Queen Elizabeth II set to become longest reigning UK monarch

[StevieTNZ]

She has lived longer than any of her predecessors, seen a dozen prime ministers come and go, and presided over six decades of British history - from war with Germany to the death of Princess Diana and terror attacks on London.

Now Queen Elizabeth II will become the longest reigning monarch in British history.

At 5.30pm on Wednesday September 9 (4.30am Thursday NZT), she beats the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria - 63 years and 7 months - more than a century ago. Only four other British kings and queens have reigned 50 years or more.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe...-ii-set-to-become-longest-reigning-uk-monarch

 

[DaveC426913]

Hmph. At 5' 3" she's not very long at all.

 

[DEvens]

Presided over six decades of history. Ok. From 6 February 1952 .

War with Germany? Um... Well... She was not queen until almost 7 years after the war ended.

 

[DiracPool]

I just recently saw a program on PBS that was about Prince Charles ruminating about his mom. I actually really liked it. Astonishing the clips and the decades and the legacy. We don't have kings and queens in the USA, but I think it's kinda cool that she's reaching this benchmark. That's a high standard to have to hold to be a queen for 60 years..

 

[StatGuy2000]

Hmph. At 5' 3" she's not very long at all.

If I'm not mistaken, her peak height was 5'4" when she was younger, which puts her in at average height for a British woman.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Presided over six decades of history. Ok. From 6 February 1952 .

War with Germany? Um... Well... She was not queen until almost 7 years after the war ended.

The article is now correct: "... from wars to the death of Princess Diana and terror attacks on London."

 

[jtbell]

On the all-time list, she still has a way to go before she surpasses Sobhuza II of Swaziland (82 years, 254 days, 1899-1982) or even among the major powers, Louis XIV of France (72 years, 110 days, 1643-1715).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest-reigning_monarchs

 

[StevieTNZ]

A motion today in NZ's House of Representatives about her reign: http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/39379

 

[DiracPool]

A motion today in NZ's House of Representatives about her reign: http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/39379

I really like that, thanks Stevie. I like that line, "to reign is also to serve." 1:42 It's nice to know that people appreciate people occasionally.

 

[SteamKing]

We don't have kings and queens in the USA, ...

Sure we do. There's Hillary, the dowager Empress of Clinton, and her daughter, Chelsea, the Discountess of Clinton.

Before the Clintons, there were scads of Kennedys, Bushes, Roosevelts, and what not. Our kings and queens don't wear crowns or play dress up.

We've got plenty of Dukes and Earls, but those are first names, rather than titles of nobility. We've even had a Duke of Earl:

 

[DiracPool]

We've got plenty of Dukes and Earls, but those are first names, rather than titles of nobility. We've even had a Duke of Earl:

Lol. You tell me. Is it better to keep your kings and queens in the closet? As in the USA? Or just let them hang out and give them a crown? As in the UK? (and I'm in no means any authority on "royalness")

 

[SteamKing]

Lol. You tell me. Is it better to keep your kings and queens in the closet? As in the USA? Or just let them hang out and give them a crown? As in the UK? (and I'm in no means any authority on "royalness")

In my experience, kings and queens wind up on the front page no matter where they might live, especially in the US and the UK.

As recent events have shown this summer, no one wants to stay "in the closet" anymore.

 

[Astronuc]

A motion today in NZ's House of Representatives about her reign: http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/39379

Realm? Hmmmm.

 

[lisab]

She is pretty amazing - just think of all the historical figures she had met in her lifetime!

Holy moly, Stalin was still in power when she began her reign.

 

[SteamKing]

Realm? Hmmmm.

Yes, the honorable member used the word "realm" correctly in his speech:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realm

 

[Monsterboy]

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...as-witchell-longest-serving-monarch?CMP=fb_gu. Apparently, not everyone is excited.

 

[SteamKing]

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...as-witchell-longest-serving-monarch?CMP=fb_gu. Apparently, not everyone is excited.

There are cranks everywhere. One good thing about cranks is you don't have to waste a lot of time looking for them; they're more than willing to reveal themselves if given a little time.

 

[DEvens]

There are cranks everywhere. One good thing about cranks is you don't have to waste a lot of time looking for them; they're more than willing to reveal themselves if given a little time.

And The Guardian is ever ready to attract them on our behalf.

