with it.
If this photograph is anything to go by, we’d say Anne’s big brother, Charles, doesn’t seem too interested in staying still for a photo shoot!
1951: An important tradition
Pictured here is Princess Elizabeth at the 1951 Trooping the Colour ceremony. Every year on the reigning monarch’s birthday, the British and Commonwealth armies perform this ceremony in honor of the king or queen. In 1951 Elizabeth rode her own horse to commemorate her father’s official birthday on June 7, although he was actually born on December 14.
Did you know that the British king or queen traditionally has two birthdays — their real birthday and an official birthday — because of the weather? It dates back to 1748, when King George II, who was born in November, wanted the Trooping the Colour military parade to coincide with his birthday. Unfortunately, winter in England is not a suitable time for a parade, so he moved his birthday to June!
1951: Royal parenting
Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reiging monarch in British history, and it’s easy to forget that she had a whole life before this. But she was once a young woman, a devoted wife, and a mother of two small children. When Charles was born in 1948, Elizabeth was only 22 years old! Princess Anne, her only daughter, came along two years later.
However, in royal tradition, her husband, Prince Philip was not present for either birth — as was also common for most husbands back in the day. In fact, when Charles was born, Philip was out playing squash!
1951: Visiting North America for the first time
Another year, another royal tour. In 1951 Princess Elizabeth made a historic trip — her very first visit to North America. In this rarely seen photograph, she and Prince Philip can be seen taking in the breathtaking natural wonder of Niagara Falls at Table Rock, Ontario.
Somehow, the future queen manages to look elegant and regal in her waterproof clothing!
1951: Final months as a princess
While Elizabeth and Prince Phillip wave here at excited Canadians gathered to greet them in Ontario, little did she know that very soon she would no longer be a princess. This royal visit to North America, which lasted five weeks, was nearly canceled at the last minute because her father, King George, had become seriously ill.
In fact, during this trip, Elizabeth’s private secretary had to carry with him a draft accession declaration — to be prepared in case King George passed away while she was in North America and she had to become Queen.
1952: Death of a King
In February 1952, Elizabeth and Philip were enjoying a short trip to Kenya ahead of an official tour that would take them on to Australia and New Zealand. They were relaxing at a safari lodge on February 6 when Elizabeth’s life change forever: King George, thousands of miles away, died in his sleep, thus making her Queen.
Since the royal couple were staying in rather a remote place, the news of her father’s passing took some time to reach them; Philip eventually had to break to news to her. In this photograph, Elizabeth, wearing black in mourning, returns from Kenya, now Queen Elizabeth II.
1952: The Queen’s first Christmas Speech
The Queen’s Christmas speech became a beloved and longstanding British tradition, but back in 1952, Elizabeth had never done it before. Here she is giving her very first Christmas address after her father had died and she’d inherited the crown.
In it she said, “My father, and my grandfather before him, worked all their lives to unite our peoples ever more closely, and to maintain its ideals which were so near to their hearts. I shall strive to carry on their work.”
1953: The new Head of the Armed Forces
Now that she was the Sovereign and Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II also became Head of the Armed Forces and their Commander-in-Chief. This responsibility brought with it many duties, and here she is pictured in April 1953 inspecting a parade of First Grenadier Guards.
The young queen is making sure that they meet the highest standards.
1954: Royal air travel
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, are pictured here stepping off an airplane during their Commonwealth visit to New Zealand in 1954. The royal family do use private planes, but they also fly commercial, too.
There’s an unofficial royal rule stating that two heirs to the British throne should not travel on the same airplane together. The idea is that should anything happen, the royal lineage is protected.
1956: A love of horses
In true princess style, Queen Elizabeth II was very fond of horses ever since her childhood. She was often pictured riding and tending to horses, and here, she and the Queen Mother are photographed taking in the famous Badminton Horse Trials from the sidelines.
This iconic competition began as a way to prepare British competitors ahead of important international equestrian meetings.
1957: Playing tourist in New York City
No visit to New York City would be complete without a journey to the top of the Empire State Building — even for the Queen of England! She made a trip up to the top of the famous skyscraper in 1957, which at the time was the world’s tallest building, a title it held up until 1970.
Today, over 60 years since Elizabeth’s visit, the Empire State building is only the 43rd tallest in the world!
1957: A driving Queen
Royal etiquette mandated that Queen Elizabeth had to have a driver whenever she was out in public. However, she still had the right to hop behind the wheel herself when traveling about her royal estates and other private venues. In fact, rumor has it that her WWII training made her into a very capable driver.
Here, though, Elizabeth is pictured as just a happy mom chauffeuring her kids around the Windsor estate.
1960: Elizabeth the photographer
Time and time again, photographers captured images of Queen Elizabeth II at moments when she, too, was behind the lens of a camera. This picture of her partaking in her creative hobby was snapped in Windsor Park in 1960 as she walked with her beloved Corgis.
The Queen was an avid photographer. Apparently, this passion started after her father, King George VI, gifted her a camera when she was little, back before the start of the Second World War. With this sweet gift began a lifelong love of photography.
1968: Corgis on board
Imagine being so important that you have your own special train! When traveling around Great Britain, members of the royal family often travel on the British Royal Train. It was one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite modes of transport due to its efficiency and privacy, and it’s just as stylish as you’d imagine.
Here she is in an iconic moment stepping off the British Royal Train in early 1968 at Liverpool Street Station, London, with her beloved Corgis in tow!
1972: Celebrating their silver anniversary
By 1972 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip had four children — Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward — and 25 years of marriage under their belts. To celebrate their silver anniversary, the couple shared a series of photographs, including this one.
In this rare, candid photograph, the royal couple are seen relaxing at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, widely said to be Queen Elizabeth’s favorite residence.
