Pivotal moments in Queen Elizabeth II's 63-year reign as UK's monarch FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Pivotal moments in Queen Elizabeth II's 63-year reign as UK's monarch The U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth II, 89, is the longest-reigning British monarch. She surpassed her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria for the longest run in the country's history — over 63 years and six months. Post to Facebook Pivotal moments in Queen Elizabeth II's 63-year reign as UK's monarch The U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth II, 89, is the longest-reigning British monarch. She surpassed her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria for the longest run in the country's history — over 63 years and six months. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 12 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Pivotal moments in Queen Elizabeth II's 63-year reign as UK's monarch Compiled by Christine Rushton, USA TODAY 11:44 a.m. ET Sept.

9, 2015 Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. On Sept. 9, 2015, just after 4 pm London time, the United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II, 89, the 40th monarch since 1066, passes her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria for longest reign in British history, at just over 63 years and six months. She will be at her Scottish estate on that day, which for her will be like any other day in terms of her schedule of engagements. She has asked there be no fuss, and so officially, there won't be. But Brits will be celebrating quietly nonetheless, raising a glass to their beloved Her Majesty and pulling out the photo albums for a look back at key moments during a singular, and singularly successful, reign. Apic/ Getty Images Fullscreen She was 25, married and the mother of two when her father George VI died on Feb. 6, 1952. She was in Kenya on holiday, staying in a treetop hotel, and became queen without even knowing it at first.

Two days later, she arrived home, descending the plane steps as Queen to meet a line of somber ministers (that's Winston Churchill at the foot of the stairs), and prepared to take up a duty she had anticipated since the age of 10. OFF/AFP/Getty Images General view of the formal ceremony of the proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne, February 8, 1952, in London. OFF/AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen Her coronation took place more than a year later, on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey, where British monarchs are crowned. Coronations, the most ancient, solemn and spiritual ceremony in the royal tradition, is also the most rare in the modern era. In 1953, it was televised for the first time, the first major international event broadcast on TV. That allowed millions of her subjects around the world to see their queen take up the emotional and actual burdens of the throne (the crown and scepter) and accept pledges of allegiance from peers and bishops in Westminster Abbey. Watching all this from a balcony above the throne was her young son and heir, Prince Charles, her mother, sister and her extended family.

AP The Archbishop of Canterbury gives the queen a sword prior to her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey. AFP/Getty Images After the coronation in the Abbey, the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, pose in Buckingham Palace. AFP/Getty Images The coronation culminates in the traditional Buckingham Palace balcony appearance, to wave to the throngs of celebrating Brits on the Mall. AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen One of the first personal crises of the queen's reign took place soon after the coronation when news broke that her sister Princess Margaret was in love with ex-WWII flying ace Group Capt. Peter Townsend, a divorced man who was one of her father's former equerries. The queen wished her sister to be happy, but her government was against the marriage, too soon after the abdication of Edward VIII over his wish to marry a divorced woman. In October 1955, Margaret, under pressure from the church and a threat to her status as a royal princess, issued a statement declaring she would not marry Townsend. It was a blow painful for both sisters. Here, the couple are seen in 1947 during a royal tour of South Africa.

Townsend died in 1995, age 80. Associated Press Fullscreen Like her father before her, the queen delivers a speech to the nation every Christmas, one of the only times she speaks her own words, without government scrutiny. This is a screen grab of her first televised Christmas speech, in 1957. "I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct," she told her audience. YouTube.com Fullscreen The queen gave birth to two more children after she was crowned, including here, Prince Andrew, in 1960, and Prince Edward in 1964. This photo, with Princess Anne, Prince Philip and Prince Charles and one of her ever-present corgis, was taken on the lawn at Balmoral on September 8, 1960. AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen Prince Charles' investiture as the Prince of Wales, an elaborate ceremony updated for the modern era, took place on July 1, 1969, when he was 20, at the medieval Caernarfon castle in Wales, where tradition holds all early princes of Wales resided. This ceremony, too, was televised for millions around the world.

