Longest Female Reign in History: Queen Elizabeth II

After the longest reign in British history, Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96. 

The queen passed on Sept. 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, just seven months after celebrating the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne. Queen Elizabeth’s reign was seen as a worldwide symbol of stability during a turbulent century and a link to both the classic age of European royalty and to the now almost-vanished World War II generation. 

The queen rose to the throne at the age of 27 after her official coronation on June 2, 1953. Born the first child to the Duke and Duchess of York in 1926, Elizabeth did not become the heir until her father, King George VI, rose to power after his older brother abdicated his claim to the throne. 

The queen’s eldest son, who will rule as King Charles III, now sits on the British throne at the age of 72. 

“Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother,” King Charles III said in an address to the nation Sept. 9. “Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived, a promise with destiny kept, and she is mourned most deeply in her passing.”

Queen Elizabeth is preceded in death by her husband of more than 70 years, Prince Phillip, who passed away in April 2021. The couple was married in Westminster Abbey in 1947.

In 2015, she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and seven months, as the oldest and longest-reigning monarch of the British crown. For generations of Britons, Queen Elizabeth II was a steadfast figure on the seat of their country’s throne. 

“To my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: thank you,” King Charles III said in the same address. “May ‘flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.’”

Tate is the Editor-in-Chief for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter