Her death comes a year and a half after the loss of her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. He was 99.
Advertisement
The Duke of Edinburgh may have been the queen’s “strength and stay,” but her children – Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward (not to mention her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren) – were a constant joy in her life.
“Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters, and of family disagreements,” she said, according to The Telegraph.
But the queen’s handling of those “wayward youngsters” wasn’t one-size-fits-all. As many a royal biographer will tell you, how Elizabeth (and to a lesser extent, Philip) parented their first two children ― Charles, born in 1948, and Anne, born in 1950 ― was quite different from how they raised their youngest children ― Andrew, born in 1960, and Edward, born in 1964.
That said, Princess Anne herself has dismissed the reputation the queen has in the press as being a somewhat cold, emotionally distant mother.
“We as children may have not been too demanding in the sense that we understand what the limitations were in time and the responsibilities placed on her as monarch in the things she had to do and the travels she had to make,” she told the BBC in 2002.
Still, many royal historians hold that Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, who were born a decade after their older siblings, had notably different experiences with their mother. It makes sense, given the circumstance: Elizabeth was only 25 and a relatively new mother when she acceded to the throne in the wake of her father’s 1952 death. Personally and professionally, there was much to balance and much to learn.
Advertisement
By 1960, when Andrew was born, the queen had had ample time to settle into a life of royal duties. As royal historian Robert Lacey told Town & Country, the queen was finally able to take a step back and prioritize family time — and as a result, became “warmer and more flexible” as a mother.
Below, we take a look back at what Queen Elizabeth was like as a mom.
1
Fox Photos via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) with her newborn son, Prince Charles, in 1949.
2
Print Collector via Getty Images
Then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Charles in 1948.
3
PA Images via Getty Images
Then-Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in an informal photo with their young son, Charles.
Advertisement
4
Bettmann via Getty Images
Then-Princess Elizabeth and Charles, on the eve of his first birthday.
5
STF via Getty Images
Then-Princess Elizabeth smiles as she holds her daughter Princess Anne, born Aug. 18, 1950.
6
Keystone via Getty Images
Four generations of the royal family gather: then-Princess Elizabeth holds Anne while sitting next to her mother, Queen Elizabeth (right), and her grandmother, Queen Mary.
Advertisement
7
Keystone via Getty Images
Then-Princess Elizabeth with Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne in August 1951.
8
PA Images via Getty Images
Then-Princess Elizabeth with the Duke of Edinburgh, Charles and Anne on the grounds of Clarence House, their London residence.
9
Lisa Sheridan via Getty Images
Elizabeth with Prince Charles and Princess Anne on the grounds of Balmoral Castle, Scotland. Charles was celebrating his 4th birthday.
Advertisement
10
Lisa Sheridan via Getty Images
Then-Princess Elizabeth watching Prince Charles play in a toy car while at Balmoral in September 1952.
11
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne wave from the balcony at Buckingham Palace after Elizabeth's coronation ceremony in London on June 2, 1953.
12
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Charles during a polo match at Windsor Great Park in 1956.
Advertisement
13
ullstein bild Dtl. via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth with Anne, Charles and Philip, circa 1956.
14
Hulton Deutsch via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth driving Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Windsor in 1957.
15
Bettmann via Getty Images
A portrait of Queen Elizabeth with her two oldest children.
Advertisement
16
- via Getty Images
One of the first pictures of the newborn Prince Andrew. The prince was born Feb. 19, 1960.
17
Mirrorpix via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip with Princess Anne, Prince Charles (right) and Prince Andrew in September 1960. It was Andrew's first holiday to Balmoral.
18
Keystone via Getty Images
The family at Balmoral Castle in September 1960.
Advertisement
19
Keystone-France via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne after a day of riding.
20
- via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II poses with Prince Andrew and newborn Prince Edward in London in June 1964.
21
Fox Photos via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip with Prince Edward on the balcony at Buckingham Palace on June 13, 1964.
Advertisement
22
Fox Photos via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward waving to the crowds during the Trooping of the Color at Buckingham Palace.
23
Lisa Sheridan via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth plays with Princes Edward and Andrew at Windsor Castle in June 1965.
24
Michael Stroud via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth awarding Philip and Charles with trophies after a polo match on April 30, 1967.
Advertisement
25
PA Images via Getty Images
The royal family on the grounds of Frogmore House in 1968.
26
Anwar Hussein via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth with Prince Charles and Prince Edward in an undated photo.
27
Fox Photos via Getty Images
The royal family at Windsor in 1969.
Advertisement
28
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
The royal family relaxing in a drawing room at Sandringham House in Norfolk in April 1969.
29
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth lunches with Prince Philip, Princess Anne and Prince Charles at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, circa 1969. A camera (left) is set up to film for Richard Cawston's BBC documentary "Royal Family," which followed the royals over a period of a year and was broadcast in June 1969.
30
Anwar Hussein via Getty Images
The Investiture of The Prince of Wales at Caernarvon Castle on July 1,1969. Prince Charles kneels before Queen Elizabeth as she places the coronet on his head.
Advertisement
31
Fox Photos via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne attend a function at the Hotel Imperial in Vienna on May 7, 1969.
32
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Charles riding a go-kart with Edward in 1969 while Queen Elizabeth looks on.
33
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth looking at a photo album with Prince Andrew (left) and Prince Edward in December 1971. Footage of this scene was used in the queen's Christmas broadcast of 1971, to illustrate the theme of family.
Advertisement
34
PA Images via Getty Images
The queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Andrew (left, in red) and Prince Edward visit the kennels at Balmoral in 1972.
35
Fox Photos via Getty Images
The royal family at Buckingham Palace in London in 1972. Left to right: Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Edward and Prince Charles.
36
PA Images via Getty Images
The Queen and Princess Anne in the Irish State Coach as they drive to Westminster for the ceremonial opening of the new session of Parliament in 1973.
Advertisement
37
Anwar Hussein via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth with Prince Phillip and their three sons on holiday in Balmoral in 1975.
38
Tim Graham via Getty Images
Prince Edward with his mother at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1976.
39
Anwar Hussein via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth with Princes Andrew and Edward watch Princess Anne compete in the equestrian event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, on July 23, 1976.
Advertisement
40
Anwar Hussein via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth kisses Princess Anne.
41
Tim Graham via Getty Images
The queen with Prince Edward on his Skewbald horse at the royal Windsor horse show in 1994.
42
Tim Graham via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are joined at Clarence House by their immediate family on Nov. 18, 2007.
Advertisement
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.