Queen Elizabeth II: The greatest accomplishments of the world’s second-longest reigning monarch
Queen Elizabeth II, who reined the UK for 70 years, died at Balmoral at the age of 96. At her Scottish estate, where she had spent much of the summer, she passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon. The Queen experienced significant social change after ascending to the throne in 1952. Her son King Charles III said the death of his beloved mother was a “moment of great sadness” for him and his family and that her loss would be “deeply felt” around the world. He said: “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”He stated that he and his family would be “comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held” during the forthcoming period of mourning. The King will return to London on Friday with his wife Camilla, who is now Queen Consort, according to Buckingham Palace. He’s expected to address the country. After the Queen’s doctors expressed concern about her health earlier in the day, senior royals had gathered at Balmoral. Following the Queen’s placement under medical supervision, all of her children made their way to Balmoral, which is close to Aberdeen. Prince William, her great-grandson and current heir to the throne, as well as Prince Harry, gathered there.The new Prime Minister Liz Truss led the mourning, stating that the Queen had been “the rock on which modern Britain was built.” She continued, ” Britain is the great country it is today because of her. When Ms. Truss was appointed prime minister earlier this week in Scotland, she had a meeting with the Queen. She claimed, while speaking from Downing Street, that the Queen was “determined” to continue performing her duties. She encouraged the country to unite in order to support King Charles III in “bearing the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all.” “God save the King,” she concluded.
A look at the monarch’s historic accomplishments during her 70-year reign
Longest-reigning monarch in Britain’s history
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was the name given to Queen Elizabeth II when she was born on April 21, 1926, in Mayfair, London. After her father, King George VI, passed away in the early hours of February 6, 1952, she ascended to the throne at the age of 25. In the first-ever coronation to be broadcast on television, she was crowned on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey.
She became the Head of the Commonwealth and the queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth nations: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka).
Her first milestone came in 2002 when completed 50 years on the throne. Her Diamond and Sapphire Jubilee festivities, which took place in 2012 and 2017, respectively, came next.
When she exceeded the rule of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria in September 2015, she was crowned as the queen of Britain with the longest reign. On February 6, 2022, she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking the 70th anniversary of her accession.
Second-longest reigning monarch in the world’s history
On June 13, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who held the position for 70 years and 126 days between 1927 and 2016, to rank as the second-longest monarch in history.
The record-holder for the longest reign is France’s Louis XIV, who ruled for 72 years and 110 days from 1643 to 1715.
First British monarch to address the US Congress
On May 16, 1991, Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to deliver a speech to a joint session of the US Congress following the coalition’s victory in the Gulf War.
The Queen praised the close ties between Britain and the United States on both cultural and economic level throughout the 15-minute speech, highlighting their ongoing partnership in the Persian Gulf War. When she addressed the US Congress for the first time, she received a standing ovation.
Queen’s devoted her life for Commonwealth welfare
Queen Elizabeth II devoted her entire life to promoting the interests of Commonwealth countries. In 1947, Princess Elizabeth traveled to her first foreign country with her parents, seeing southern Africa.
“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be committed to your service and the service of our great imperial family, to which we all belong,” she said in a broadcast to the British Commonwealth on the occasion of her 21st birthday during the visit.
When Elizabeth was crowned in 1952, she became the head of Commonwealth realms– a group of sovereign territories and protectorates that consider the Queen as the head of state. The Commonwealth currently consists of 15 countries, including Jamaica, Grenada, Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, etc. These nations are also a part of the Commonwealth of Nations, whose head is the Queen.
A third of the world’s population is thought to reside in the Commonwealth of Nations, the bulk of which are African nations.
The “male primogenitor” rule of royal succession was altered by Queen Elizabeth II
The traditional “male primogenitor” rule of royal succession, which favored male heirs succeeding to the English throne above female ones, was altered by Queen Elizabeth II.
A statute known as the Succession to the Crown Act, passed in 2013, put an end to the long-standing custom of a younger son succeeding an elder daughter in the line of succession. The act was approved by both the Queen and the Parliament.
The act, which is applicable to royals born after October 28, 2011, also repealed the rules that prevented anyone from inheriting the throne if they wed Roman Catholics. The modifications were finalized in March 2015.
Queen defied royal rules and tradition for good
Queen Elizabeth II frequently flouted royal custom and protocol during her 70 years as monarch, paving the path for monarchical modernization. She saw to it that the royal family remained current and relevant.
By starting a Twitter account, the Queen altered her methods of communicating with the public to reflect modern circumstances, from using video for her Christmas addresses to embracing new technology.
By Yimeng CHEN
