44 Rare Photos of Queen Elizabeth Through the Years

One thing is clear: The woman loved her corgis.

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Last updated In Features
30th may 1944 queen elizabeth ii as princess elizabeth writing at her desk in windsor castle, berkshire photo by lisa sheridanstudio lisagetty images
(Image credit: Getty Images/Lisa Sheridan)

Queen Elizabeth II, whose illustrious seven-decade reign was the longest in British history, has died at the age of 96. The Queen officially reached the milestone as Britain's longest-ruling monarch in September 2015 when she surpassed her great-grandmother Queen Victoria's record rule of 63 years. In honor of the momentous occasion, the royal family presented an exhibit of photos at The Royal Collection Trust of the then-89-year-old Queen to commemorate her reign. Now, we're doing the same to honor her memory. Ahead, take a walk down memory lane and see how a young Elizabeth made her mark from the start.

The Little Princess
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The Little Princess

Even at age one, Princess Elizabeth knew how to pose perfectly and wave to the crowds.

Baby Photos
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Baby Photos

Who would've guessed little Elizabeth could have given Shirley Temple a run for her money?

All Smiles
(Image credit: Getty Images/Royal Photographic Society)

All Smiles

Princess Elizabeth cheerily posing for the camera in 1930.

Princess Dresses
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Princess Dresses

The princess sitting pretty in dress fit for a (future) queen.

Her Favorite Dog Breed
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Her Favorite Dog Breed

Of course, being a royal isn't all about wearing pretty dresses and posing for photos—it's also about cuddling with the royal corgis.

Lap Dogs
(Image credit: Getty Images/Lisa Sheridan)

Lap Dogs

Just try not to smile at another sweet image of Princess Elizabeth with her pet corgis Jane and Dookie.

Sister-Sister
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sister-Sister

Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret pictured dressing up as Cinderella and Prince Charming during a royal pantomime at Windsor Castle.

Flower Child
(Image credit: Getty Images/Print Collector)

Flower Child

The future queen standing in front of her playhouse given to her by the people of Wales.

Say Cheese
(Image credit: Getty Images/Bettmann)

Say Cheese

The princesses posing for a family portrait with their mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

Picture Perfect
(Image credit: Getty Images/Lisa Sheridan)

Picture Perfect

Here, the princesses worked on paintings in the school room of Buckingham Palace.

Pony Up
(Image credit: Getty Images/Bettmann)

Pony Up

Here's the late Queen Elizabeth with one of her horses.

Mother-Daughter
(Image credit: Getty Images/Hulton Deutsch)

Mother-Daughter

A photo of Queen Elizabeth, wife of King George VI of England, with her daughter Princess Elizabeth.

Royal Pets
(Image credit: Getty Images/Lisa Sheridan)

Royal Pets

Here's Princess Elizabeth (right) and Princess Margaret playing with another one of their unconventional pets, a chameleon.

Hanging With the Girls
(Image credit: Getty Images/Lisa Sheridan)

Hanging With the Girls

The sisters with the girl guides (the U.K.'s equivalent to Girl Scouts) in April of 1942.

Teen Royals
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Teen Royals

Can Buckingham Palace send its hairstylists our way?

A Queen's Best Friend
(Image credit: Getty Images/Bettmann)

A Queen's Best Friend

Nearly 20 years later, Queen Elizabeth posed alongside one of her beloved corgis yet again.

All Smiles
(Image credit: Getty Images/Bettmann)

All Smiles

Queen Elizabeth flashed her pearly whites while attending an event at Tivoli Theatre.

Elizabeth and Philip's Official Engagement
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Elizabeth and Philip's Official Engagement

They announced their engagement in July 1947. Just look how sweetly he looked at her!

Meet the Family
(Image credit: Getty Images/Hulton Archive)

Meet the Family

Princess Elizabeth with her fiance Philip alongside her sister Margaret in the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace.

I Do
(Image credit: Getty)

I Do

On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, wed at Buckingham Palace.

The Honeymoon
(Image credit: Cecil Beaton)

The Honeymoon

Princess Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh during their honeymoon in Malta, where he is stationed with the Royal Navy.

First Born
(Image credit: Getty Images)

First Born

Princess Elizabeth with her son, Prince Charles of Edinburgh, after his christening

Parents Night Out
(Image credit: Getty Images/Keystone-France)

Parents Night Out

Here's the new parents attending a Charity Ball at the Dorchester Hotel.

