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The Queen of the Second Elizabethan Age and the longest serving sovereign in British history



The Queen – Celebrating the Second Elizabethan Age (2015) is Newsweek’s Special Edition (Volume 1, Issue 2) to mark the advent of September 9, 2015, when Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest-serving sovereign in British history. Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years and 216 days, and Queen Elizabeth II is set to break that record.

Elizabeth Windsor, born in April 1926, will be 90 next year. She ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952 when her father, King George VI unexpectedly died at the age of 57. Her coronation occurred on June 2, 1953 at the age of 26. As Queen of England she is head of the 53-country Commonwealth and is head of the armed forces in Britain.

The 79-page magazine commences with the monarchy – the ‘firm’ – and its evolution from an Edwardian court to a 21st century corporation under her reign. The Queen has seen 12 British Prime Ministers in office, commencing with Winston Churchill. She has seen the introduction of television and the advent of digital communications, the transformation of British architecture, the rise from post-war austerity to expansion, and the changing social makeup of Great Britain. She’s seen not only her country change, but the world change.



The articles detail her sense of duty, devotion, and charity; her children; her passion for horses and dogs; her good years and her ‘horrible’ years; her fashion; and her marriage, celebrating her 68th wedding anniversary this year to Prince Philip. Her children take her name (Windsor) instead of her husband’s name (Mountbatten). And there is an article on her husband’s role managing the estates at Balmoral, Sandringham, and Windsor, and his passion for sustainable farming and wildlife preservation. There are fast facts, such as that she’s had 30 corgis during her reign, wears only 2-inch heels, and has posed for 129 official portraits. One of them is Chris Levine’s 2004 portrait of her with her eyes closed, called Lightness of Being.



There is also an article on actors who have portrayed her, from Jeannette Charles to Prunella Scales to Helen Mirren – and the portrayal of herself in her cameo role alongside James Bond (Daniel Craig) at the opening of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

She is the most photographed woman in the world. She is the most famous woman in the world. And after September 9, 2015, she will be the longest reigning monarch in Britain – and the 48th longest serving monarch in the world.


By the end of 2015 Queen Elizabeth II could rise to 46th place as the longest reigning monarch in the world, and by the end of 2016 she could rise to 43th place, but she would need to reign for another 19 years to reach the top spot. Swaziland King Sobhuza II reigned for 82 years and 254 days.




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