This April marks the centenary of the birth of Elizabeth II. In this special episode of our Life of the Week series, historian Kate Williams guides Charlotte Vosper through the late Queen’s life, picking a key moment from each decade that illuminates the monarch's personality, public role, and private life. How did she feel when she unexpectedly became heir apparent to the throne? What did she really think about the media furore that surrounded her and her family? And how should we look back on her reign, almost four years on? ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Join Professor Kate Williams for a six-part HistoryExtra series uncovering the little-known stories behind some of history’s most famous queens. You’ll meet Cleopatra, the brilliant strategist who fought Rome for Egypt’s survival; Marie Antoinette, the queen blamed for a revolution she couldn’t control, and Elizabeth II, whose image shaped modern royalty. Across millennia, we’ll explore how royal women navigated power, politics, and expectation and how their legacies were shaped long after their deaths. Find out more at historyextra.com/academy. And all videos are available now, on the HistoryExtra app – click here to learn more and join today: https://www.historyextra.com/app?utm_source=HistoryExtra+podcast&utm_medium=podcast+feed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices