Elizabeth II: life of the week

Kate Williams looks back on Elizabeth II's personal and public life to reveal the woman behind the crown

Published: April 21, 2026 at 10:52 AM

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This April marks the centenary of the birth of Elizabeth II. In this special episode of our Life of the Week series, historian Kate Williams guides Charlotte Vosper through the late Queen’s life, picking a key moment from each decade that illuminates the monarch's personality, public role, and private life.

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How did she feel when she unexpectedly became heir apparent to the throne? What did she really think about the media furore that surrounded her and her family? And how should we look back on her reign, almost four years on?

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Join Professor Kate Williams for a six-part HistoryExtra series uncovering the little-known stories behind some of history’s most famous queens.

Authors

Charlotte VosperContent producer

Charlotte Vosper is a content producer at HistoryExtra

Professor Kate Williams

Professor Kate Williams is a historian, author, and broadcaster, and professor of Modern History at Reading University

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