1973: The Queen Mother and her daughters
Elizabeth and Margaret’s mother was Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the wife of King George VI. After Elizabeth became Queen, her mother was known simply as The Queen Mother. By all accounts, she remained close to both her daughters throughout her long life.
She passed away at the age of 101 — seven weeks after her younger child, Margaret, died. Her grave sits alongside those of her husband and daughter.
1976: A proud mother
As well as being the Queen of England, Elizabeth was also a mother. And just like any other proud mom, she often supported her kids at their sporting events. Her daughter, Princess Anne, was a very accomplished equestrian. Here, Elizabeth is pictured watching her daughter compete in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. She even grabbed a front-row seat.
In fact, Elizabeth’s security staff worried about her position in the crowd, as she chose to stand right next to the water jumps that each competitor had to clear!
1978: Mud fit for a queen
Queen Elizabeth II once again found herself at an equestrian event in 1978, this time the Windsor Horse Show, where she handed out the winners’ awards. With the typical British May weather, this meant walking through a whole lot of mud.
By the look on Elizabeth’s face, she wasn’t totally overjoyed about the muddy path she had to take!
1982: Riding with the President
The Queen of England found herself in the presence of an equine friend once more in 1982. On this occasion, she and the then-President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, rode side-by-side through her Windsor estate.
Even though the Reagans left the White House in 1989, they maintained a bond with the Queen for years to come.
1982: The South Pacific
The fall of 1982 saw Queen Elizabeth II returning to the South Pacific, where she was welcomed to the island nation of Tuvalu. Once the natives had rowed the queen ashore, they carried her in her canoe on their shoulders, and the monarch waved from her high perch.
As a nation within the Commonwealth, Tuvalu recognized Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch. Today, that title has been passed onto King Charles III.
1986: The Great Wall of China
Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to go to China during a 1986 state visit. Her first few days there were spent visiting sites in and around Beijing. She and the Duke of Edinburgh saw the Great Wall of China as well as the Forbidden City and Ming emperors’ tombs.
The royal couple were only in the country for six days, though they had a jam-packed agenda. This important trip was to symbolize a strengthening relationship between Britain and the People’s Republic of China after the agreement that sovereignty over Hong Kong would be returned to China in 1997.
1988: Family fun
A fire engine from 1939 served as the perfect backdrop for a 1988 photo of the British Royal Family. And it also clearly delighted the Queen’s grandchildren Prince William, Prince Harry, and Peter and Zara Phillips.
Princess Diana, who was at the time married to Charles, can also be spotted off to the right of this photograph.
1991: Baseball fan
Visiting the United States in the springtime of 1991 gave Queen Elizabeth II the chance to experience the country’s favorite national pastime: baseball! In fact, she received an invitation from the owner of the Baltimore Orioles to take in a game.
And she accepted, along with two very special guests: then-President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara.
2008: Her “favorite” daughter-in-law
Here, the camera caught the Queen and Sophie, Countess of Wessex and the wife of Prince Edward, sharing a moment together. The two women appeared to be very close. In fact, Sophie was known for addressing the Queen as “Mama” in her speeches.
Sophie was often said to be the Queen’s favorite of all of her daughters-in-law.
2012: A special bond
It’s sometimes said that families that play together stay together — and the royals do seem to be a playful bunch. In this scene from 2012 the Queen and Kate Middleton are pictured having a good old giggle. Although it’s not known exactly what the pair found funny, they were attending a sports event in a park in Nottingham, England, at the time.
Queen Elizabeth was said to have a special bond with Kate. Apparently they became even closer when Kate and William moved into Kensington Palace, which is near to Buckingham Palace, where the Queen lived.
2016:
If we were celebrating our 90th birthday, we'd be tired of all the birthday hullabaloo, too. Perhaps that's why Queen Elizabeth was peering out at the gathering crowds in this 2016 photo. With thousands of guests on the guest list, we bet the Queen was longing for a hot bath and a nap.
But ever the professional, Queen Elizabeth later attended the event with a smile.
2018: Another daughter-in-law
When the Queen and Meghan Markle attended their first official engagement together just weeks after the actress married Prince Harry, the pair seemingly got on like a house on fire. Certainly, neither woman could contain their laughs as they attended the unveiling of the Mersey Gateway Bridge near Widnes, England, in June 2018.
Meghan told Variety after the Queen’s death, “Certainly, in terms of female leadership, she is the most shining example of what that looks like. I feel deep gratitude to have been able to spend time with her and get to know her.”
2018: A family tradition
Trooping the Color is always a fun event for royal fans, since they get to see all of them in their finest outfits, usually with their kids as well. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and their cousin Savannah Phillips all turned up for the 2018 ceremony, and it was absolutely’ adorable.
Queen Elizabeth looks delighted by her great-grandchildren in this photograph, too!
2022. Marmalade sandwiches
The Queen got to show her funny side to the entire world when she made a cute video with Paddington Bear for her Jubilee Concert. Paddington Bear wasn’t really there, of course, but it seemed like he was as he showed the Queen the marmalade sandwich he was keeping under his hat.
The Queen responded by opening her famous handbag and removing her own sandwich. Fans were absolutely delighted by the clip.
2022: A historic funeral
Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest in Windsor Castle on September 19, 2022. The monarch had passed away at home at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8. Her funeral was attended by her surviving family — including the Prince of Wales, King Charles III, the Duke of Sussex, and the Princess Royal — as well as heads of state from around the globe.
The Queen was escorted from Westminster Abbey by the bearer party of the Grenadier Guards, the King's Body Guards of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, the Yeomen of the Guard, and the Royal Company of Archers. In total, 142 sailors from the Royal Navy guided the State Gun Carriage through the streets of London.