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Last Updated: Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 09:14 GMT 10:14 UK

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The Queen at 80: Timeline

21 April, 1926

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary is born to Elizabeth nee Bowes Lyon and Albert Duke of York King George Vs second son.

21 August, 1930

A sister for Elizabeth Margaret Rose is born.

20 January, 1936

King George V dies. He is succeeded by Elizabeths uncle who becomes Edward VIII.

11 December, 1936

Edward VIII abdicates so he can marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Elizabeths father becomes king.

12 May, 1937

Coronation of King George VI.

1 September, 1939

Germany invades Poland precipitating World War II.

7 September, 1940

Blitz begins on London. The King and Queen stay in the city. The princesses are evacuated to Windsor.

October, 1940

Elizabeth makes her first broadcast to the nation a message to children especially evacuees.

21 April, 1944

She receives her first corgi Susan as an 18th birthday present.

1945

Elizabeth joins the Auxiliary Territorial Service learning how to drive and maintain vehicles.

8 May, 1945

People rejoice as the war ends in Europe.

April, 1947

During her first official overseas visit to South Africa Elizabeth makes a speech dedicating herself to the Commonwealth.

20 November, 1947

Elizabeth marries Philip Mountbatten her third cousin.

14 November, 1948

Princess Elizabeth gives birth to a boy Charles Philip Arthur George.

15 August, 1950

A second child for Elizabeth and Philip. She is named Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise.

6 February, 1952

King George VI dies of lung cancer aged 56. Elizabeth who was in Kenya at the time becomes Queen.

16 April, 1953

The Queen names and launches Royal Yacht Britannia.

2 June, 1953

Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Millions watch on television.
LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0In a radio broadcast The Queen said "Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust." LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0An estimated three million people lined the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the new monarch as she made her way to and from Buckingham Palace in the golden state coach. LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0

24 November, 1953

Begins her first Commonwealth tour which lasts six months and takes her as far as Australia New Zealand and Fiji.
LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0The Queen's first Commonwealth tour included visits to Bermuda Jamaica Panama Fiji Tonga New Zealand Australia the Cocos Islands Ceylon Aden Uganda Libya Malta and Gibraltar. The total distance covered was 43618 miles.

19 February, 1960

Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward is born.

6 May, 1960

Princess Margaret marries photographer Anthony Armstrong Jones.

10 March, 1964

Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis is born.

21 June, 1969

BBC broadcasts Royal Family a documentary with unprecedented access to the familys daily life.

April, 1970

First walkabout during a state visit of Australia and New Zealand. The Queen meets crowds of wellwishers.

14 November, 1973

Princess Anne marries Captain Mark Phillips.

February, 1974

Queen interrupts a tour of Australia and Indonesia as a snap election is called at home.

June, 1977

Silver Jubilee celebrations take place across the country.

13 June, 1981

Marcus Serjeant 17 fires blank shots at the Queen as she rides to the Trooping of the Colour ceremony.

29 July, 1981

Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer.

April, 1982

Prince Andrew is among the British forces sent to retake the Falkland Islands from Argentina.

21 June, 1982

Diana gives birth to Prince William Arthur Philip Louis.

9 July, 1982

Intruder Michael Fagan breaks into the Queens bedroom while she is sleeping.

23 July, 1986

Prince Andrew marries Sarah Ferguson.

20 November, 1992

Fire devastates parts of Windsor Castle.

24 November, 1992

In a speech at the Guildhall the Queen says the year has been an annus horribilis.
LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0The Windsor Castle fire was the culmination of a year which saw three of the Queen's children split from their spouses. LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0In March Prince Andrew and his wife Sarah announced they were to separate. In April Princess Anne and Mark Phillips were divorced after separating three years earlier. In December Prime Minister John Major announced in the Commons that Charles and Diana were to separate.

April, 1993

Queen starts paying tax on her personal income after offering to do so.

28 August, 1996

Charles and Diana divorce.

31 August, 1997

Diana Princess of Wales dies in a car crash in Paris. The Queen comes under fire for a perceived lack of mourning.
LETTERSPACING0 KERNING0The Queen was at her summer residence in Balmoral when Diana died. The official royal response seemed at odds with huge outpouring of public grief. The Queen was criticised in the press for not immediately issuing a statement and for following protocol that flags on royal property are not flown at half mast. She did bow to pressure on both these points she gave a live address to the nation and the Union Flag was flown at half mast on the day of the funeral.