From Churchill to Putin: A look back how Queen Elizabeth shaped the international stage

During her 63 years sitting on the throne, Queen Elizabeth met all sorts of personalities who shaped the world and left their impression on history, just like her. She met presidents, popes, world leaders, and social activists. Let's have a look back at some of her most memorable encounters!

During her reign, 15 British prime ministers served under her. The first one, of course, was Sir Winston Churchill.

Liz Truss, her last Prime Minister, took office just a few days before Queen Elizabeth passed away.

Other memorable Prime Ministers who served under her reign include Tony Blair, seen here with Her Majesty on New Year's Eve 2000, welcoming a new millennium.

And, who could forget Margaret Thatcher? She was the first female and longest-serving Prime Minister of the 20th century. In this picture, along with Thatcher, the queen can be seen with former PMs James Callaghan, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Macmillan, Harold Wilson, and Ted Heath.

Queen Elizabeth II, seen here with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was truly a symbol of stability through changing times and passing governments.

Over six decades, the late queen met all kinds of important personalities. Here she can be seen at Buckingham Palace in 1960, with French President and WW2 leader Charles de Gaulle.

The Queen also met 13 of the last 14 US Presidents, starting out with Harry Truman in 1951, when she was just still a princess. The one exception, you may ask? Lyndon B. Johnson.

One of the most memorable visits was of US President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy to Buckingham Palace in 1961.

50 years later, in 2011, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh hosted a state banquet for Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States.

A lot had changed in the United States in 50 years, but Her Majesty remained the same.

The Queen is not only the leader of the United Kingdom but as the head of the Commonwealth literally over a hundred individuals have been her prime ministers in dozens of countries. Among these leaders is Canada's Justin Trudeau, pictured here in March 2022.

And here New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern shares a few words with Elizabeth II during a commonwealth dinner event in 2018. Both Ardern and Trudeau were among the world leaders invited to the Queen's funeral.

Being one of the most recognizable Western leaders, the Queen almost met with dignitaries from all over the world such as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989. Gorbachev passed away earlier in August 2022.

The Queen also met on several occasions Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Although Russia's war on Ukraine made it unlikely that the President of the Russian Federation was going to get invited to attend Her Majesty's funeral.

Queen Elizabeth visited several times India, which was once considered the crown jewel of the British Empire. Here's Her Majesty with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1983.

Here Queen Elizabeth can be seen with South African leader and human rights activist Nelson Mandela, during his visit to the UK in the year 2000.

Even in her 90s, Queen Elizabeth remained very active in the international field. Here she is at the G7 meeting in 2021 with French President Emmanuel Macron.

And here's Queen Elizabeth in 2015 when then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Truly two women who left their impact on modern Europe.

Elizabeth II also met with human rights activist Malala Yousafzai in several occasions, the first of these in 2013.

Truly things won't be the same on the international chessboard of politics and diplomacy without the queen.