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Nine decades is a lot of time to pack in some travel, but even so, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrates her 90th birthday on April 21, has certainly got around.
Her travel miles add up to 42 circuits of the globe, visiting nearly 120 countries and territories – and she doesn’t even own a passport.
As British travel documents are issued in her name, she technically doesn’t need them.
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She’s already Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, having spent 64 years on the throne. She’s seen more of the world than her predecessors, too.
The Queen has traveled to more than 60% of the world’s 196 countries, according to royal historian Kate Williams, who carried out the research for lastminute.com.
When the Queen was born in 1926, the British “empire on which the sun never sets” was close to its territorial peak, but change was very much in the air.
A peek inside Buckingham Palace
Golden age
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During her reign as queen for 63 years, Queen Elizabeth II has made numerous trips abroad, often leading an extensive schedule. Her travels have taken her all over the world.
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrive at a State Opening of Parliament ceremony in Melbourne, Australia in 1954. It was her first of many visits to the Commonwealth country.
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The Queen's Commonwealth Tour took her to Nigeria in February 1956. Here she inspects men of the newly-renamed Queen's Own Nigeria Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force, at Kaduna Airport.
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In November 1957, Queen Elizabeth II visited Washington, D.C., as pictured here with President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Prince Philip. She has met numerous presidents over the years and visited 116 countries.
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In 1961, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited India. Here they are standing with the Maharaja (fourth from the left) and Maharani (fifth from the right) of Jaipur, following a tiger shoot in the Rajasthani city of Jaipur. Despite the fact that she's on a tiger hunt, the Queen has not forgotten her handbag.
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During the Queen's first official visit to Germany, she met with German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard (front left), here attending a luncheon at the Chancellery, Germany, on May 21, 1965.
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The Queen's first visit to Thailand shows her here visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok in February 1972.
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The Queen and Prince Charles seem to be enjoying their open-top car ride during a state visit to Avignon, France, in May 1972, three years after being invested with the title of Prince of Wales.
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Queen Elizabeth II was warmly greeted by crowds during her Royal Tour of New Zealand in 1977, the year she celebrated her Silver Jubilee.
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President Ronald Reagan laughing at the Queen's speech during a state dinner in San Francisco, California in 1983.
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President George Bush steps aside for Queen Elizabeth II to address the crowd attending a welcoming ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 14, 1991.
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On her first state visit to South Africa, the Queen inspects the guards of honor at Cape Town's waterfront in March 1995.
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Queen Elizabeth II is escorted by Malaysia's King Jaafar during the official welcoming ceremony in Kuala Lumpur in September 1998. She visited Malaysia on that occasion to officiate the closure of the XVI Commonwealth Games.
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As the Queen visits a military camp in Christchurch, New Zealand, a Maori warrior performs the Haka in February 2002.
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Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II, French President Jacques Chirac, Bernadette Chirac, U.S President George W Bush, First Lady Laura Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend the commemoration ceremony on the 60th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2004 in Arromanches, France.
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Visiting the former British colony of Singapore in March of 2006, Queen Elizabeth II watches a Chinese Lion Dance troop perform at the Toa Payoh Housing Development Board estate.
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On a state visit to the Middle East in 2010, the Queen speaks with President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi at the Mushrif Palace.
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Queensland Premier Anna Bligh shows Queen Elizabeth II a koala during a visit to Rainforest Walk, Southbank, in October 2011, in Brisbane, Australia.
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An historic moment was made when Queen Elizabeth II shook hands with Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness as First Minister Peter Robinson looks on at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 27, 2012. A simple handshake marks a step forward in the peace process relating to British rule of Northern Ireland.
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip met with Pope Francis in Rome in April 2014 in Vatican City. This was the Queen's third meeting with a Pope in the Vatican.
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The Queen is joined by U.S. President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Russian President Vladimir Putin for a group photo of world leaders attending the D-Day 70th Anniversary ceremonies at Chateau de Benouville in Benouville, France, June 6, 2014.
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The Queen raises a glass with the President of Germany, Joachim Gauck, as they attend a garden party at the British Embassy residence on a state visit to the country on June 25, 2015 in Berlin.
Ireland and Egypt had won independence and India’s self-rule movement was also growing.
During her first year as Queen, the young monarch traveled more than 40,000 miles and visited 12 countries between November 1953 and May 1954.
These days her trips are often diplomatic ventures, helping to bridge divides and ease geopolitical tensions. Her trips to politically sensitive spots such as post-war Germany in 1965, South Africa in 1995 and Ireland in 2011 were all considered successes.
She’s lived through the golden age of air travel and the budget carrier revolution. She’s seen the arrival of every travel fad from caravan vacations and backpacking to glamping and Airbnb. Canada and Australia have been her most visited destinations, while her favorite European neighbors to call in on are Germany and France.
Exotic travel gifts have included an elephant from Cameroon, which she donated to London Zoo.
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, center, poses with US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in the Grand Corridor of Windsor Castle in June 2021.
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Harry Truman: She wasn't Queen yet, but during a state visit to the United States in 1951, Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, were received by former President Harry Truman and his wife, Bess. Truman is the only US President that Elizabeth met while she was a princess.
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Herbert Hoover: Hoover finished his tenure as President long before Elizabeth ascended to the throne. However, the opportunity for a meeting between the two arose in 1957 during the Queen's royal tour of the United States. Hoover is seated here to the Queen's right.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower: Eisenhower was the first serving President who Elizabeth met during her reign; he was also her host during her first state visit to the United States in 1957. They also met during a visit to Canada two years later in 1959. The Queen welcomed Eisenhower to the country before they formally opened the St. Lawrence Seaway with a short cruise aboard the royal yacht Britannia.
