Buckingham Palace announced the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, Thursday (Sept. 8). She was 96. Prince Charles is now king.

Queen Elizabeth II took the throne in 1952 and devoted her life to public service, traveling extensively throughout her reign. She held the record for the most countries visited by an individual monarch, traveling to more than 120 countries on six continents.

While most of her traveling took place on planes and trains, she was the only person in the U.K. permitted to drive without a license plate or driver's license.

During her reign, the queen had been served by 15 UK Prime Ministers, including Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and most recently, Boris Johnson.

Born on April 21, 1926, the late queen sent her first email in 1976. She posted her first Instagram photo in 2019.

Outside of her political and societal duties, Queen Elizabeth II had several diverse hobbies to keep her busy. As a pet lover, her love for Pembroke Welsh Corgis was often a focus in the media, and she owned a few exotic pets, too.

The queen accepted an elephant, two giant turtles, a jaguar and a pair of sloths as gifts from other countries, all of which lived or still reside at the London Zoo.

Queen Elizabeth II was preceded in death by her husband, the late Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. He died on April 9, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Life in Photos

From her childhood as a princess to her historic Platinum Jubilee, revisit some of the late Queen Elizabeth II's most memorable moments throughout her life.

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