44 Rare Photos of Queen Elizabeth Through the Years

One thing is clear: The woman loved her corgis.

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.

Sara Holzman
Style Director

Sara Holzman is the Style Director at Marie Claire, covering runway trends and tracking down the latest finds to buy and wear. When she’s not writing about fashion, she pens about the best places to jet-off to. Over her six years with Marie Claire, Sara has reported on the ever-evolving world of fashion— covering both established and emerging designers within the industry. Sara has held fashion positions at Lucky and SELF Magazine and was a regular contributor to Equinox’s Furthermore website, where she wrote across their style, wellness, and travel verticals. She holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and currently resides in Manhattan. Follow her along at @sarajonewyork.