Today Marks George VI's Death Anniv., Elizabeth's Accession to Throne

Today marks 71 years of British Queen Elizabeth's coronation– and the death anniversary of her father George VI.

She succeeded to the Throne after her husband Prince Philip's private secretary was phoned with the news of her father's death.

The official coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London followed a pattern similar to the coronations of kings and queens and featured appearances by the peerage and clergy.

Nearly, 27 million across Britain watched the coronation live on the BBC Television Service, and many purchased or rented television sets for the event.

Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, making the ten-year-old Princess Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

In 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage lasted 73 years until his death in 2021. They had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward.

When her father passed away in February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became the ruler of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as well as head of the Commonwealth.

She also reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonization of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union.

The number of her realms varied over time as territories gained independence and some realms became republics. As queen, Elizabeth was served by more than 170 prime ministers across her realms.

Throughout her long-standing career, she paid many historic visits and held meetings including historical visits to China in 1986, to Russia in 1994, and to the Republic of Ireland in 2011, and meetings with five popes.