Four days of celebrations, punctuated by military parades and concerts. It was necessary to celebrate the 70 years of reign of Elizabeth II, unheard of in the history of British royalty. In seven decades at the head of the United Kingdom, the Queen has visited more than a hundred countries, known ten French presidents, seen the birth of nearly 87% of the current population of her country and has retained immense popularity despite crises. On the occasion of the platinum jubilee of the British monarch, franceinfo summarizes for you in seven infographics a record reign in many respects.
His kingdom is bigger than Russia
If Elizabeth II is queen of England and the United Kingdom, she also reigns over fourteen other states of the Commonwealth. The sovereign is thus the head of state ofu Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea or even Belize. The other countries over which it rules are islands or archipelagos located in the Caribbean or the Pacific Ocean. His kingdom thus extends over more than 18.5 million km2, which is more than the area of Russia.
Yet when she ascended the throne in 1952, she ruled over even greater territory. Countries like Malaysia, Nigeria or Kenya gained their independence in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Other independent countries like Pakistan or South Africa have chosen to become republics and therefore no longer consider the Queen of England as their head of state. Barbados is the latest state to do so, at the end of November 2021.
She could beat Louis XIV
Among the current heads of state, Queen Elizabeth II holds the record for longevity, ahead of other sovereigns. With more than 70 years of reign, she is far ahead of the Sultan of Brunei, who has been in place for 55 years. The Scandinavian monarchs Margrethe II (Denmark) and Carl XVI Gustaf (Sweden), respectively 50 and 49 years of reign, complete this list of indestructible heads of state.
However, the absolute record of the monarch having reigned the longest does not yet belong to Elizabeth II. In Europe, Bernard VII reigned over the principality of Lippe (a German state) in the 15th century for 81 years and 7 months. A record that she could beat if she lived to be 107 years old. On the other hand, the 72 years of reign of Louis XIV in France seem more accessible.
She has seen ten French presidents parade
As a result of her great longevity, Elizabeth II has seen many foreign heads of state succeed one another. When he came to power in 1952, the United States was led by Harry Truman, the USSR by Joseph Stalin and Spain by Francisco Franco. In France, the head of state was Vincent Auriol, first president of the Fourth Republic.
Since then, ten Presidents of the French Republic have succeeded one another. François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, who are the two to have remained in place the longest, respectively 14 and 12 years, are also the only ones to have been welcomed by the Queen in the United Kingdom (1984 and 1996) and to have it received in France for a State visit (1992 and 2004).
She has visited more than 100 countries
In seven decades of reign, Elizabeth II had the opportunity to meet manyforeign heads of state during his 89 state visits. HAS to these are added the more than 170 trips made by the Queen to countries in the Commonwealth. In total, more than 100 countries have been visited by the Queen during her official trips.
The countries most visited by the monarch are members of the Commonwealth of which she is the sovereign. Canada is thus his favorite destination, with no less than 27 visits, followed by Australia (18 visits) and New Zealand (10 visits). Outside the Commonwealth, countries that have had the right to The Queen’s most state trips are France and Germany, with five visits. Elizabeth II visited France in 1957, 1972, 1992, 2004 and 2014.
Most Britons only knew her
Another consequence of his great longevity, no Briton under the age of 70 has known another monarch on the throne. This represents almost 87% of the UK population, according to 2018 census figures.
Its popularity is at the peak
Her 70-year reign does not appear to have eroded the Queen’s popularity: according to a poll conducted by YouGov in the first quarter of the year, 75% of Britons said they had a favorable opinion of Elizabeth II. Its popularity reaches 91% among « baby boomers » (people born between the mid-1940s and mid-1960s), but two-thirds of « millennials » (people born in the 1980s and 1990s) have also a good opinion of their sovereign.
The Queen remains the most popular member of the royal family, followed by her grandson Prince William (66% positive opinions) and her Kate Middleton. Then come the first two children of the Queen: Princess Anne and Prince Charles. Called to succeed his mother, the Prince of Wales only receives 50% positive opinions. Among the least popular members of royalty, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, who stepped down from the royal family in 2020, garner less than a third of favorable opinions.
Prince Charles awaits his turn
Who says 70 years of reign for Elizabeth II, also says 70 years of waiting for Prince Charles, the Queen’s eldest son, born in 1948, four years before she was crowned. Heir to the crown since his mother acceded to the throne, the Prince of Wales has been in this position the longest since the birth of the United Kingdom in the early 18th century.
Prince Charles is ahead of Prince Albert-Edouard, son of Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years over the kingdom in the 19th century. And his three longest-serving ancestors (Princes Albert-Edouard, Georges and Edouard) all ended up becoming king. A role he has been preparing for… for 70 years.