In the wake of his brothers abdication, King George VI, became king on May the 12th, 1937. This meant that his young daughter, Elizabeth, who was just 11 years old at the time - would one day succeed him as queen. 2 years later… WWII broke out. This set a tone for the monarchy going forward. The indomitable spirit of the Royal Family helped the people of the United Kingdom through their darkest times. Princess Elizabeth was only 13 years of age, when the outbreak of war occurred on September 3rd, 1939. King George VI died in 1952, only just 7 years after the end of WWII. Elizabeth was taught from such a young age, what a monarch should be about. She put in the forthright dedication just as much as her father did. The influence of her surroundings, and the very nature of her family, shaped her into becoming the longest-reigning monarch in all of British History.