Although he had been Prince of Wales since age 9, the queen waited until he was old enough to understand the significance of the ceremony, in which she invested her heir with the insignia of his principality. Charles later delivered a speech in the difficult Welsh language. AFP/Getty Images Princess Margaret married artist/photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones, later created Lord Snowdon by the queen, on May 6, 1960 at Westminster Abbey. The two later had two children, and divorced in 1978 AP Fullscreen In 1977, she celebrated 25 years on the throne, her Silver Jubilee. A picture from that era, of the queen waving from the balcony, was fixed on the side of a building on the south bank of the Thames, during her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The giant canvas, weighing nearly two tons, was officially unveiled in May 2012. Matt Dunham, AP The first of the queen's children to marry was her only daughter, Princess Anne, who married her first husband, Capt. Mark Phillips on November 14, 1973, at Westminster Abbey. The couple had two children and divorced in 1992.

PA/ Associated Press In March 1981, just before their wedding, the queen, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer looked delighted with each other, at Buckingham Palace in London. AFP/Getty Images The wedding everyone had been waiting for when Prince Charles wed Lady Diana Spencer in St Paul's Cathedral on July 29, 1981. Here, they meet at the altar, she on the arm of her father the Earl Spencer. AFP/Getty Images The fairy-tale couple, the Princess and Prince of Wales, wave from their carriage on their wedding day in London. PA/ AP The most famous kiss ever on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Prince Charles first asked his mother the queen for permission before kissing his bride. Associated Press Fullscreen Long-unseen, never-before-published, behind-the-scenes wedding pictures of the former Lady Diana Spencer and the queen and members of the wedding party were snapped at Buckingham Palace shortly after the wedding by royal relative and photographer, Lord Patrick Lichfield. The photos are to be auctioned in Boston later in September. Patrick Lichfield, RR AUCTION, EPA Fullscreen The new heir, Prince William, was born June 21, 1982, and was christened on August 4.

The official christening photo featured the queen with her two heirs, Charles and William, plus Princess Diana, Prince Philip and and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at Buckingham Palace. Fox Photos/ Getty Images The spare arrives: Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave St. Mary's Hospital with their new baby son, Prince Harry, born Sept. 15, 1984. AP Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson on July 24, 1986. The Duke and Duchess of York had two children before divorcing in 1992. AP Prince Andrew kisses his bride Sarah on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following their wedding at Westminister Abbey on July 23, 1986. AP Charles and Diana look separate ways during a memorial service on their tour of Korea in November 1992, shortly before they announced their separation. AFP Fullscreen It was a sight for horrified royal eyes. Firemen pour water on flames rising from the roof of a private chapel in Windsor Castle. The fire threatened historic works of art, most of which were saved by a brigade of castle workers organized to ferry paintings and other treasures away from the fire.

Allistair Grant, AP The queen was devastated by the fire at her weekend home, Windsor Castle, in November 1992. Afterwards she toured the damage with firemen on Nov. 21, when the 900-plus-year-old fortress was no longer in danger. Gillian Allen, AP Fullscreen At the end of November 1992, she spoke at the Guildhall lunch to mark her 40th anniversary on the throne. She said 1992 was her 'Annus Horribilis' after three of her children divorced or separated, Windsor burned and criticism of the royal family mounted. PA Wire/Press Association Images The queen arrives for the annual Royal Variety Performance in London on Nov. 20, 1995, shortly before she informed Charles and Diana by letter that they should divorce soon. Adam Butler, AP Fullscreen Prince Harry, Prince William, Prince Phillip, the queen's eldest grandson, Peter Phillips, Prince Charles and the queen stop to gaze at the flowers and cards of condolence at the gates of Balmoral in Scotland on Thursday Sept. 4, 1997, a few days after Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris.

Under tremendous pressure from the public and the press to show more feeling publicly about the tragedy, the royal family returned to London for her funeral. Chris Bacon, AP The queen and Prince Philip, view the sea of floral tributes to Diana at Buckingham Palace upon their arrival in London. There were even more flowers at Kensington Palace where Diana lived and throughout a grief-stricken country. John Stillwell, AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen Everyone was listening closely when the queen delivered her first Christmas speech from Windsor Castle after the death of Princess Diana in December 1997. It was her second speech to the nation that year. In September she had delivered her five-minute Diana tribute speech in a broadcast from Buckingham Palace a day before Diana's funeral, thus mollifying the media clamor for her to say something, and helping restore the monarchy's esteem with the grieving British public. John Stillwell, AP Fullscreen One of the most elaborate of her annual ritual duties is the State Opening of Parliament, when she delivers the Queen's Speech, which is actually written by the government of the day,setting out its proposed agenda. Here, she speaks on Nov. 24, 1998. AP Fullscreen A mourner weeps as she holds up the U.S.

