Queen Elizabeth II was not only the longest-reigning monarch in the United Kingdom but also held the record as the oldest head of state in the world.
Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI. To date, she has ruled the United Kingdom for 70 years and nearly 4 months, longer than any other monarch in the country’s history.
The previous record was held by Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, 7 months, and two days before her death in 1901 at the age of 81.
At the age of 96, Queen Elizabeth II is also the monarch and the oldest head of state in the world.
Globally, only two kings have reigned longer than she has. King Louis XIV of France ruled for 72 years, while King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand reigned for 70 years and 4 months before his death in October 2016.
Queen Elizabeth II at an event outside Buckingham Palace in London on October 7, 2021. (Photo: Reuters).
Queen Elizabeth II also holds another record for global travel. She has visited over 100 countries worldwide since 1952 and has made more than 150 visits to Commonwealth nations.
Canada is the most frequent destination of the Queen’s travels, with 22 visits. In Europe, France is the country she has visited the most, with 13 trips, and the Queen is also fluent in French. Telegraph estimates that the total distance traveled by the Queen is equivalent to 42 times around the globe.
Her longest overseas tour lasted 168 days from November 1953 to May 1954, covering a total of 13 countries. By November 2015, at the age of 89, she ceased her overseas tours.
She is also regarded as one of the busiest people in the world. At the age of 21, she committed her life to serving the Commonwealth. As Queen, she conducted approximately 21,000 meetings, passed 4,000 pieces of legislation, and welcomed 112 state visits from foreign leaders.
Among those she has welcomed are Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia in 1954, Emperor Hirohito of Japan in 1971, Polish President Lech Walesa in 1991, and U.S. President Barack Obama in 2011.
The Queen also serves as the head of the Church of England, a position that has existed since the church was established under King Henry VIII in the 16th century.
During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II has hosted 4 popes, including John XXIII in 1961, John Paul II in 1980, 1982, and 2000, Benedict XVI in 2010, and Francis I in 2014.
Her Buckingham Palace has hosted over 180 banquets, welcoming more than 1.5 million attendees.
In the political arena, she has witnessed the most changes in the British government, with 14 prime ministers serving under her reign. The first was Prime Minister Winston Churchill (from 1952 to 1955), and the most recent was Prime Minister Liz Truss in 2022.
The Queen also regularly holds private meetings with the British Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace on a weekly basis.
Queen Elizabeth II met 13 of the last 14 U.S. presidents, except for Lyndon B. Johnson. The most recent leader from the White House she welcomed was President Joe Biden, who visited in 2021.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in Hampshire in 2007. (Photo: AFP).
Sent 300,000 birthday cards for those turning 100: Queen Elizabeth II sent approximately 300,000 birthday cards to centenarians and 900,000 cards for the 60th wedding anniversary to couples in the UK.
Her marriage lasted 73 years, a record for a British royal. Her husband was Prince Philip, who passed away in April last year at the age of 99.
Throughout her life, the Queen has been the subject of over 200 portraits, most of which were painted in a traditional style. However, one of these paintings—created by artist Lucian Freud in 2001—faced significant criticism. Critics claimed that the depiction of Queen Elizabeth II in Freud’s painting resembled her corgi dog.
In 1996, Queen Elizabeth II became the first member of the British royal family to visit China. She was also the first to speak in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington.
She sent her first email on March 26, 1976, during a visit to a research facility of the British Ministry of Defense.
In 1997, she announced the launch of the official Buckingham Palace website and posted her first message on social media Twitter in 2014. In 2019, Queen Elizabeth II joined Instagram.
Queen Elizabeth II also drew attention when she made a parachute jump from a helicopter with James Bond at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Queen Elizabeth and her dog appeared alongside actor Daniel Craig, known for his role as James Bond in the 007 film series, at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012. The parachute jump from the helicopter with actor Daniel Craig was later performed by a stunt double.
Queen Elizabeth II with actor Daniel Craig to promote the London 2012 Olympics. (Photo: AFP).
Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, at the age of 96.
