For somebody who was never meant to rule, Queen Elizabeth II has become one of the most iconic leaders of our time. Her Majesty has outlived presidents and prime ministers, and held the highest position in the land for over six decades.

As a young princess, she became the first and only female member of the Royal Family to join the war effort, training as a mechanic in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service. At 25, she ascended the throne following the sudden death of her father, King George VI, catapulting her to a life bound by duty. At that time, women largely identified as wives and mothers. Men occupied the workforce and higher education wouldn’t become possible for women for another decade. It was, on the whole, a man’s world in which women were the homemakers. But for Queen Elizabeth II, or Lilibet as she was affectionately known by her family, her blue blood would take her down a different path.