flag and a newspaper front page, on September 13, 2001, at the gates of Buckingham Palace. The queen ordered a special Changing of the Guard and the playing by the Coldstream Guards band of the American national anthem in honor of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which also killed scores of British citizens in the World Trade Center. Mas Nash, AFP The queen with her beloved sister Princess Margaret's children, Viscount Linley, center, and Lady Sarah Chatto, at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, for the Feb. 15, 2002, funeral of Margaret, who died at age 71. Fiona Hanson, AP Fullscreen The queen stands with other members of the royal family at the door of Westminster Hall on April 5, 2002, as the coffin of her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, carried by soldiers of the Royal Irish Guards, arrives for lying-in-state. Andrew Parsons, AFP 'Queen' guitarist Brian May plays the British national anthem from the roof of Buckingham Palace in London, June 3, 2002, to .commemorate the queen's Golden Jubilee of 50 years on the throne.

Stephen Hird, AP Queen Elizabeth II looks on as Prince Charles and his new bride, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, emerge from blessing ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in April 2005. Odd Andersen, AP Fullscreen Prince William bows and his bride Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, the former Kate Middleton, curtsies to the queen as they leave Westminster Abbey accompanied by his best man Prince Harry (top) and her maid of honor, sister Pippa Middleton, after the wedding on April 29, 2011. Kirsty Wigglesworth, AFP/Getty Images The royal family and the Middleton family gather for the traditional Buckingham Palace balcony wave-and-kiss after Prince William wed Kate Middleton, on April 29, 2011. James Devaney, FilmMagic Fullscreen Fishmonger Pat O'Connell shows his wares to a delighted queen during her historic state visit to Ireland, in May 2011. The first visit to Ireland by a British royal since 1911, it was an emotional four days of reconciliation and diplomacy, hailed as the start of a new era of cooperation between Britain and Ireland.

AP Fullscreen In June 2015, when the family gathered on the balcony for the Trooping the Color parade, Prince George joined for the first time, allowing the queen to stand with her son, Prince Charles, her grandson, Prince William, and her great-grandson, George, for one of those rare four-generation photos of royal heirs. The first official occasion was for George's christening on Oct. 23, 2013. Tim Ireland, AP Fullscreen The queen waves from the royal barge 'Spirit of Chartwell' as it sails past the Houses of Parliament on the Thames during the Diamond Jubilee Pageant in London on June 3, 2012. She was the center of a 1,000-boat pageant to mark her 60 years on the throne. John Stillwell, AFP/Getty Images The queen and her family watch from the 'Spirit of Chartwell' during the Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant. It was only the second time in its history the U.K. celebrated the 60th anniversary of a monarch's reign.

Pool, Getty Images Fullscreen In the opening scenes of her unexpected, and widely praised, London Olympics skit, the queen is escorted by Daniel Craig (James Bond) left, and a Palace butler, plus one of her ever-present corgis, in a spoof for the opening ceremonies that ended in the "queen" parachuting out of a helicopter into the Olympic stadium, in June 2012. NBC Fullscreen The queen and Prince Philip, were among scores of visitors to the Tower of London's 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red,' the intensely moving art installation of 800,000 ceramic poppies to honor the dead and the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1. Ben Stansall, AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen In June 2015, when the family gathered on the balcony for the Trooping the Color parade, Prince George joined for the first time, allowing the queen to stand with her son, Prince Charles, her grandson, Prince William, and her great-grandson, George, for one of those rare four-generation photos of royal heirs. The first official occasion was for George's christening on Oct. 23, 2013.

