BREAKING NEWS: As the country mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II, The Telegraph honours the rich family life of our longest-reigning monarch.
The Queen was a mother to four, grandmother to eight and great-grandmother to 12.
Before being crowned Queen, the then Princess Elizabeth had two children, Charles and Anne. Following her succession to the throne aged 21, the Queen had two more, Andrew and Edward.
Throughout her service, she always balanced her duties as head of state and the head of the Windsor family. The Queen wanted her children to have a balanced and healthy upbringing. Time spent with her family outdoors was a priority, along with education and duty to the monarchy.
Prince Charles recalls vivid memories of his mother the Queen’s coronation and how she came to kiss him and Princess Anne goodnight while wearing the crown to ‘get used to the weight on her head.
“Thousands of people gathered in the Mall outside of Buckingham Palace chanting ‘we want the Queen’,” he said, adding, “It kept me awake at night.”
Most people knew her as the Queen but to her family, she was known as mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
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