Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years on the throne: key dates

London Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-serving monarch in British history and this year celebrates

Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-serving monarch in British history and this year celebrates her 70th year on the throne.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor is born at 2:40 am on April 21, 1926, in Mayfair, central London.

She is the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, who will become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

As Nazi Germany bombs the British capital, Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, move to Windsor Castle, west of London, for their safety.

During World War II, she trains as a military vehicle mechanic.

Princess Elizabeth marries Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey.

Their first child, Prince Charles, is born in 1948. A daughter, Anne, arrives in 1950, followed by Andrew in 1960 and Edward in 1964.