Tim Ireland, AP The queen's fifth great grandchild, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, was born in May and christened July 5 at Sandringham, with Duchess Camilla and Prince Philip looking on, not to mention big brother Prince George. Chris Jackson, PA, EPA Fullscreen One of the queen's favorite events during her Balmoral holiday is the Scottish Braemar Gathering, which she attends faithfully as the Chieftain of the Gathering, accompanied by other members of the royal family, including Prince Philip and Prince Charles. This year it started Sept. 5, in Braemar, in the Cairngorms National Park, where there's been an annual gathering for over 900 years. The Highland Games feature competitions in running, heavy weight lifting, solo piping, and dancing. It's one of those events that brings delighted smiles to the queen's usually impassive look in public. Carl Court, Getty Images Fullscreen Sept. 9 will be just another day for the queen, a day to go about her duty just as she has every day for 63 years. The succession is set: Charlotte is fourth-in-line, the "spare" to George the heir.

The throne is safe, the monarchy is stable, the royal family is more popular than ever before. And the credit in large part goes to Queen Elizabeth II. Ben Stansall, AFP/Getty Images Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay The Queen's life and reign in pictures as she celebrates 63 years on the throne - Mirror Online News The Queen's life and reign in pictures as she celebrates 63 years on the throne The Queen will spend today quietly at Sandringham as she marks 63 years since her accession to the throne following the death of her father King George VI Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email The Queen today celebrates 63 years on the throne and will spend the day quietly on her Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Her Majesty, 88, is now on course to become Britain’s longest reigning monarch - a title she will take from Queen Victoria on September 9 this year. And despite her advancing years she continues to carry out hundreds of engagements every year in the UK and occasionally overseas.

However, she almost always chooses to spend accession day privately as it marks both the day she became Queen and the day her father died. The Queen, 88, has been on the throne for 63 years and still carries out hundreds of engagements every year (Photo: Getty) She made an exception to this was when she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee and visited Dersingham Infant School the day she marked 60 years on the throne. Gun salutes will be fired across the country today to mark accession day including a 41-gun salute by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in London's Green Park and a 62-gun salute by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London. The Queen was just 25 when the role of Sovereign fell on her young shoulders and was spending the night in the Treetops hotel in the Kenyan safari when she became Queen. Her father King George VI passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of February 6 aged 56. He had been suffering from lung cancer.

Princess Elizabeth was staying at Treetops in Kenya when she discovered her father had died and she was Queen (Photo: Mirrorpix) The new Queen immediately returned home to take over as Sovereign and was crowned 18 months later at her Coronation Service in Westminster Abbey. Later this year the Queen will reach one of the biggest milestones of her reign when she takes the crown from Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Victoria reigned for 63 years 216 days and the Queen will overtake this milestone on September 9. Like us on Facebook Queen's reign becomes second longest in British history - Telegraph Queen Elizabeth II Queen's reign becomes second longest in British history It is an era which has witnessed man walk on the moon, the rise – and fall – of the Berlin Wall, the invention of the internet and the DNA revolution in medicine. The Queen and Duke Of Edinburgh at the state opening of Parliament Photo: GETTY Comments Unmarked by any official commemorations, the reign of Queen Elizabeth II has become the second longest in British history, overtaking that of George III.

Since ascending the throne on the death of her father, George VI on February 6 1952, the Queen has reigned for a total of 59 years and 110 days – including leap years – or 21,645 days. She now ranks second only to Queen Victoria, who died in 1901 after 63 years and seven months on the throne, in the history of the monarchy in the British Isles over more than 1,000 years. The Queen, who celebrates her Diamond Jubilee next year, is set to overtake even Victoria’s record in September 2015, at the age of 89. Among living heads of state in world, only King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand – who has occupied the country’s throne since 1946 – has served for longer.

Related Articles Queen Elizabeth II: Britain's longest-reigning monarch at 63 years, 216 days (and counting) - LA Times Queen Elizabeth II: Britain's longest-reigning monarch at 63 years, 216 days (and counting) Queen Elizabeth II Chris Jackson / Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she arrives at Tweedbank Station in Tweedbank, Scotland, on Sept. 9, they day she became the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she arrives at Tweedbank Station in Tweedbank, Scotland, on Sept. 9, they day she became the longest-reigning monarch in British history. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images) Christina Boyle Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in British history on Wednesday, spending 63 years and 216 days on the throne and surpassing the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. Tributes poured in for the 89-year-old who became queen in 1952 when she was just 25 years old. At the time, Harry Truman was president and Josef Stalin ruled the now-nonexistent Soviet Union.

