Queen Elizabeth II’s Near-Record Breaking Reign


With this year marking her 63rd year of ruling over Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth II has made her mark on England and the world. She has had the British people’s support ever since she was crowned on February 6, 1952, through her Silver, Gold and Diamond Jubilees. The queen turned 89 on April 21 and is expecting her second great-grandchild any day now. With all this positivity surrounding the queen this year, she’s expected to have an even better year in 2016 as she would break the record for longest reigning monarch in England.

Queen Victoria has held the title of longest reigning monarch up until Queen Elizabeth as she reigned from 1837 to 1901. During this time, England was under strict social standards and the public was constant in criticism. These standards were later broken down by following monarchs due to how the press criticized their actions. The royal family had been a target of press and speculation even before Queen Elizabeth’s reign.

In recent years, the royal family has received more good press than bad, especially with the marriage of Prince William and his wife Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Their son, Prince George, was born on July 22, 2013. The press followed Kate’s engagement to William with an eager eye, and her quick pregnancy, hospitalization for morning sickness and second pregnancy were met with widespread attention from the international community. This, subsequently, shined more light onto other members of the royal family.

However, Queen Elizabeth has been the central figure of the royal family her whole life. Even as a child, Elizabeth was destined to be important. Her father, King George VI, was never directly in line for the throne growing up. He was second in line after his brother, Edward VIII, and grew up believing he would never take the throne. However, when Edward, the first king in the history of the British monarchy to abdicate, left the throne, George inherited Great Britain. This hiccup in Britain’s history gave Elizabeth the crown after her father died.

Elizabeth was crowned at the age of 25. Having been around for more than half a century, Elizabeth has  led her country through some of the most trying times and some of the most euphoric times as well, all moment caught by the press. During the 1960s, her British Empire began to shrink as countries in Africa begin to gain independence. In 1999, she started the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Parliament.

As of now, Queen Elizabeth is still the head of 15 different countries with her people finding her to still be a great monarch. The press has circulated around her and the royal family for her whole reign, and even though this year marks her 89, the press is only getting stronger.