Before her death, Queen Elizabeth II set records that perhaps no British monarch will ever surpass.

1. The longest-reigning British monarch

Reigning for 70 years and 4 months, Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning British monarch. The record was previously held by her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria ruled for 63 years and 7 months before her death in 1901.

At 96 years old, Queen Elizabeth II holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest monarch and head of state.

In history, there have been two monarchs who can compare to Queen Elizabeth II in terms of the length of their reigns. They are King Louis XIV of France, who reigned for 72 years (from 1643 to 1715) and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who reigned for 70 years and 4 months before his death in October 2016.

Since ascending the throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II has appointed 15 British Prime Ministers, from Winston Churchill in 1952 to Liz Truss, who became Prime Minister in early September.

Queen Elizabeth II on coronation day (photo: Insider)

2. Most traveled: Equivalent to 42 times around the Earth

From her accession to the throne in 1952 until her death, Queen Elizabeth II visited more than 100 countries – a record that will never be broken by the British monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II visited Canada 22 times, more than any other country.

In Europe, France is the country Queen Elizabeth II has visited the most with 13 times. French is also a language she is fluent in.

Before curtailing her travels due to health concerns in 2015, Queen Elizabeth II had traveled the equivalent of 42 times around the world, according to the Daily Telegraph. Her longest overseas trip lasted 168 days, from November 1953 to May 1954. During that time, the Queen visited 13 countries.

3. The busiest queen

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II has had more than 21,000 meetings, receiving officials and heads of state to Britain. She has also passed more than 4,000 laws and received 112 delegations from different countries.

Notable among these meetings were visits to Britain by Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie in 1954, by Japanese Emperor Hirohito in 1971, by Polish President Lech Walesa in 1991, by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2003 and by US President Barack Obama in 2011.

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II also hosted 180 banquets at Buckingham Palace, attended by a total of more than 1.5 million people. Based on this number of achievements, it is no exaggeration to say that Elizabeth II is the busiest Queen in British history.

The Canadian $20 bill features an 8-year-old Queen Elizabeth II (photo: CNN)

4. Appears on the most coins

Queen Elizabeth II appears on the currency of more than 35 countries, surpassing her two predecessors, Queen Victoria (21 countries) and King George V (19 countries).

Since she was an 8-year-old girl, Queen Elizabeth II of  England has appeared on the Canadian $20 bill, issued in 1935. Most countries that issue money with Queen Elizabeth II’s image on it are former British colonies.

5. Longest marriage

Queen Elizabeth II’s marriage to Prince Philip – who died in April 2021 – lasted more than 73 years, an admirable record in the history of the British monarchy.

Before her death, Queen Elizabeth II sent about 300,000 cards to celebrate her 100th birthday and more than 900,000 cards to celebrate her 60th wedding anniversary to couples in the UK.

Queen Elizabeth II in a meeting with Russian President Putin (photo: RT)

6. The richest queen in the world

On February 6, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II was confirmed as the richest queen in the world by the Guinness World Records Organization. Her total assets at that time, including fine art, jewelry and real estate in the UK, were approximately $430 million.

As a wealthy person, Queen Elizabeth II rarely makes the public complain that she has a luxurious lifestyle, according to Insider.

In 1994, Queen Elizabeth II visited Russia. The three-day visit was also the first time a British monarch had set foot on Russian soil. To welcome the Queen, then Russian President Yeltsin held a grand banquet.

Russian public opinion at that time paid close attention to the jewelry that Queen Elizabeth II would wear during her visit. According to RT, the British Queen had many pieces of jewelry purchased from Russian aristocrats who had taken refuge in  England after the October Revolution (1917).

Appearing in Russia, Queen Elizabeth II chose a simple dress style and wore jewelry that was not of Russian origin. She pleased the Russian media by avoiding causing any controversy during the visit.

 Duke Philip married Elizabeth, the future Queen of  England, in 1947. From now on, his life will turn to a new page with ups and downs. He became the person behind the spotlight to support his partner.

Part 1: Childhood love and the road to marriage between Elizabeth and Philip

The photo was taken of the couple in 1951 with their two children (Prince Charles and Princess Anne) in their arms 

After the wedding, the events have only just begun. Philip was accustomed to an active life and was easily bored with the desk job at the Navy that he was assigned. The couple’s two children, later Prince Charles and Princess Anne, were born in 1948 and 1950, respectively. The family lived at Clarence House, where Philip continuously experienced change. Philip was stationed in Malta and Elizabeth visited him, staying with him for several months at a time. There, Elizabeth was simply an officer’s wife, away from all attention.