Prime Minister David Cameron described her reign as a “golden thread” running through generations of British society as he acknowledged the historic milestone Wednesday during a speech in the House of Commons. Timeline: The reign of Queen Elizabeth II: 63 years in pictures and video Open link “Her Majesty the Queen inspires us all with her incredible service, her dignified leadership and the extraordinary grace with which she carries out her duties,” he said, adding that it was “truly humbling” to take stock of how she had dedicated her life to the nation. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also praised the queen’s “exemplary sense of public service” and offered her a “simple, but heartfelt, thank you.” Elizabeth has been the monarch during the office of 12 British prime ministers — from Winston Churchill through to the current Conservative leader, Cameron — as well as 12 U.S. presidents. Palace officials said Victoria reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes and calculated the exact moment Elizabeth surpassed that record as 5:30 p.m. London time on Wednesday.

Despite the significance of the occasion, the queen wanted the day to be “business as usual,” and no special fanfare has been planned. This is believed to be partly out of respect for Victoria and the memory of Elizabeth's father. Queen Elizabeth II, who turns 90 on Thursday, became Britain's longest-reigning monarch on Sept. 9, 2015, surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. Here are key milestones in her life. “She wanted to keep it low key today because in many ways, we are marking the death of her father,” said Robert Jobson, author of “The Future Royal Family” and royal editor of London’s Evening Standard newspaper. “She is quite a shy person and dedicated to what she does. But it’s a hugely significant moment. She is the symbolic figurehead of the nation, rather than just being head of state." The queen did appear in public briefly Wednesday, taking a 30-mile journey from Edinburgh to Tweedbank in Scotland to celebrate the newly opened Borders Scottish railway. Even if she wasn't planning on making a fuss, throngs of excited crowds gathered to greet her, snap photographs and give her flowers.

She looked relaxed and genuinely happy at the warm welcome with her husband, Prince Philip , by her side. The queen made note of the milestone she had reached but admitted, “It is not one to which I have ever aspired.” NEWSLETTER: Get the day's top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> “Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception,” she added before thanking people for their touching messages. Princess Elizabeth became queen on Feb. 5, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died. She was in Kenya at the time, arriving in the country as a princess and landing back in Britain a queen. But several years earlier, she had already acknowledged that hers would not be an ordinary life, and she conveyed her dedication to the role she had been born into.

During a broadcast to the Commonwealth to mark her 21st birthday, the princess pledged that her “whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.” The birth of Prince William and Duchess Catherine's second child, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, may be good news for the royal family, but it also means the line to the crown will be that much longer for Prince Harry and the rest of the monarchy: King George VI 1895-1952 Queen Elizabeth II... (Kyle Kim) Cameron, who noted that the queen had been reigning for 14 years before he was even born, said in the House of Commons that it was one thing for a 21-year-old to make such a statement, but an entirely different thing for someone to stand by that pledge for more than six decades. He added that going to see her after an election to ask her permission to form a government and also attending their weekly private meetings were enjoyable, inspiring and humbling perks of the job. The palace released a new photo of the queen taken in July by Mary McCartney, the daughter of Paul McCartney. She is seen sitting at her desk in her private audience room with an official red box in front of her containing government papers.

The prime minister said the queen has answered 3.5 million pieces of correspondence during her reign. She also has made hundreds of overseas trips to more than 110 countries, including to post-apartheid South Africa. Buckingham Palace noted that she carried out the first state visits by a reigning monarch to China and Russia, and was the first to visit the Republic of Ireland. The queen’s son Prince Andrew said the secret to his mother’s successful reign was “consistency and sound leadership.” “It’s a milestone in U.K. terms, but as far as her consistency in leadership, it’s a normal run-of-the-mill day, to some extent,” he said, adding: “It’s just one day in her reign.” See the most-read stories this hour >> Read the story During her six decades in power, Elizabeth has endured some turbulent personal times, most notably the death of her former daughter-in-law, Princess Diana, in a Paris car crash in 1997. It was a low point in her popularity with the British public amid widespread feelings that she initially exhibited a cold response to the tragedy. Her popularity has seemingly soared in recent years.

