Queen Elizabeth II Makes History Today As The First British Monarch To Reign For 70 Years

Feb 06, 2022 by apost team

The history-making day is finally here — today marks 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign as Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 Commonwealth realms. This is not only a milestone for her but for the entire world, as she is the first British ruling monarch to reach the seven-decade mark. In fact, she's already made history and is the fourth longest-serving monarch ever. 

She's only bested by three other rulers, including Louis XIV of France, Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and Johann II of Liechtenstein. The longest reign stands at 72 years and 110 days and many believe the queen could make it to the top spot. Meanwhile, the second and third spots stand at 70 years and 91 days and 126 days respectively, which means that by June — which is when the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend will take place — Elizabeth might move up to the second spot on the list. 

The Platinum Jubilee celebrations set for this year are a first for the British monarchy, as no other monarch has ever reached this point. The closest was Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and 216 days. A full schedule of events will take place this year, culminating in the first weekend of June, but a few celebrations have already begun. These include the announcement of special commemorative stamps and a 50 pence coin. 

Meanwhile, the official emblem for the Platinum Jubilee has been unveiled. Designed by Edward Roberts, a 19-year-old graphic design student from Nottinghamshire, the emblem was chosen through a competition run in partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Before we see how Her Majesty will be celebrating the milestone, let's take a look at her accession to the throne, all the way back in 1952.

While Feb. 6, 1952, marks the day that Queen Elizabeth, then 26, became the monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, it also has a sad meaning — it's the day that her father, King George VI died. For anyone who's watched Netflix's royal drama series "The Crown," they'll be aware that Elizabeth was being primed for her future role as queen even while her father was still alive and he was king. 

In fact, even in 1951, the year before her reign officially started and two years before her coronation in 1953, she already stood in for her father on some occasions when he was ill. Furthermore, her private secretary drafted an accession declaration when she was on tour in Canada in 1951 on the chance that the king would die while she was abroad.

George didn't pass away on that trip but Elizabeth did happen to be overseas on a different tour alongside her husband, the late Prince Philip when she heard of her father's death and officially ascended the throne. The couple had just returned to Sagana Lodge in Kenya when the news arrived; Philip was the one to break it to Elizabeth, the new queen. She was officially proclaimed queen and she and Philip quickly made their way home to the UK. While monarchs usually choose a regnal name, Her Majesty chose to stay with her own birth name, Elizabeth, "of course."

Royal tradition dictates that a suitable amount of time should pass after a monarch has died before the succeeding monarch is given a coronation. In Elizabeth's case, her coronation fell in June 1953, just shy of 16 months after her father's death in Feb. 1952. What's more, her coronation was the first one to ever be broadcasted.

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Elizabeth's reign began and over the next few decades, she led as Britain saw its greatest time of change, including the continued transition of the British Empire into the Commonwealth of Nations and acceleration of decolonization of Africa and the Caribbean. 

By 1977, Elizabeth had the first of her four major jubilees — her Silver Jubilee, which marked 25 years on the throne. She celebrated with her family in February of that year and held events for the public in the summer. As she wanted to meet as many people as possible, she went on a large-scale tour that lasted three months. 

Elizabeth's 50 year anniversary in 2002 was marked with the Golden Jubilee. This important milestone had only been achieved by a handful of monarchs in British history. However, the occasion was shrouded in sadness, as both her sister and mother passed away that year in February and March respectively. This led the press to speculate whether it would be a success, but as with her Silver Jubilee, the queen undertook an extensive tour that included other Commonwealth countries.

In 2012, after 60 years as the reigning monarch, Elizabeth celebrated her Diamond Jubilee with a weekend of events as well as a regional tour. The queen and Prince Philip traveled as much as they could around England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while the Prince of Wales and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited other countries in the Commonwealth. The historical event was a great time to celebrate and remember the past 60 years. 

This brings us to the queen's Platinum Jubilee, which marks her 70 year-reign and makes her the first British monarch to reach the milestone. According to the BBC, a study revealed that Elizabeth is the only monarch that 85% of the British population has ever known. 

It's uncertain exactly how the queen will celebrate today, but as she usually does so in private at her Sandringham Estate each year, it's believed she will do the same. Sadly, it will be the first anniversary of her succession that the Duke of Edinburgh will not be with her.

However, celebrations have already begun in the United Kingdom. Jan. 10 marked the official start of the Platinum Pudding Competition, although the winner will be unveiled during the Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend in June. 

Furthermore, a set of commemorative stamps by Guernsey Post were already unveiled and pre-order sales began on Jan. 21. Available in both color and black-and-white designs, the six stamps all feature Elizabeth wearing Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee necklace.

Additionally, a new 50 pence coin that commemorates Her Majesty's 70-year reign has also been revealed and will be available at post offices around the UK from tomorrow, Feb. 7. About 1.3 million coins will enter circulation, so residents of the UK may get the chance to come across one in their daily lives.

The next major moment will take place in May when the Platinum Jubilee Celebration performance at Windsor Castle will document history from the time of Elizabeth I to the present day. Following that, the Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend during the first week of June will start, wherein the people of Britain will enjoy a four-day public holiday over the course of the weekend.

Events will include Trooping the Colour, Platinum Jubilee Beacons, Platinum Party at the Palace, the Big Jubilee Lunch, the Platinum Jubilee Pageant and various exhibitions at royal locations that will chart Elizabeth's accession, coronation and previous jubilees. Furthermore, the winner of the Platinum Pudding competition will be announced, while The Queen's Green Canopy initiative will see trees planted across the United Kingdom in her honor.  

Congratulations to Queen Elizabeth II on her incredible Platinum Jubilee milestone! Are you excited about the momentous occasion? What are your thoughts on her 70-year reign? Let us know, then pass this on so others can learn about it too!