Queen Elizabeth II — 100th Birth Anniversary

What this countdown tracks

The 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II — Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The Queen, who reigned from 1952 to 2022, was born at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair on April 21, 1926. UK national commemorations are expected at Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle, alongside Commonwealth-wide observances.

About this anniversary

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the eldest child of Albert (Prince Albert, Duke of York, later King George VI) and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was born during the reign of her grandfather King George V. Her father acceded to the throne following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in December 1936, making the 10-year-old Elizabeth heir presumptive. She acceded to the throne on the death of George VI on February 6, 1952, was crowned on June 2, 1953, and reigned until her death at Balmoral on September 8, 2022 — a reign of 70 years and 214 days, the longest of any British monarch and the second-longest verified reign of any sovereign in world history (after Louis XIV of France).

Elizabeth II's reign spanned the post-war reconstruction of Britain, the dissolution of the British Empire and the formation of the Commonwealth of Nations, the rise of the European Union, the end of the Cold War, the digital revolution, and the COVID-19 pandemic. She had 15 prime ministers — from Winston Churchill at her accession to Liz Truss two days before her death. Her death in 2022 triggered a 10-day period of national mourning and the largest state funeral in British history, with attendance and global broadcast audiences estimated at 4 billion viewers.

The 100th-birth anniversary in 2026 is the first major posthumous milestone. Royal centenaries of British monarchs are traditionally marked with national commemorations, exhibitions at the Royal Collection Trust galleries, special services at Westminster Abbey and St. George's Chapel Windsor (where the Queen is buried), and Commonwealth-wide events. The 100th-birth anniversary of King George VI in December 1995 was marked with a major Westminster Abbey service; the 100th of Queen Mary in 1967 with a Royal Mint commemoration. Queen Elizabeth II's centenary is expected to be substantially larger.

What to expect

The Royal Family's plans for the centenary year are coordinated by the Royal Household and announced through Buckingham Palace press releases. Expected components include a thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey on or around April 21, 2026; a private service at St. George's Chapel Windsor (where the Queen, Prince Philip, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother are interred together); a Royal Collection Trust exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, drawing on the personal collections; a Royal Mint £5 commemorative coin; a Royal Mail commemorative stamp issue; and a BBC documentary cycle.

The Commonwealth — the 56-nation grouping of which Elizabeth II was Head — is expected to mark the centenary with simultaneous commemorations. The Royal Australian Mint, Royal Canadian Mint and other Commonwealth mints are likely to produce commemorative coins. The Anglican Communion, of which the Queen was Supreme Governor through her role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, is expected to mark the centenary in liturgical observance.

A range of public-private events — exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum (where the Queen served as a mechanic in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945), at the Royal Air Force Museum, and at the Tower of London (where the Crown Jewels worn at her coronation are on permanent display) — are expected to coincide with the centenary.

Past royal centenaries

• December 14, 1995 — 100th birth anniversary of King George VI
• August 4, 2000 — 100th birthday of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (then living)
• May 26, 1967 — 100th birth anniversary of Queen Mary
• January 22, 2001 — 100th anniversary of Queen Victoria's death
• May 24, 2019 — 200th birth anniversary of Queen Victoria
• November 9, 1941 — 100th birth anniversary of King Edward VII (during WWII)

How to follow

The Royal Family's official website (royal.uk) publishes the centenary programme as it develops. The BBC publishes the broadcast schedule of special programming. Westminster Abbey, St. George's Chapel Windsor, and the Royal Collection Trust publish exhibition and service schedules. Commonwealth-wide observances are announced through national governments and high commissions.

Related countdowns

The Queen's centenary 2026 sits alongside other royal milestones including Concorde 50th anniversary 2026 (Concorde was a flagship British achievement of her reign), the US 250th Anniversary Semiquincentennial 2026 (the 1976 visit by the Queen was a defining moment of the 200th US anniversary), and the Princess Diana 30th anniversary 2027 countdown.

FAQ

When is the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II's birth? Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Where was she born? At 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London — the home of her maternal grandparents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore. Where is she buried? At St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the King George VI Memorial Chapel alongside her father, mother and husband, Prince Philip. What's expected at the centenary? A thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey, a Royal Collection Trust exhibition, a Royal Mint coin, Royal Mail stamps, and a BBC documentary cycle.