She was widely praised for agreeing to appear in the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony during a filmed scene in which she starred next to Daniel Craig as James Bond. And during celebrations to mark her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, crowds packed outside Buckingham Palace waving Union Jacks. FULL COVERAGE: Queen Elizabeth Turns 90 >> Elizabeth and Philip have been married for nearly 70 years and have four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, including Prince William and Kate Middleton 's two infants: Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Even though Wednesday's events were small scale, large celebrations are being planned next year to mark the queen's 90th birthday. Her public duties may have slowed with her age, but they have not halted. In November, she is planning to fly to Malta for a Commonwealth event. Boyle is a special correspondent.

Queen Elizabeth II marks another milestone - BBC News BBC News Queen Elizabeth II marks another milestone 12 March 2012 Close share panel Image caption The Diamond Jubilee in 2012 will mark 60 years of the Queen's reign As Queen Elizabeth II enters the history books as Britain's second longest-reigning monarch, BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell looks at how her 59-year reign compares with those of other long-serving sovereigns. Last month the Queen celebrated her 85th birthday. Next year she will reach her Diamond Jubilee, when it will be 60 years since she came to the throne. Elizabeth II has achieved a number of significant milestones as Queen of the United Kingdom, and this week she passes another. On Thursday 12 May 2011, she becomes the second-longest serving monarch Britain has ever had. On that day she overtakes the length of the reign of George III, a king remembered largely for the "madness" which overtook him in later years. George III died in 1820 after a reign lasting 59 years and 96 days.

Evolving Britain Now the reign of Elizabeth II (or Elizabeth I in Scotland, since the crowns of England and Scotland were only brought together in 1603, after the reign of the other female monarch called Elizabeth) is surpassed in length by that of only one other British sovereign. Who else, of course, but Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, seven months and three days, and died at the age of 81 in January 1901. Victoria's reign witnessed Britain's rise to become the then-global superpower. There were industrial, cultural and scientific changes on an unprecedented scale and by the time of her death the British Empire encircled the globe. George III's reign was also a period of great change for Britain. The American colonies may have been lost during his time on the throne, but the military ambitions of France were decisively defeated at the battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo. George III was also, incidentally, the first king of the entity known as "the United Kingdom" after the union of the crowns of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801.

Image caption The future Queen Elizabeth waves to the crowds on the day of her father's coronation in 1937 But neither reign can surely quite match the sheer scope of the changes that have occurred during the reign of the present Queen. She came to the throne less than seven years after the end of World War II. Britain was victorious but essentially bankrupt. Sir Winston Churchill was prime minister and food was still rationed. In the years that have followed Britain has shed its empire and seen changes to virtually every significant aspect of national life that could scarcely have been imagined on that February day in 1952 when she was so suddenly propelled onto the throne by the death of her father, George VI. No let up The one constant presence on the national stage throughout the past six decades has been the Queen. Today, the majority of the British population (to say nothing of the inhabitants of the 15 other "realms" of which she is also sovereign) have known no other head of state. Image caption Back on the Buckingham Palace balcony - this time after her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947 She will never retire. Only at the moment of her death will she cease to be Britain's Queen.

Even if she were to become incapacitated, she would still remain monarch, albeit then with her immediate heir taking over her constitutional duties as Prince Regent (exactly as happened in the final years of the reign of George III). But there is not the slightest sign that the reign of Elizabeth II is slowing down in any significant way. Next week she will make an historic first state visit to the Republic of Ireland, the territory that was once part of the British Crown; later this year she will travel once again to another of "her" countries, Australia, for a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government, and next year she will visit different parts of the UK to celebrate her jubilee. Will she beat Queen Victoria's record? If Elizabeth II is still on the throne on 10 September 2015 she will have done so. She will then, metaphorically speaking, be crowned as the longest-serving sovereign in the 1,000 year history of the British monarchy. Few at the moment could possibly doubt that she will do it.

