A look at Queen Elizabeth II’s life over the years
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Queen Elizabeth II witnessed several major historical events throughout her life before passing away at 96 years old.
The queen was born to then Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
By the time she II was 13 years old World War II had begun. By the time she was 18 the future queen became the first woman from the British Royal Family to serve in the military when she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, according to the National WW2 Museum.
Elizabeth saw six major wars during her life time including:
- World War II (1939 - 1945)
- Suez Crisis (1956 - 1957)
- The Troubles (1968 - 1998)
- Falklands Conflict (1982)
- War in Afghanistan (2001 - 2021)
- Iraq War (2003-2011)
- Russia's Invasion of Ukraine (2022 - present)
The queen met former Missouri State Senator turned United States President Harry S. Truman in 1951, just one year before she became the queen. She has seen 13 presidents come and go from office since then, and 15 Missouri governors.
Elizabeth was 37 when construction started on the arch in St. Louis, Missouri. Work on the arch was completed by the time she was 39.
The queen will be succeeded by her son Charles and his wife Camilla. Charles is technically already the king, however it is unclear when he will be publicly crowned. The royal family has a long history of waiting a few months out of respect for the mourning period.
