Her Majesty The Queen

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

The Biography of the Queen

The Queen inspects the Guard of Honour mounted by the Ceremonial Guard on Parliament Hill, July 1, 2010.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of Canada. She has dedicated her life to public service and continues to serve Canada and Canadians after almost 60 years.

Early life 
Marriage and family
Elizabeth becomes Queen
Charitable work and military appointments
Tours of Canada

Early life

Queen Elizabeth II was born in London on April 21, 1926. Her Majesty was the first child of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Princess Elizabeth was educated at home with her younger sister, the late Princess Margaret. During that time, the future queen learned French. The Queen of Canada speaks fluent French and often speaks French during royal tours.

Princess Elizabeth gave her first radio address at age 14 as bombs dropped on London during the Second World War.

Five years later, Princess Elizabeth learned how to drive a car and obtained the rank of Junior Commander in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, a women’s branch of the British Army.

Marriage and family

On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.

The Queen of Canada and Lieutenant Mountbatten, now His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, have four children:

• Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, Heir to the Throne;
• Princess Anne, The Princess Royal;
• Prince Andrew, The Duke of York; and
• Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh depart the HMCS St. John’s after the completion of the International Fleet Review in Halifax on June 29, 2010.

Elizabeth becomes Queen

After her father’s death, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. Canadian guests at the coronation included Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent and Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas.

In 1953, a Canadian law, the Royal Style and Titles Act, formally conferred upon Elizabeth II the title of Queen of Canada.

The Queen gives a speech during a dinner hosted by the Government of Canada at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto on July 5, 2010.

Charitable work and military appointments

The Queen of Canada continues to champion public and voluntary service around the world. Her Majesty is patron of more than 600 charities and organizations, including 33 in Canada.

These include Save The Children – Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Nurses Association and many more.

The Queen continues to highlight the critical role of the Canadian Forces by serving as Colonel-in-Chief, Captain General and Air Commodore-in-Chief of the following units across Canada:

• The Air Reserve; 
• The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada;
• The Calgary Highlanders; 
• The Canadian Forces Military Engineers Branch;
• The Canadian Grenadier Guards; 
• The Governor General's Foot Guards 
• The Governor General's Horse Guards; 
• The King's Own Calgary Regiment; 
• Le Régiment de la Chaudière;
• The Royal New Brunswick Regiment;
• The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery; 
• Le Royal 22e Régiment ; and
• 48th Highlanders of Canada.

The Queen greets veterans from the Second World War at a plaque unveiling on board the HMCS Sackville in Halifax on June 29, 2010.


Her Majesty The Queen pauses to chat with a veteran before she departs Parliament Hill on Canada Day, July 1, 2010.

Tours of Canada

The Queen is presented with flowers outside Cathedral Church of St. James in Toronto, on July 4, 2010.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh first toured Canada in the fall of 1951. Since her accession to the Throne, Her Majesty has completed more royal tours in Canada than to any other Commonwealth country – 22 in all.

The Queen’s 2010 tour marked her 22nd official tour of Canada as our Queen.

The Queen’s 2010 Royal Tour highlighted the Canadian record of service. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh participated in many public events, including the Canada Day Noon Show on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on July 1.

In 2012, Canada will celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty – her 60th anniversary as Queen of Canada.

The Queen’s decades of service to Canadians stand as an example for us all to become more active in society. Through service to others, we honour who and what we are as Canadians.

The Queen drops the ceremonial puck between the captains of the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks on October 7th 2002, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at GM Place.

Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh at Halifax Common for an event highlighting Mi’kmaq culture on June 28, 2010.

Canadian Heritage Resources

A Crown of Maples: Constitutional Monarchy in Canada
Portraits and Publication
Criteria for Royal Patronage
Use of Royal Images

Other Resources

The official website of the British Monarchy 
CBC News Online
CBC News Online: The Queen’s Golden Jubilee (Archives)
Radio-Canada: Des visites royales (Archives available in French only)