As the longest-reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is a historical witness of the world’s ups and downs.

Become a queen in an unexpected mood

Queen Elizabeth II’s full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, born on April 21, 1926. She was the first child of the Duke of York, Albert, second son of King George V, and Duchess Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. In December 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated to marry divorced American sociologist Wallis Simpson. Her father became King George VI, making her heir to the throne at the age of 10.

Lilibet (Princess Elizabeth’s intimate name) ascending the throne early is something that few people could have predicted. Crowned at the age of 25, Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-serving person on the throne in British Royal history: 70 years. In a 1992 documentary, she shared that this was her lifelong job that she was initially not ready to take on so soon.

“In some ways, I wasn’t prepared to be queen at such a young age. It all happened so suddenly. I just tried to do the best job I could,” the queen said.

During her reign, since 1952, she has traveled to more than 100 countries and territories – the most of any British monarch. She has made more than 150 visits to Commonwealth countries. It is estimated that the foreign trips that Queen Elizabeth II has made have a total distance equivalent to 42 times around the world. From November 2015, at the age of 89, she began to stop traveling abroad.

With a reign of more than 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-serving person on the throne in British Royal history. The previous record was held by Queen Victoria.

“In some ways, I wasn’t prepared to be queen at such a young age. Everything happened too suddenly. I just try to do the best job possible,” the Queen shared in a 1992 documentary. (Photo: Reuters)

A queen dedicated to serving

Queen Elizabeth II was the only female member of the British Royal Family to join the military and serve in World War II. At that time, Elizabeth’s job was logistics support, a driver and a mechanic. Later, like all members of the British royal family, she represented many social organizations and charities around the world. She was also a sponsor of hundreds of organizations, in fields such as the environment, education, etc. education and healthcare. In 1992, she responded to criticism of the Royal Family over its wealth, by proposing to pay income tax and reduce the number of royal family members receiving state benefits.

Princess Elizabeth served in the army during World War II, working as a driver and mechanic. (Photo: Time)

The Queen has modern ideas

Initially, Queen Elizabeth II relied heavily on her father’s old team of advisors but gradually sought to modernize the monarchy. She tried to bring the royal institution into the modern world, eliminating rituals, helping the British royal family become more open and accessible to the ever-watching eyes of the media. Queen Elizabeth II is also considered a pioneer monarch in many fields of the digital era. She activated the official website of Buckingham Palace in 1997, posted her first post on Twitter in 2014 and officially had an Instagram account in 2019.

Queen Elizabeth II has a modern mindset and is a pioneer monarch in many fields in the digital era. (Photo: Reuters)

Witness of the world’s ups and downs

As the longest-reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II has accompanied many ups and downs of the world. The Queen has seen enormous social changes throughout her reign, spanning the post-war period, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War, the entry of the United Kingdom The European Union later separated from the EU (Brexit). Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers, starting with Mr. Winston Churchill and ending with Ms. Liz Truss. During the queen’s time in office, the world also witnessed the appointment of 7 Popes and 14 US Presidents.

During the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK, the Queen gave a rare video speech on April 5, 2020, to pledge to the people that they would control the pandemic. “We will succeed – and that success will belong to each of us. We may have to endure more, but better days will return,” she said from Windsor Castle.

The Queen herself also faced a low point in her life, witnessing the passing of Prince Philip. The photo of the tiny queen in the corner of the photo during his funeral at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 17, 2021 shows her great loss.

Queen Elizabeth II witnessed the passing of Prince Philip. (Photo: Reuters)

Symbol of stability

British Prime Minister Liz Trus stated: “Queen Elizabeth II is the spirit of England and that spirit will live on forever. Queen Elizabeth II has helped England become a modern, prosperous and dynamic country.” .” She emphasized that the passing of Queen Elizabeth II is a huge loss for the people of this country, but the Queen left behind a wonderful legacy.

While Britain has at times struggled to find its place in a new world order, the queen herself is still seen as a symbol of stability. To much of the world, Queen Elizabeth II is the embodiment of Britain, but she remains an enigmatic individual, almost never giving interviews, rarely expressing her emotions or offering a personal opinion. before the public. Former British Prime Minister John Major once said during the Queen’s 90th birthday celebration that, “The Queen is intelligent, compassionate, has insight and she possesses both modern and British tradition.”

Queen Elizabeth II is considered a symbol of stability. (Photo: Reuters)

After 7 decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is respected and admired by the people of the UK for her devotion and silent dedication to the mission of creating stability and strength for the UK. According to observers, during her time in office, Queen Elizabeth II fulfilled her duties cautiously, respectfully and with unlimited responsibility.

After Buckingham Palace announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96, flags flew at half-mast and a rainbow appeared above Windsor Castle. After a moment of silence, everyone present in front of Buckingham Palace sang the national anthem “God save the Queen”. During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II was associated with many landmarks and her passing left a great loss in the hearts of the people of the United Kingdom.

A rainbow appeared above Windsor Castle, after the announcement that Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96.