Elizabeth and Philip visited a national park in Kenya in February 1952

In early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip departed for a visit to Kenya. They started at the reception at “Treetops”, a tent overlooking a well in Alberdare national park. On the night of February 9, 1952, King George VII died in his sleep. After this news reached the royal staff, Philip informed his wife that his beloved father had passed away and they returned to London.

 

The Treetops tent, where Princess Elizabeth received the shock of the King’s death

The king’s death was a terrible shock to both Elizabeth and Philip. The king’s health had been in poor condition for many years, even though he was still quite young. King George VI was only 56 years old. Elizabeth and Philip had hoped for many years of free travel. But now Philip is the Queen’s husband and everything has changed.

Elizabeth, now Queen, and her husband returned to  England after a visit to Kenya due to the death of her father

The future Queen’s family moved from their private residence, Clarence House, to their less intimate home, Buckingham Palace. Philip had to give up his role in the navy. And Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mother Mary, will have to give the new queen a royal name.

Queen Elizabeth II and Philip wave to people from the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the coronation ceremony in June 1953

Philip had assumed that his wife would bear his surname, Moutbatten. And his uncle Dickie had made some unwise boasts about the royal family of Mountbatten. But British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Queen Mother Mary were determined: the future Queen’s surname must remain Windsor. Philip felt broken hearted. “I am nothing but a parasite.”

Prince Philip sits next to the Queen as she gives her memorial speech to members of the Canadian Parliament in 1957

At that time, Elizabeth and Philip’s next children were born: Andrew in 1960 and Edward in 1964. The Queen issued a decree that any male heirs could not be granted the title of Prince or Prince. The future King will bear the surname Moutbatten-Windsor. It was a small victory.

Children of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip: Princess Anne, Prince Charles, and younger brothers Princes Edward and Andrew pose with their parents at Balmoral Castle in Scotland during the royal family’s annual summer vacation . 

Philip suffered prejudice against his efforts to carve out a greater role for himself. There was opposition to his chairmanship of Elizabeth’s coronation commission and his attempt to create a system of Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

However, with his patience, hard work and constant dedication to assisting the Queen in her work, Prince Philip has won the respect and affection of both the government and the British people.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during their visit to New Zealand in 1977

Philip has a passion for technology and he became the first member of the royal family to be interviewed on television. In the program, he discussed young apprentices on BBC Panorama with Richard Dimbleby in 1961.

Philip also participated in the documentary “The Royal Family”, broadcast in 1969. The film captivated the whole of Britain when it showed footage depicting the life of the royal family at home, including footage of the Royal Family. Philip himself is grilling sausages in the garden.

Queen Elizabeth lunches with her husband and children at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, 1969. Camera left for the BBC documentary “The Royal Family.” Richard Cawston followed the royal family closely for more than a year so the series could air. 

The Queen and her husband flew back from Yorkshire, footage from the documentary

Prince Philip is a patron of more than 800 organizations. And like his nephews William and Harry, he cares about the environment and wildlife. He was Chairman of the World Wildlife Fund from 1961-1982.

Prince Philip was especially fond of the younger royals and will be fondly remembered by many of them. People still remember the sad moments of the past when Princess Diana passed away in September 1997, leaving the two little princes William and Harry alone without a mother. Prince Philip was present with his grandsons William and Harry as they quietly followed Princess Diana’s coffin through the streets of London.

Prince Philip followed to say goodbye to the Princess’s coffin, along with Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry and Prince Charles in September 1997

The Queen of  England and her husband next to the bouquets of flowers sent by the public to commemorate Princess Diana

The royal family’s prestige dropped after Princess Diana passed away. However, on the Diamond Jubilee commemorating the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne, in 2012, the British public’s passion for the royal family was evident through celebration parties across the country.

The Queen, seated next to Prince Philip, addresses both the House of Lords and the House of Commons to mark her 60th anniversary on the throne, in March 2012.

Through ups and downs, the Duke of Edinburgh remains the Queen’s loyal companion. She is the monarch with the longest marriage and Prince Philip is also the longest-married fiance in the world. At the age of 99 (he will be 100 in just two months), Prince Philip has lived longer than any descendant of Queen Victoria.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip hold hands on August 3, 2008 in London

For an intelligent and active man, it is not easy to walk behind the Queen. But as Prince William once said: “Prince Philip has completely put his personal career aside to support his spouse and not take on the limelight.”

