Princess who was never expected to be queen

Queen Elizabeth was born in a townhouse in London’s Mayfair, the first child of the Duke of York, later King George VI.

Born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York on April 21, 1926 — the year of the general strike — she was never expected to be queen.

But she has become the longest reigning and oldest monarch in British history — and now the first to reach 90.

Her destiny was changed with the abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII, for the woman he loved — American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

Famously the Queen dedicated her life to her future role as monarch on her 21st birthday — vowing to serve the Commonwealth by saying: “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

During her 64-year reign, the monarch has been served by 12 prime ministers, while Barack Obama, who will drop in for lunch today, is the 12th US president to hold office over the same period.

Her personal life has brought her happiness in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

But she endured an “annus horribilis” in 1992, the year Charles separated from wife Diana, the Duke of York split from Sarah Ferguson, and the Princess Royal divorced Captain Mark Phillips.