The Royal family

Elizabeth II was born in 1926

Her father is George VI and her mother is Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

In 1947, she married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh [born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark], with whom she has four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward

Her coronation service took place in 1953 and was the first to be televised

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Has Eight grandchildren [in order of succession]:

When she was born in 1926 no-one expected Princess Elizabeth to become Queen. Her father George was not the King and he didn't think he ever would be. George had an older brother called Edward. Because Edward was the eldest son he would get to be King. Things changed when Edward fell in love with an American woman. She had already been married and divorced. Because of this she could never be Queen. Edward gave up the throne so he could marry the woman he loved. Princess Elizabeth's father took over the job and became King George VI. King George led the country through the second world war but in 1952 he died of lung cancer. Princess Elizabeth was his eldest child. She became Queen Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002) was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until his death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the last queen consort of Ireland and empress consort of India.

Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George, born 14 November 1948), is the eldest child and, since 1952, heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. He is known as The Duke of Rothesay in Scotland and as The Duke of Cornwall in Cornwall. His 1981 marriage to Lady Diana Spencer produced two sons, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (born 1982) and Prince Harry of Wales (born 1984). The couple divorced in 1996 after Diana publicly accused Charles of having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, and Charles admitted adultery on television. Diana died in a car crash in 1997. In 2005, after a lengthy continued association, the Prince married Camilla, who uses the title Duchess of Cornwall.

Prince William is second in the line of succession. He married his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Middleton, on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Rosemary; née Shand, previously Parker Bowles; born 17 July 1947), is the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, the eldest child and heir apparent to Queen Elizabeth II.

As representatives of HM The Queen, they often also join the nation in commemorating historical events, holidays, celebratory and tragic occurrences, and may also sponsor or participate in numerous charitable, cultural and social activities.