Starter Family
(Image credit: Getty Images/Keystone)

Starter Family

Princess Elizabeth alongside her husband with their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

Royal Family
(Image credit: Getty Images/Lisa Sheridan)

Royal Family

The young royal family outside of Balmoral Castle in the fall of 1952.

The Little Prince
(Image credit: Getty Images/Lisa Sheridan)

The Little Prince

Prince Charles and his mother looking out the window of Balmoral Castle that same fall of 1952.

Play Date
(Image credit: Getty Images/Lisa Sheridan)

Play Date

Princess Elizabeth watching her son play in his shiny toy car while at the castle.

Family Time
(Image credit: Getty Images/Lisa Sheridan)

Family Time

QE2 with Princess Anne and Prince Charles on Charles' fourth birthday.

The Beginning of Her Reign
(Image credit: Getty)

The Beginning of Her Reign

After King George VI died, Elizabeth acceded the throne and became the wise, stoic, graceful Queen we know her as today.

The Crown
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Crown

On June 2, 1953, Her Majesty donned the three-pound Imperial State Crown for the Queen's Coronation Day at Buckingham Palace.

The Queen's Speech
(Image credit: Getty Images/Keystone)

The Queen's Speech

Queen Elizabeth II smiling towards Prince Philip just before the end of her first Christmas Day television speech to her nation.

Happy Birthday to You
(Image credit: Getty Images/Fox Photos)

Happy Birthday to You

Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and their children at Windsor on the Queen's 39th birthday.

Scouts Honor
(Image credit: Getty Images/Hulton Archive)

Scouts Honor

Queen Elizabeth greeting the boy scouts at a gala.

Glamour Shot
(Image credit: Getty Images/Bettmann)

Glamour Shot

An official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

Road Trip
(Image credit: Getty Images/Mirrorpix)

Road Trip

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip with a young Prince Charles leaving Euston Station after traveling overnight from Aberdee.

All Dolled Up
(Image credit: Getty Images/Fox Photos)

All Dolled Up

Queen Elizabeth II leaving a State Reception in Germany wearing the Jubilee Necklace and a diamond bow brooch with a pearl drop inherited from Queen Mary.

Variety Show
(Image credit: Getty Images/Central Press)

Variety Show

Queen Elizabeth II, with her escort Lord Bernard Delfont, attending the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium.

Garden Party
(Image credit: Getty Images/PA Images)

Garden Party

Queen Elizabeth II at the garden party in the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London, in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Women's Services.

Riding In Style
(Image credit: Getty Images/Hulton Archive)

Riding In Style

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attending a service for the Order of St. Michael and St. George at St. Paul's Cathedral, London. The Queen wore the Star of the Order, which bears the motto "Auspicium Melioris Aevi."

Night On The Town
(Image credit: Getty Images/Max Mumby/Indigo)

Night On The Town

Queen Elizabeth II was a multi-color vision as she attended the Royal Variety Performance at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

Luck Be a Lady
(Image credit: Getty Images/Max Mumby/Indigo)

Luck Be a Lady

Queen Elizabeth II crossed her fingers as she watched her horse, "Ring of Truth," run in the Al Basti Equiworld EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes during the Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials Meeting at Newbury Racecourse.

Polo Club
(Image credit: Getty Images/Mark Cuthbert)

Polo Club

The Queen presenting Prince Harry with a gift at the Charity Polo Match in Windsor.

Rainy Day
(Image credit: Getty Images/Chris Jackson)

Rainy Day

Queen Elizabeth II ducked from the rain while attending a Christmas Day church service at Sandringham.

Royal Fashions
(Image credit: Getty Images/WPA Pool)

Royal Fashions

Queen Elizabeth II sitting next to Anna Wintour at Richard Quinn's runway show during London Fashion Week.

•••

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Sara Holzman
Sara Holzman
Style Director

Sara Holzman is the Style Director at Marie Claire, where she oversees fashion coverage spanning seasonal trends, celebrity style, designers, Fashion Month, and shopping. With more than a decade of experience in fashion media, she has held roles at Condé Nast’s Lucky and Self and contributed style and travel coverage to Equinox’s Furthermore. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, Sara is based in New York City, where she writes about fashion through both an industry and personal lens, including the realities of getting dressed as a working mom. Follow her on Instagram at @sarajonewyork.