The Duke always accepts challenges with integrity and tolerance. He never left the Queen alone but took on a bigger role, which was to support and help her. As the Queen said during her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, Prince Philip is her strength and her guide.”

It’s been 11 years since Kate Middleton and Prince William tied the knot in Westminster Abbey, London,  England. The wedding had hundreds of guests, and as the couple went through the streets of London in a carriage after the ceremony, thousands of people stood by, waiving and congratulating them.

The wedding of Kate and William was unique in many ways. Not only was it the future King who tied the knot, but also the first son of Diana to get married. He proposed with Diana’s former engagement ring while the couple was on vacation in Kenya.

It didn’t take long before Kate Middleton changed the ring in secret. But it’s still just as beautiful as before.

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From the start, Kate and William were nothing but excellent friends. However, as the years at university went by, things became more serious.

Kate & Prince William’s love story – how did they meet?

The two started dating, and reportedly, it all began at a student fashion show. Kate caught William’s eye with a sheer outfit, which cost about $40, as reported by Insider.

Soon, they were deeply in love. And even though the outfit Kate wore was extraordinary for him, William explained that everything changed as soon as they started hanging out.

“We were friends for over a year first and it just sort of blossomed from then on,” William told The Telegraph. “We just spent more time with each other and had a good giggle, and realized we shared the same interests.”

William and Kate spent a lot of time together, getting to know each other at university. In 2005 both of them graduated. Kate Middleton earned a degree in art history and William in geography.

By this point, things started to get serious. William and Kate both had publicly announced that they were dating, and by the time they graduated, they had already lived together for quite some time.

Following their breakup, things got better between Kate and William. They became a loving couple and very popular among the public. And in 2010, the couple took the next step.

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During a holiday in Kenya, William proposed.

Romantic proposal in Kenya

“We had a little private time away together with some friends and I just decided that it was the right time really. We had been talking about marriage for a while so it wasn’t a massively big surprise. I took her up somewhere nice in Kenya and I proposed,” William recalled.

He added, “I’d been planning it for a while but as every guy out there will know it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going.”

“So I was planning it and then it just felt really right out in Africa. It was beautiful at the time. I just … I had done a little bit of planning to show my romantic side.”

“It was very romantic, Kate said, laughing. “There’s a true romantic in there.”

She didn’t see it coming since they were out with friends. Beforehand, Kate Middleton had thought of the idea that William maybe was going to propose. But it came as a “total shock.”

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William had carried the ring around in a bag for three weeks and never let it go.

Kate Middleton engagement ring – all you need to know

“Everywhere I went I was keeping hold of it because I knew this thing, if it disappeared I would be in a lot of trouble and because I’d planned it, it went fine,” he said. “You hear a lot of horror stories about proposing and things going horribly wrong – it went really, really well and I was really pleased she said yes.”

Of course, the ring was exceptional and very proper for a future Queen Consort. The ring belonged to his mother, Princess Diana.

“So I thought it was quite nice because obviously she’s not going to be around to share any of the fun and excitement of it all – this was my way of keeping her sort of close to it all.”

“I’m not an expert on [rings] at all. I’ve been reliably informed it’s a sapphire with some diamonds. I’m sure everyone recognizes it from previous times.”

Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

Princess Diana’s engagement ring looked stunning on Kate Middleton. The central feature is faceted oval Ceylon sapphire, and according to The Court Jeweller, estimates of the sapphire’s carat size range from 9 to 12 carats. Around it is 14 round diamonds, with a ring made of white gold.

Diana wore it before Kate Middleton

Diana received the ring when Prince Charles proposed to her in 1981. She got to choose as Charles presented a wide selection of rings. According to The Court Jeweler, it cost around $35,000.

However, as it’s Diana’s old ring, and now Kate Middleton’s, it’s considered to be worth more than $500,000.

As Vogue reports, the design was inspired by a massive sapphire brooch, a gift to Queen Victoria from Prince Albert. Victoria wore the brooch at their wedding. Today, Queen Elizabeth owns the brooch that inspired Kate’s ring.

“It was said to be a strong influence on Prince Charles when he came to Garrard to purchase a ring for Lady Diana,” Garrard creative director Sara Prentice told Vogue.

