On her 21st birthday, Princess Elizabeth pledged that her whole life “whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service”. At the time, she couldn’t have imagined just how long her reign would last or that she would be thrust onto the throne in about five years’ time following the premature death of her father, King George VI, at age 56.
During her record-breaking run of 70 years and 214 days spent as Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth was served by 15 British prime ministers, overseeing everyone from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss, who she swore in as her final public duty just two days before her death.
Throughout the decades, Her Majesty went in and out of public favour – at times she was revered while at others scorned. But through wars, crises and the pandemic, Elizabeth’s reach extended far beyond the realms of the Commonwealth, with her calming presence becoming a global Queen. She will be with all of us forever.” The story of Britain’s longest-serving sovereign is all the more remarkable because she was never expected to wear the crown.
