When did Queen Elizabeth become queen?

Queen Elizabeth II, the current queen of the United Kingdom, became queen on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI. She was just 25 years old at the time and was on a tour of Kenya with her husband, Prince Philip, when she received the news of her father’s death. Elizabeth was immediately flown back to the UK and was proclaimed queen on the same day. Her coronation ceremony was held on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey in London, making her the sixth queen regnant and the 40th monarch of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest-reigning monarch in British history, surpassing the previous record held by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.