- Queen Elizabeth was born in 1926 and became Queen in 1952.
- Before she became Queen, she worked as a truck mechanic in a women's branch of the British army.
- She's always been an avid horseback rider and lover of corgis.
Before Queen Elizabeth became the longest-reigning British monarch in history, she was Princess Elizabeth — a truck mechanic in the women's branch of the British army, avid horseback rider, and lover of corgis.
Here are 30 vintage photos of Queen Elizabeth before she ascended the throne in 1952.
Queen Elizabeth grew up riding around royal grounds.
In 1927, when Queen Elizabeth was just a baby, she rode around Windsor Castle with her cousin Gerald Lascelles.
She attended the Royal Tournament at Olympia London in 1930 with her grandmother, Queen Mary.
The Royal Tournament was a pageant-style celebration of the armed forces.
The young princess attended the Trooping the Colour ceremony in 1931.
She rode with Queen Mary (left) and Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, the Duchess of York (right).
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