Check out the following monarchs, who were the world’s youngest kings and queens!

February 5th, 1952

Night was falling in Kenya, Africa, when Princess Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, set out to watch elephants and rhinoceroses gather at a watering hole. Their hotel, built into the branches of a 3,000-year-old fig tree, had a fantastic viewing platform from which they could see the fascinating wildlife of Africa. The day had been a fulfilling one, with fishing in the streams, horse-riding, and experiencing the natural beauty of Africa up close, but this was an absolute climax for the Princess, who kept saying she was going to write a letter to her parents, describing all she had seen.

As the night grew late, they went into their treetop hotel to catch a few hours of sleep, planning to awaken at dawn and continue watching the African wildlife.

February 6th, 1952

Four thousand miles away in England, during the early morning hours, King George VI, father of Princess Elizabeth, died in his sleep. Princess Elizabeth automatically, and very suddenly, became Queen Elizabeth II. Ironically, she was one of the last to find out.