The April royal baby who surprised the world

On this day, 89 years ago, an announcement of a royal birth came from Buckingham Palace. To the Duke and Duchess of York, a daughter; to King George V and Queen Mary a grandchild; to England, a baby expected to grow up to be a minor royal, a name to fade into history as her family's dynasty grew and the Crown passed to a cousin yet to be born but guaranteed to rule. Except that cousin never came and the baby born today, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York, became a monarch who broke records and surprised the world. Happy Birthday to the Queen.

The Queen is 89 on April 21st 2015

This royal baby was an adored child and grandchild, doted on by her family who turned into a chatterbox. But at the age of ten, her life changed forever when her uncle, Edward VIII, gave up his throne and her father, George VI, was given a crown he never wanted, Within a year, Lilibet had lost her beloved grandparents, seen her family torn apart by the Abdication and been transformed from the minor royal in waiting into heiress to the throne.

The Duke and Duchess of York can't hide their total devotion to their daughter in a photo of one king and two queens to be taken i the 1920s

Her own reign began in 1952 with the eyes of the world on a grieving woman facing the early loss of her father and many wondering what a queen regnant, aged 26, would be like, Her rule has seen many ups and some downs but now, 63 years on, she is the embodiment of a successful sovereign and the template for monarchs for generations to come, In Spetember this year, this unexpected queen becomes the longest reigning monarch in British history and will do it with unparalleled levels of support and happiness behind her.

Elizabeth the Great marks another milestone

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York, Queen of England - the April royal baby who surprised the world.