Queen Elizabeth II to Become Britain's Longest-Reigning Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II will become the United Kingdom's longest-reigning monarch, having occupied the British throne for 63 years and 218 days, the Toronto Star reported.
The monarch is set to break a record, previously held by legendary Queen Victoria. It is estimated that Victoria ruled one quarter of the world's population between 1837 and 1901, with a cultural influence so dominant that the era was subsequently named after her.
Elizabeth, for her part, ascended to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952, meaning she has led the British people for no fewer than 23,226 days, CTV news calculated. Starting with Winston Churchill, a dozen prime minister have traded keys at 10 Downing St. during her reign, and the monarch has spent 10 hours delivering her 62 Queen's Speeches at the state openings of parliament.
Both Victoria and Elizabeth, meanwhile, "brought in a new spirit of hope," royal commentator Rafe Heydel-Mankoo told the Toronto Star. "Victoria [did so] after all the scandals of her uncles, and Elizabeth after all the problems of the Depression and the Second World War and the post-colonial devastation of Britain and the British economy," he explained.
The 89-year-old has visited 116 countries on official trips and covered 43,618 miles on her 1953 coronation tour alone, the BBC detailed. Her loyal subjects, meanwhile, can travel across Britain on no fewer than 237 streets named after Elizabeth (and 153 named after Victoria).
The then-crown princess married Prince Philip, the duke of Edinburgh, in 1947, and the couple's eldest child -- Prince Charles, age 66 -- is first in line to one day succeed his mother.
For the time being, however, Elizabeth continues to rule not just the United Kingdom but also Antigua and Barbuda; Australia; the Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Canada; Jamaica; New Zealand, Papua New Guinea; Saint Lucia; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the Solomon Islands; and Tuvalu.
A foreign challenger -- Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has reigned for six years longer than the queen -- however, remains the world's longest-serving, living monarch, CTV News noted.
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