With Elizabeth II, a part of history is extinguished.
In 70 years of reign, the sovereign who died on Thursday has gone through a large part of contemporary history.
She has met dozens of Heads of State around the world, seen 16 British Prime Ministers succeed one another, known 14 American Presidents.
She met Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela.
Back in pictures on the greatest moments of the sovereign.
1. Elizabeth II (then 11) and her sister, Margaret, pose on the balcony of Buckingham Palace next to their parents, King George VI and Queen Mary, in 1937.
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2. Elizabeth II and Philip Mountbatten were married on November 20, 1947. Less than five years later, she found herself propelled queen, at just 25 years old.
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3. In November 1948, the Queen and her husband became parents for the first time.
After Charles, three other children were born of their union: Anne, Andrew and Edward.
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4. On June 2, 1953, more than a year after her father's death and her proclamation as Queen, Elizabeth II was officially crowned, at Westminster Abbey.
In this photo, she is surrounded by her mother and her younger sister, Margaret.
Behind her stands her husband, Prince Philip.
AFP
5. Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister when Elizabeth II succeeded her father.
She had already met him when she was a princess, in 1950.
AFP
6. US President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, were received by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1961.
US Department of State/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum/Handout via REUTERS
7. Elizabeth II is known to be a fan of corgis.
Here it is, October 1969, at London station, with her four dogs, after a stay at Balmoral.
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8. In 1969 Charles' investiture ceremony as Prince of Wales was held at Caernarfon.
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9. Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister for over 11 years.
The two women therefore met on many occasions, as here, during a Commonwealth conference in 1979 in Zambia.
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (L) and Queen Elizabeth II attend the Commonwealth conference on August 01, 1979 in Lusaka.
(Photo by UPI / AFP) / France ONLY AFP or licensors
10. In 1989, Elizabeth II met the last leader of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, during an official visit to the United Kingdom.
AFP/Andre De Wet AFP or licensors
11. Queen Elizabeth II has known eight French Presidents, from René Coty to Emmanuel Macron, via François Mitterrand, whom she met at the Elysée Palace in 1992.
AFP/Joel Robine
12. On September 4, 1997, a few days after Lady Diana's death in Paris, Elizabeth II stands in front of flowers laid to pay homage to the "princess of hearts".
The initial silence of the sovereign had created controversy across the Channel.
She ended up bowing to the coffin of Prince Charles' ex-wife on the day of his funeral.
WTN/AFP
13. In December 1997, the sovereign met the Spice Girls, after one of their concerts in London.
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14. In 2003, the Queen of England received former South African leader Nelson Mandela at a reception at Buckingham Palace.
AFP/POOL/Kirsty Wigglesworth AFP and licensors
15. Barack Obama is one of the 14 American presidents that the sovereign has met during her reign.
Here at Buckingham Palace in 2011.
POOL / AFP / Lefteris Pitarakis
16. The Queen's grandson, Prince William, married Kate Middleton on April 29, 2011. He is now first in line to the throne.
AFP PHOTO / Geoff Caddick
17. In 2012, Elizabeth II agreed to play her own role alongside Daniel Craig, playing James Bond, at the opening of the London Olympics.
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18. On April 17, 2021, the Queen attended the funeral of her husband, Prince Philip, who died at the age of 99.
They had been married for 74 years.
Jonathan Brady/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo WPA Rota
19. In June, great festivities were organized for the Jubilee of the 70 years of the reign of Elizabeth II.
She was surrounded by her eldest son, Prince Charles, her grandson, William, and his wife Kate, as well as her great-grandchildren, George, Charlotte and Louis.
AFP/Daniel Leal AFP or licensors
20. The Queen's last official photo dates back to this Tuesday, at her Balmoral residence.
She officially accepted the resignation of Boris Johnson and immediately asked the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, to form a government.
Jane Barlow/Pool via REUTERS/PA File Photo