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John F. Kennedy: Amid much fanfare and huge media interest, Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, were dinner guests at Buckingham Palace in June 1961. He later wrote that he would "cherish the memory of that delightful evening," in a birthday letter written to the Queen. He added: "The people of the United States join with me in extending to your Majesty and to the people of the Commonwealth best wishes and hearty congratulations on the occasion of the celebration of your birthday. ... May I also at the same time say how grateful my wife and I are for the cordial hospitality offered to us by your Majesty and Prince Phillip during our visit to London last Monday. We shall always cherish the memory of that delightful evening."
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Richard Nixon: Nixon met Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace shortly after becoming the 37th US President in 1969. The Queen prepared signed photographs of herself and Prince Philip as a small memento of the meeting. Nixon also brought a signed headshot. "I didn't bring my wife along this time, 'cause this trip was so hurried," he said. "But we just had a picture taken of the two of us. I would like to send you one of that because it would be much more pleasant to look at the two of us." Laughing, the Queen responded, "That's very nice of you."
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Gerald Ford: Ford and the Queen dance during a state dinner at the White House in 1976.
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Jimmy Carter: During a 1977 dinner at Buckingham Palace, Carter described the home of the British monarch as "one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. And I think the whole royal family was there. ... I had a good place to sit -- I was between the Queen and Princess Margaret, and across the table was Prince Charles and Prince Philip and the Queen Mother." He continued: "One of the things I told Queen Elizabeth was how much the American people appreciated her coming over last year to celebrate our 200th birthday. And she said that it was one of the warmest welcomes she'd ever received."
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Ronald Reagan: The Reagans were the first US family to be the Queen's overnight guests at Windsor Castle in 1982. In his memoirs, "An American Life", the former President recalled his visit with the British royal family: "The highlight of our stay there came when the Queen and I went horseback riding together and Nancy and Prince Philip took a horse-drawn carriage ride. I must admit, the Queen is quite an accomplished horsewoman. We will always remember our visit to Windsor Castle because of the Queen's and Prince Philip's warmth and welcoming hospitality -- they could not have been more gracious."
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George H.W. Bush: Bush visited the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 1989, and in May 1991, she was guest of honor at a state dinner in the White House. The pair exchanged toasts about the legacy of human rights and the rule of law bequeathed upon the United States by Great Britain. Meanwhile, the Queen spoke about her previous visits to the White House and the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Bush said during his welcome address: "We have got a lot of things in common. Americans share the Queen's love for horses. ... Most of all what links our countries is less a place than an idea. The idea that for nearly 400 years has been America's inheritance and England's bequest: the legacy of democracy, the rule of law and basic human rights."
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Bill Clinton: Clinton met the Queen more than once during his tenure. He said: "She's a highly intelligent woman who knows a lot about the world. ... I always marvel when we meet at what a keen judge she is of human events. I think she's a very impressive person. I like her very much." During a trip to Europe in 2000, Clinton said he noticed that although the Queen's hair had turned gray, she had what he described as "youthful eyes." He added: "She has these baby blue eyes, just piercing."
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George W. Bush: Bush visited Britain on an official state visit in 2003, and the Queen went to the United States in 2007 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. During his welcome speech, Bush fluffed his lines and said: ''You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17--. " Realizing his mistake of suggesting the then-81-year-old queen had been on the throne since the 18th century, Bush turned to the monarch and winked at her. Later Bush said she gave him "a look that only a mother could give a child." Here they are pictured in June 2004 watching a flyover in Arromanches, France. It was the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
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Barack Obama: "There's one last thing that I should mention that I love about Great Britain, and that is the Queen," Obama said at the end of his joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during a visit to the UK in 2009. "And so I'm very much looking forward to meeting her for the first time later this evening. ... I think in the imagination of people throughout America, I think what the Queen stands for and her decency and her civility, what she represents, that's very important." Later, during a reception for G-20 leaders, Michelle Obama was seen to take the unusual step of putting her hand briefly on the back of the Queen. This was against protocol, but the monarch seemed to have reached out her hand first and didn't appear bothered by the first lady's gesture.
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Donald Trump: In 2019, the Queen hosted the Trumps for an official state visit that included dinner at Buckingham Palace. In a Fox News interview just after the trip to London, Trump called the Queen an "incredible lady" and said they had a lot of fun together. Some members of the British public and press were not amused, however, when Trump briefly walked in front of the Queen during a ceremonial inspection of the troops at Windsor Castle. The monarch had to do an awkward sidestep around him.
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Joe Biden: Biden first met the Queen as a young senator in 1982. He returned nearly 40 years later, after his first G7 summit as President. They held private talks inside Windsor Castle, and Biden later said he wished he could have spoken to her longer. "She was very generous," Biden said. He said he did not think she'd be insulted if he said she "reminded me of my mother in terms of the look of her and the generosity."
Royal travel doesn’t come cheap – $7.3 million was spent on globetrotting in 2014. However, she has been known to rough it. In 1981 she stayed in a bed and breakfast in Bristol, England after being caught out in a blizzard.
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The Queen is traveling less these days, although in 2014 she still fitted in state visits to Germany and Malta. However the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have taken up the baton, having just returned to London after a week-long trip of India and Bhutan. After all, it’s not just William who has travel in his blood – Catherine’s mother, Carole Middleton, was a flight attendant.
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