Today, Queen Elizabeth II passes Queen Victoria as the longest-reigning British monarch in history. In an era of incredible change, Elizabeth has remained a constant, a reminder to her subjects at home and across the Commonwealth, that modern life is built on core principles and beliefs.
Canada is a constitutional monarchy, meaning that the Queen is our rightful ruler, not the prime minister of the day. Prime ministers and premiers must seek permission from the Queen's viceroys, the governor-general and the lieutenant-governors respectively, to call elections and to open and dissolve Parliament and the legislatures. Our political leaders are as much her subjects as we are.
In Britain, she has seen 12 prime ministers come and go, in Canada, 11. Winston Churchill and Louis St. Laurent were the prime ministers of their respective countries when the 25-year-old Elizabeth became the Queen.
She has remained married to one man, Prince Philip, for nearly 70 years. Three of her four children divorced their spouses. Unlike her uncle, who abdicated his crown to marry an American divorcee, and some of her children and grandchildren, she has never brought shame or disrepute to the monarchy. Her greatest crime has been how serious she has taken her duties, which has led many over the years to unfairly depict her as distant and cold.
She has rarely broken from royal protocol, but when she has, it's been to satisfy her people. Princess Diana was no longer her daughter-in-law at the time of her accidental death in Paris, meaning Elizabeth was not required to say or do anything in response. The outpouring of grief from around the world forced Elizabeth to acknowledge Diana as more than just the mother of her two grandsons and to lead the world in mourning. She did so with the dignity to which her subjects have grown accustomed.
Anti-monarchists have spread false rumours about how the monarchy in general and Elizabeth in particular have not adapted to the modern era. The opposite is true. The British monarchy has consistently altered its customs to meet changing social norms and expectations, particularly during Elizabeth's reign.
She was the last generation of British royalty to give birth to her children at home, as was the common practice of the day, instead of in a hospital. She was also the last monarch to be home-educated. Her children were sent to boarding school and then into military service because "for Queen and country" started at home, leading by example.
Her father spoke to his subjects by radio, Elizabeth was the first to use television but now even uses Twitter (@britishmonarchy) to communicate with her people.
Thanks to modern transportation, Queen Elizabeth traveled further than all of her predecessors combined. She has visited every continent and every member country of the Commonwealth. The Queen has visited Prince George twice - first in 1971, as part of a tour marking the 100th anniversary of British Columbia joining Confederation, and again in August 1994 to open the University of Northern B.C. On both occasions, she attended large public events and met with local children.
At 89 (she turns 90 next April), she remains active and regularly appears in public. Her mother did the same thing until she died at the age of 101. With that longevity in her genes, it is entirely possible that the world will celebrate both her 100th birthday in 2026 and her 75th anniversary on the throne in early 2027.
Long live the Queen and long may she reign.
--Managing editor Neil Godbout
