The longer the Queen lives, the higher the stakes rise on one key question

Elizabeth II has been an anchor of continuity in a sea of change, writes Suzannah Lipscomb. What will happen once her reign ends?

Saturday 04 June 2022 12:39 BST
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<p>Has the Queen created a blueprint for monarchy in the modern age or does the model fit her alone?</p>

Has the Queen created a blueprint for monarchy in the modern age or does the model fit her alone?

Not many crowned monarchs get to mark four jubilees. In all of global history, only two have reigned for longer: Kings Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and Louis XIV of France. On 12 June, Queen Elizabeth II will move up into second place, with only Louis XIV’s 72-year-and-110-day record to beat: she’ll have to make it to 27 May 2024 to do so.

Knowing that Louis became king when he was five and was succeeded by his great-grandson gives us some sense of how unusual her reign is.

In these 70 years, the Queen has been an anchor of continuity in a sea of change. Since 1952, the Empire has decolonised and Britain’s geopolitical power declined, the British welfare system was created and healthcare became free at the point of delivery.

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