Queen Elizabeth II: 63 years of devoted service to all of us | Royal | News | Daily Express ROYAL Queen Elizabeth II: 63 years of devoted service to all of us AS Queen Elizabeth II prepares to overtake her great great-grandmother Queen Victoria’s record reign of 63 years 216 days this Wednesday (technically in late afternoon), Sunday Express Royal Editor Camilla Tominey reflects on the woman on Britain’s throne. 09:58, Sun, Sep 6, 2015 | UPDATED: 11:11, Sun, Sep 6, 2015 GETTY MAJESTY: Queen Elizabeth II is to become Britain's longest serving monarch IT is a shame that the Queen looks so serious on bank notes and postage stamps because in the flesh she is far more smiley than you would imagine. With her gleaming white teeth and flawless porcelain skin she positively sparkles, from her three carat diamond engagement ring to her cornflower blue eyes that light up when she laughs. Amusingly, the solitaire ring is one of the signs the 89-year-old monarch’s staff watch out for.

If she starts twisting it around her finger, “The Boss” has had enough. Another indication is when she puts her £1,000 Launer handbag on the table (if it is dangling from the crook of her arm, then she is happy and relaxed). Outdated protocol dictates you should only speak when you are spoken to, but in reality the Queen cannot bear obsequiousness. She loves a good joke and is an accomplished mimic, although that talent is only enjoyed by a very private circle. Scottish accents are apparently her speciality. Gyles Brandreth once commented that “you should never confuse friendliness for friendship” when it comes to the royals. Over-familiarity is certainly discouraged although if Her Majesty is the Queen of anything, then it is small talk, having travelled more miles and met more people than any other monarch in history. To put it into context, the Queen has been to Canada more times than the total of all Victoria’s official foreign excursions combined, having visited 116 countries during 265 official visits since she acceded the throne in 1952.

The Queen has famously said: “I have to be seen to be believed,” which explains why she insisted on a televised Coronation. She wears bright colours on royal walkabouts precisely because she wants her subjects to be able to see her (for the same reason she insists on a transparent umbrella when it rains and rarely wears wide-brimmed hats). DAVID HARTLEY/RUPERT HARTLEY/REX HIGHLAND FLING: Her Majesty and the Prince of Wales in hysterics at the Braemar Gathering in Aberdee Then there are those trademark white gloves (made by Genevieve Lawson, whose mother Cornelia first started supplying the Queen with the cotton jersey gloves, now £50 a pair, in 1947). One cannot be too careful when one is shaking so many hands. Such is the Queen’s economy with words that it is very difficult to attribute many direct quotes to her.

She arguably made her most famous speech on her 21st birthday on April 21, 1947, when she said: “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.” She has never given interviews and is very careful about what she says in public, once telling the late Reverend Michael Mann, former Dean of Windsor: “My father told me that I must always remember that whatever I said, or did, to anyone, they would remember it.” Having reigned over 12 prime ministers (second only to George III, who had 14) not to mention countless Commonwealth heads of state (and 12 American presidents) the Queen has served as a political sounding board for decades while remaining resolutely apolitical. She represents the ultimate in international diplomacy, offering counsel that is not only impeccably well-briefed but also uniquely devoid of any self-serving motive.

Winston Churchill was instantly taken by Her Majesty’s sense of poise and purpose even at a very young age, writing in his diary after staying at Balmoral as a guest of King George V and Queen Mary in September 1928: “There is no one here at all, except the household and Princess Elizabeth – aged two. GETTY LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE: The Queen was particularly fond of times on the Royal Yacht Britannia “The latter is a character. She has an air of authority and reflectiveness astonishing in an infant.” Described by Canon Paul Oestreicher as “the most constitutionally perfect person you could imagine”, the Queen’s entire existence has been steeped in the tradition of monarchy. For her it is not a career. There is no prospect of retirement. It is simply life. Hence the lack of fanfare around this particular milestone (she would prefer a national celebration of her 90th birthday next April). For the Queen, who never has a day off from her “red boxes”, not even at Christmas, it has and always will be a case of “business as usual”.

Even when her father George VI died, the Queen’s reaction was characteristically “keep calm and carry on”, according to Lady Pamela Hicks, Lord Mountbatten’s daughter who was in Kenya with her when the news broke.

“She said, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry, it means we’ve all got to go home, I’m afraid’.” The Queen: Every year of her reign in pictures Thu, June 2, 2016 On the 8th February 1952, Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II formally proclaimed herself Queen and Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day on 2nd June 1953 [PA] Related articles Queen Elizabeth's reign rooted in ancestor Victoria Queen Elizabeth's reign rooted in ancestor Victoria Robin Millard Share View photos Queen Elizabeth will overtake her great-great-grandmother's record of 63 years and 216 days on September 9, a remarkable reign that began in 1952 as Britain rebuilt after World War II (AFP Photo/Niklas Halle'n) More London (AFP) - Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarchs, both came to the throne young yet remained a steady presence through eras of dramatic change.

