As queen, Elizabeth II's family life was far from traditional -- she was often away for long stretches, was frequently occupied by work and had at times complicated relationships with her four children. She was 22 and still a princess when her eldest son and heir apparent, Charles, was born, and 24 when Princess Anne came along. But she sometimes left them for months at a time to join her husband Prince Philip, a naval officer stationed in Malta, or to tour with him abroad.
