Who they were
Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952 and reigned as a constitutional monarch through the terms of 15 prime ministers from Churchill onward. She presided over the transformation of the empire into the Commonwealth, undertook extensive state visits, and adapted the monarchy to television and a changing society while keeping her personal political views private.
What they did
She was widely seen as a figure of continuity and duty, a stabilizing presence across seven decades of upheaval.
Legacy
On her death in 2022 her son succeeded as Charles III. Elizabeth II is remembered for the length and steadiness of her reign and for the modern template of constitutional monarchy she embodied.