Queen Elizabeth will overtake her great-great-grandmother's record of 63 years and 216 days on September 9, a remarkable reign that began in 1952 as Britain rebuilt after World War II. When Victoria was born in 1819, she, like Elizabeth, was thought unlikely to inherit the throne. Yet the young princess, who became queen in 1837 shortly after turning 18, lent her name to an age of invention and discovery, as well as a moralistic outlook on life. The Victorian Era was a time when Britain was at its zenith, making grand industrial, scientific, cultural and imperial advances. The roots of 89-year-old Queen Elizabeth's duty-driven style of monarchy lie with her illustrious ancestor. "The great similarity between Elizabeth and Victoria is that they're both exceptionally conscientious, strong-minded women, determined to do it absolutely as correctly as they could," writer Andrew Gimson told AFP. - Victoria's 'moral earnestness' - The only child of prince Edward, the fourth son of king George III, Victoria was born fifth in the line of succession.

But the late Edward's elder brothers, including George's successors George IV and William IV, all died without surviving legitimate children, leaving Victoria to inherit the throne. Born at Kensington Palace on June 24, 1819, Victoria was brought up under the "Kensington System", a series of rules invented by her mother that kept her isolated and constantly monitored. On inheriting the throne, she set about changing how the monarchy operated. "It had fallen into very low repute under her wicked uncles who behaved in the most disreputable fashion," Gimson said. "Victoria plugged into this new middle-class morality, the moral earnestness which was emerging in the 1830s." On becoming queen, she was mentored by prime minister Viscount Melbourne and sidelined her overbearing mother. She married her German first cousin prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840 and was besotted with him. She survived the first of several assassination attempts later that year. When Albert died in 1861, she plunged into mourning, retreated from public view and wore black for the rest of her life.

She formed a close bond with her Scottish manservant John Brown through the 1860s and 70s. Amid rising republican sentiment, Victoria began to appear in public again starting in the 1870s. Victoria's nine children married into continental royalty, making her the "grandmother of Europe". Her 1887 golden jubilee and diamond jubilee in 1897 were celebrated throughout the empire, with Victoria seen to embody British greatness. States, cities, mountains, lakes, streets, squares, buildings and monuments around the world still carry her name. - British expansion and contraction - "Under Victoria, the British empire was expanding to an enormous extent and she got given this grand title of empress of India. British power was at its height," Gimson said. "Under Elizabeth II, the British empire has vanished. She and the whole British nation have had to cope with a period of relative decline, although the standard of living has gone up colossally." Queen Elizabeth's beginnings resemble those of Victoria and neither was born to be a future queen.

Elizabeth only did so because her father became king after her childless uncle Edward VIII was forced to abdicate to marry the twice-divorced Wallis Simpson. After a somewhat cloistered youth, Elizabeth married Prince Philip, her second cousin once removed. The great statesman Winston Churchill -- who entered parliament in 1900 -- was the first of her 12 British prime ministers and a mentor. Victoria got much more heavily involved in politics than Elizabeth would see prudent to do, however. The Times columnist Matthew Parris said Elizabeth "works much harder" than Victoria, but little else has changed since. "We must not let in daylight upon magic remains the guiding principle," he wrote. Buried in Windsor, west of London, Victoria died in 1901 aged 81, but Elizabeth is still fully active at 89. She has reigned with the steadfast support of 94-year-old Prince Philip, while Victoria was 42 when Albert died. Judith Rowbotham, visiting research fellow at Plymouth University, said that as she enters her 90s, Elizabeth's reign would likely come to resemble that of Victoria in mourning.

"We're actually going to enter a phase where the similarities between the two become much more acute," she said. "We're used to seeing the queen actually doing things. We're used to seeing her turn up to open things. Victoria received state visitors and kept royal diplomacy going but in a way which was much more static." Reblog

Question: What queen died after a reign of 63 years?
Answer: Queen Victoria