 

[SteamKing]

And The Guardian is ever ready to attract them on our behalf.

Well, in this case at least, not so much attract them as actually employ them.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Where do they get 18 prime ministers? I count 16:

1. Baldwin
2. MacDonald
3. Chamberlain
4. Churchill
5. Attlee
6. Eden
7. Macmillan
8. Douglas-Home
9. Wilson
10. Heath
11. Callahagn
12. Thatcher
13. Major
14. Blair
15. Brown
16. Cameron

Who am I missing?

 

[StevieTNZ]

Where do they get 18 prime ministers? I count 16:

I think the image lisab posted refers to Prime Ministers over her entire life, not just as Queen.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I think the image lisab posted refers to Prime Ministers over her entire life, not just as Queen.

So does my list.

 

[Astronuc]

Where do they get 18 prime ministers? I count 16:

1. Baldwin
2. MacDonald
3. Chamberlain
4. Churchill
5. Attlee
6. Eden
7. Macmillan
8. Douglas-Home
9. Wilson
10. Heath
11. Callahagn
12. Thatcher
13. Major
14. Blair
15. Brown
16. Cameron

Who am I missing?

I think the 18 refers to the 16, but Churchill served 1940-1945, 1951-1955, punctuated by Attlee, and Wilson served 1964-1970, 1974-1976, punctuated by Heath. Much the same way that Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837 – June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.

 

[Vanadium 50]

They said 18 different Prime Ministers, which suggests it's not terms, but even if you think it's terms, it doesn't work out. Stanley Baldwin served twice as well (well, three times, but the first time before Her Majesty was born). That's too many - it gets us to 19.

(Prime Minister trivia - actress Helena Bonham Carter is Prime Minister Hebert Asquith's great granddaughter)

 

[StevieTNZ]

They said 18 different Prime Ministers, which suggests it's not terms, but even if you think it's terms, it doesn't work out. Stanley Baldwin served twice as well (well, three times, but the first time before Her Majesty was born). That's too many - it gets us to 19.

(Prime Minister trivia - actress Helena Bonham Carter is Prime Minister Hebert Asquith's great granddaughter)

I agree, it should be 18 different Prime Ministers. I guess maybe the image needs correction(?), just like the original article I posted was corrected.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I agree, it should be 18 different Prime Ministers.

OK, how did you get 18?

 

[don cunningham]

The Queen's ancestor Victoria's statue is enthroned larger than life in front of our Provincial Legislature. Perhaps Elizabeth ll can likewise be accommodated given her stature?

 

[StevieTNZ]

OK, how did you get 18?

I should have phrased my post differently. I meant if the image says there were 18 different PM's, then the image might need correction (or if we trust the image as accurate, then there should be 18 different PM's). However I guess there are only 16, in which case the image needs correcting (just like the stuff.co.nz article needed correction). I also count 16 different PM's.

 

[SteamKing]

I think the 18 refers to the 16, but Churchill served 1940-1945, 1951-1955, punctuated by Attlee, and Wilson served 1964-1970, 1974-1976, punctuated by Heath. Much the same way that Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837 – June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.

Stanley Baldwin and Ramsay MacDonald managed the PM switch a couple of times in the 1920s and 1930s. The final score was Baldwin - 3; MacDonald - 2

Unlike the U.S. Presidency, the Prime Ministership has often changed hands consecutively between two individuals, notably between Disraeli and Gladstone during Victoria's reign.

 

[Vanadium 50]

If one really wanted to quibble, one could point out that only UK Prime Ministers are listed.she is also Queen of Canada, so there's another 14. Probably 100 or so if you add up all the Commonwealth Realms. And former Commonwealth Realms.

 

[epenguin]

The diagram is just not very synced with the Prime Ministerships in question. 18 I think is exactly the number of Prime Ministerships during the Queen's reign.

It started in Churchill's second (not wartime) Government and 18 comes from counting Wilson's, Thatcher's and Blair's as three each - these each formed three administrations having been re-elected twice.

Ah no, that's still not quite right because when the quote was published Cameron should also have been counted as 2. At the time of publishing the article he had only just been re-elected - in more senses than one. Anyway it's easy to make a mistake - three or four of these PM's are easily forgotten.

Doh - maybe they were talking about Prime Ministers of New Zealand?