“He actually ended up setting a sapphire cluster ring for her, which was later given by Prince William to the Duchess of Cambridge on their engagement. I would imagine growing up being surrounded by your mother and your grandmother [with] such beautiful, incredible jewelry…it would stick with you.”

So why did Prince William get the engagement ring and not Prince Harry? When Diana passed away in 1997, the two brother’s got to choose some objects from their mother, and William chose the ring, according to reports.

“After Diana died, the boys both chose a keepsake from Kensington Palace when they moved to Charles’ rooms in St James’s Palace,” a source reportedly told the Daily Star.

“Harry gave up his precious treasure”

“Prince William picked his mum’s Cartier watch, and Harry picked her sapphire and diamond engagement ring. But they had an agreement that whoever got engaged first would have Diana’s ring – and of course, that was William and Kate.”

In the Amazon Prime documentary The Diana Story, Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell confirmed that the boys got the chance to take one personal object from their late mother when she passed.

Paul remembered William saying: “I’d like mummy’s Cartier watch, the one that Grandpa Spencer gave to her for her 21st birthday,” and Prince Harry wanted to keep the engagement ring.

However, in fact, Harry gave William the ring as he found it fitting.

“Harry said to him: ‘Wouldn’t it be fitting if she had mummy’s ring?’ Paul recalled. “Then, one day, that ring will be sat on the throne of  England. Harry gave up his precious treasure.”

Paul continued, “the one thing he kept from his mother, he gave to his brother. That’s selfless, kind, and exactly who Diana was.”

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“I remember when I held mummy’s hand when I was a small boy and that ring always hurt me because it was so big,” he recalled Harry saying.

Kate Middleton – changes and alterations to engagement ring

On April 29, 2011, William and Kate Middleton tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in London.

Now, they have been married for over 11 years and have three lovely children, George (born in 2013), Charlotte (2015), and Louis (2018).

Over the years, Kate Middleton has worn her engagement ring with pride. However, it turns out that she has made changes to it in secret.

It was reported that Kate Middleton altered the ring before their wedding. She found the band a little too big, as it was “turning on her finger.” She was then said to have taken the ring to royal jewelers G Collins and Sons, who made the change so it would fit better.

But Kate and the royal jeweler didn’t quite do it as one usually does. Instead of resizing the band itself, it was believed that tiny platinum beads were attached inside the bottom of the ring for a better fit.

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A source told The Sun at the time that Kate “adores” the ring but found it had been too big.

“A bride’s worst nightmare is looking down and seeing her ring has fallen off,” the source said. “One can only imagine how this is magnified when you are marrying the future King of  England.”

Kate & William’s parenting techniques

Previously, the public has gotten some insight into the family’s private life. For example, William and Kate set up different rules at home for their children. Also, it turns out that the future King has a neat trick to get George and his siblings ready for bed.

Sure, it might be a tricky thing to get your children ready for bed. However, it turns out that Prince William has a brilliant and cute trick he uses.

“We started watching one of [David Attenborough’s] newest documentaries. It’s amazing at bedtime when I can crowd the children, just shouting ‘we’re going to watch one of David’s documentaries’ and they come herding in,” William told BBC Radio 4.

“It’s the easiest way to catch my children and get them ready for bedtime.”

However, watching the documentaries narrated by Attenborough isn’t always joyful. William recalled that George didn’t want to continue watching because it made him sad.

“The most recent one — the extinction one — actually George and I had to turn it off,” he explained. “We got so sad about halfway through. He said to me, ‘You know I don’t want to watch this anymore.’”
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“You know, he’s seven years old and he’s asking me these questions already, he really feels it. And I think every seven-year-old out there can relate to that,” William added.

Limited screen time for their children

It isn’t just the bedtime that is strict for the royal children. Prince William and Kate have made sure to give them limited screen time.

In 2018, William spoke about limited screen time for his children, saying that balancing it is very tough and quite challenging.

“We’re going to have that discussion with our family. How on earth are we going to police and have family time when the phones are all put down, and you’re offline,” he explained. “Because we’re all so connected now that we’ve got to say, ‘right, for instance, we’re eating now.’”

“This generation is going to be the first generation to grow up fully immersed in mobile phones, social media, lots of stuff,” he said.

“And yet our generation, the older generation, the parent generation, we’re completely left at, ‘how do we deal with this? Where do we go to? Where do you learn about how to look after your children’s digital world?’”