Not only was she the country’s longest-reigning monarch, she was also the most well-travelled, visiting 117 countries during her 70-year reign.
Among these destinations, there were a few that were particularly beloved to Elizabeth II, prompting repeat visits above and beyond her royal duties.
As we know, the Queen died at her Balmoral Estate, which was where Princess Eugenie said her grandmother was ‘most happy’.
She added: ‘I think she really, really loves the Highlands. Walks, picnics, dogs – a lot of dogs, there’s always dogs – and people coming in and out all the time.’
The Queen spent much of her downtime at Balmoral, which spans 50,000 acres and boasts picturesque scenery like lochs, mountains, and woodland.
It became something of a bolthole for the royal family to relax, but there were a few other destinations that were close to the Queen’s heart.
South Africa
It may seem hard to believe given her globetrotting later in life, but the Queen didn’t actually leave the UK for the first time until she was 20.
Just before her engagement to Prince Philip, she took her first trip abroad with the family to South Africa.
The two-month long stay included 35 nights on the special royal White Train and then-Princess Elizabeth’s 21st birthday.
Kenya
The Queen stayed at Treetops Lodge in Kenya with her husband Prince Phillip ahead of a royal tour when she was 25.
It was while there that she learned her father had died and she’d ascend to the throne, making it a particularly poignant place for the monarch.
Malta
While Prince Phillip was stationed in the Mediterranean nation, Elizabeth II lived here in Malta for two years, in a palatial villa outside Valetta which had been gifted to them by Lord Louis Mountbatten.
She went on to visit the island over six times as Queen, clearly having a soft spot for the warm climes and culture.
The Queen commented in 2015: ‘[Malta] was always very special for me. I remember happy days here with Prince Philip when we were first married.’
Canada
Having hosted her 27 times, it can be presumed that Canada was among the Queen’s favourite countries to visit.
Some of the activities she and her family enjoyed there include trekking around the Northwest Territories and taking in the Nova Scotia landscapes.
The monarch also cut the ribbon for the 15th Commonwealth Games held in British Columbia.
Brazil
One of the Queen’s most memorable moments was during a trip to South America that took her and the Duke of Edinburgh through Brazil.
The couple drove in an open-top Rolls Royce past Copacabana Beach before the monarch watched a cup final football match and awarded Pelé the winner’s trophy to uproarious crowds.
In 2006, she said: ‘I have vivid and happy memories of my visit to Brazil with Prince Philip in 1968, especially the warmth and hospitality of the Brazilian people.’
St Mawes, Cornwall
Aside from the Scottish Highlands, the Queen was known to have fond memories of this Cornish seaside spot from her childhood.
The Queen Mother would take young Elizabeth and Margaret to the harbour town regularly, staying at a secluded property to get away from the pressures of royal life.
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