Queen Elizabeth II to become first British monarch to rule for 70 years

Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to rule for 70 years on February 6, 2022. This marks the start of her Platinum Jubilee year.

The Queen brought in her platinum jubilee in private, same as all previous years, as the anniversary of her accession marks the date her father George VI died. No public engagements are planned for the day.

Queen Elizabeth II is the world's longest reigning living monarch and Britain's longest reigning Queen. She was not born as the direct heir to the throne. 

Queen Elizabeth II to mark 70 years on the throne.

The queen on Sunday will become the first British monarch to reign for 70 years, heralding the start of her Platinum Jubilee year despite her retreat from public viewhttps://t.co/zJaYRGA6kb pic.twitter.com/HCaHQkDPuG

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 4, 2022

Queen Elizabeth's ascent to the throne

Queen Elizabeth II was born as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor on April 21, 1926. She was the elder daughter of King George V’s second son, King George VI. She was not a direct heir to the throne, as her uncle King Edward VIII was the next heir. 

However, King Edqard VIII voluntarily abdicated the throne to marry the American divorcée Wallis Warfield Simpson after ruling for less than a year. This made King George VI the new ruler of Britain and Elizabeth the next heir. 

It was in 1952, when 25-year-old Elizabeth was on a tour of the Commonwealth in place of her ailing father, she heard the news of her father's death. She was at a remote Kenyan lodge along with her husband Prince Philip when she got the unfortunate news.

She immediately returned to London was crowned as the next Queen of England. Ever since, she has been one constant amid the ever changing social and political scenario in Britain.

She has shared the confidence of 14 British Prime Ministers and met 13 US President in her 7-decade rule and the sole living link to Britain's post-war and imperial past.

🇬🇧👑 Timeline showing UK prime ministers who have come and gone since Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952#AFPgraphics @AFP
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➡️ https://t.co/V8qkACN006 pic.twitter.com/J86qbQxj4B

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 4, 2022

Prince Philip's death

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh passed away at the age of 99 on April 9, 2021. He was the longest-serving royal consort in British history, having been by his wife's side for 69 years. Prince Philip had married Elizabeth in 1947 and five years later, she became the Queen of England. 

The Queen returned to public engagements after Prince Philip's death and hosted the G7 summit of world leaders in Britain. However, after an overnight stay in the hospital in October 2021, doctors advised her to slow down and ever since, the Queen has made few public appearances.

She is currently staying at Wood Farm in Sandringham. It is a five-bedroom cottage that was favoured by her late husband after he retired from public life in 2017.

It was also the retreat for her father, George VI, who died there of lung cancer, at the age of 56 years and her grandfather, King George V, who also died there and her great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra.

Top 5 world’s longest-reigning monarchs

1. France’s Louis XIV 

France's Louis XIV ruled for 72 years and 110 days between 1643 and 1715. He is the longest-reigning monarch on record. He had ascended the throne at the age of 4 years in 1638. 

2. Thailand´s King Bhumibol

Thailand´s King Bhumibol Adulyadej holds the modern record of longest-reigning emperor, having ruled for 70 years and 126 days from 1946 to 2016. He was a widely revered monarch, who died in October 2016 at the age of 88 years.

3. Elizabeth II 

Britain´s Queen Elizabeth II is the third-longest reigning monarch and the longest-reigning living monarch. She inherited the throne on February 8, 1952 at the age of 25 years. She currently is the head of state of 14 nations in the Commonwealth.

She will overtake King Bhumibol Adulyadej as the longest-reigning modern monarch if she is still on the throne on June 12, 2022.

4. Austria´s Franz Josef I

Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph ruled for 68 years between 1848 and 1916.
He was the head of the powerful Habsburg dynasty that ruled over a multi-ethnic realm with over 50 million people. 

5. Britain´s Queen Victoria

Queen Elizabeth II's great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria is the second-longest reigning British monarch, having ruled for almost 64 years from 1837 until 1901. The British Empire was at its height then and the age was called Victorian age after her.