Elizabeth II: Oldest British Monarch (Dec 20 2007); 2nd Longest Reign (May 12 2011)

[WindsorIII]

What a milestone to reach. We love you!

I wonder why no public celebration for this? Is there a protocol which prevents it or just not seen as very interesting? Just wondering.

Queen set to become oldest monarch
Dec 19, 2007 10:23 AM
The Queen will on Saturday become the oldest monarch Britain has had, in an event that will pass into history without fanfare or public celebration.

Her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, was 81 years, seven months, four weeks and one day when she died in January 1901 after a reign of almost 64 years.

Queen set to overtake Victoria as oldest monarch | WORLD | NEWS | tvnz.co.nz

[WindsorIII]

This will happen in just a few hours from now!!!

To follow up on the post above, AP is reporting that Buckingham Palace has it calculated down to the exact hour that Queen Elizabeth II will move past Queen Victoria's record to become Britians oldest-ever monarch.

A few other interesting historical facts here too.

Queen Elizabeth Reaches Milestone
1 hour ago
LONDON (AP)

Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain's oldest-ever monarch on Thursday, beating the record of Queen Victoria.

Victoria, born on May 24, 1819, lived for 81 years and 243 days.

Buckingham Palace, calculating longevity down to the hour, said Elizabeth would move past Victoria at about 1700 GMT Thursday.

The queen is also within eight years of breaking Victoria's record for the longest reign. She would pass that milestone on Sept. 9, 2015.

The queen is now the fourth longest-reigning monarch. She would overtake King Henry III on March 5, and King George III in 2012.

[karla64]

Now She broke the record!!!!... yeah Long Live Queen Elizabeth II

[WindsorIII]

To celebrate Queen Elizabeth's record yesterday, BBC did a very nice tribute of photos through the years. There are some beautiful photos you'll all enjoy.

In pictures: Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II becomes the oldest British monarch on 20 December 2007 - surpassing Queen Victoria's 81 years, seven months and 29 days. She is held here by her mother in 1926.

BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Queen Elizabeth II

[ElisaR]

Long live the Queen!

[Avalon]

God save our ageing Queen

Television had yet to make it to Australia, Sir Edmund Hillary had not yet surmounted Everest, and Russia, having emerged as a world superpower, was held fast in Joseph Stalin's iron fist.
Nelson Mandela was arrested in South Africa and, not insignificantly, the first Mad magazine rolled off the press. So there was some joy.
The year was 1952. And as well as all of the above, Queen Elizabeth was installed on the throne following the death of her father, King George VI.
And there she remains still. As the world has changed around her, she has remained the one constant.
Overnight, the Queen became the oldest monarch in British history, surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who was 81 years and 243 days old when her grip on the sceptre finally failed in 1901.


How the Queen survived censorship and sycophants

"A fair and youthful figure, princess, wife and mother, is heir to all our traditions and glories . . . " So spoke prime minister Winston Churchill, drawing aside the curtain for the entrance of a new Elizabethan age in the House of Commons in 1953. It was among the first and most sonorous of the loyal eulogies on which the new Queen Elizabeth could count from a nation that, eight years after the war's end, still saw in the monarchy a symbol of a victorious nation.
No longer youthful, the Queen on Thursday surpassed Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, as Britain's oldest monarch. Among the large changes of her near 55-year reign is that, by modern standards, at 81 and eight months (82 on April 21), she is of no very great age. Among the immutable factors has been the power that the exercise of royal dignity - second nature to Victoria and Elizabeth - continues to hold over public loyalty. Elizabeth began in a spring of mass affection: her autumn, like Victoria's, is proving golden.

[Avalon]

Victoria and Elizabeth compared

Her Majesty the Queen has become Britain's oldest monarch.
On Thursday she became older than her great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria - who died aged 81 years, seven months and 29 days.

But who has had the memorable reign? And which queen lived through the period of most change?
Historian and former director of the Victoria and Albert Museum Sir Roy Strong and modern royal expert and author Penny Junor give their verdicts:

[Jose]

Queen Elizabeth is british monarch record and they have marriage 60th wedding anniversary!!! They have eight grandchildren now!!! They is good healt and Queen Elizabeth is 81!

[PrincessofEurope]

i really dont ever see these records being broken again ie no other monarch reaching a diamond wedding anniversary
marriages dont last as long these firstly people get married older and secondly they are more likely to divorce

well done on being our oldest monarch in history and each day you extend the record further

[WindsorIII]

Lovely woman, shame about the royal plural
Tony Stephens
December 29, 2007

Queen Victoria said on her 81st birthday, her last: "Again my old birthday returns, my 81st. God has been very merciful and supported me, but my trials and anxieties have been manifold, and I feel tired and upset by all I have gone through this winter and spring."

Queen Elizabeth has had her trials and anxieties but shows few signs of tiredness or being upset. She is said to be in good health and still undertakes more than 400 official engagements each year. Robert Hardman wrote in The Spectator this month: "At an age when all of her contemporaries have long since retired, she has, very quietly, been something of a royal rebel. You might imagine that an institution governed by a woman of 81 (and with a husband of 86) would either be slowing down or handing on. The monarchy is doing neither."


Lovely woman, shame about the royal plural - Opinion - smh.com.au

[Russophile]

What stamina! God Save the Queen!

[sinulord]

Long live Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, the Paramount Chief of Fiji.

[Warren]

Sinulord, despite Fiji declaring itself a republic, did the Queen retain the Paramount Chief honorific?

[magnik]

All the best to Her Majesty ! Next 81 years even 100 and few days.

[sinulord]

Originally Posted by Warren

Sinulord, despite Fiji declaring itself a republic, did the Queen retain the Paramount Chief honorific?

Yes Warren. This is a traditional position and was officially confirmed by the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) in 1998. The GCC is a formal body formed in 1876 made up of Fiji's hereditary chiefs. It officially recognises HM as the most senior chief in Fiji, which technically means that within the GCC, deemed the highest indigenous institution, HM takes precedence over the President himself, who has to be of chiefly descent and a member of the GCC. The title Paramount Chief of Fiji (Tui Viti) actually originated in 1852 when a powerful chief named Cakobau (pronounced Thakombau) claimed this title after invading most of Fiji. However, this title was surrended to Queen Victoria and her heirs, when Fiji was ceded to her in 1874, to protect our tiny nation from foreign invasion. According to the GCC, Queen Elizabeth II would have to officially surrender this traditional title in order for the Cakobau family to revive this title. However, this is unlikely as it will cause more controversy among the chiefs.

[BeatrixFan]

From the British Empire who would have taken Fiji anyway.

[sinulord]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

From the British Empire who would have taken Fiji anyway.

Without doubt, yes. But no need to be so high headed about it. In fact, it was the second offer of cession that was accepted by Queen Victoria. By then the British were alarmed at how German and French imperialism was expanding in the Pacific. In addition, the British in the Pacific were causing a bad image for their country through the inhuman Labour Trade. Hence, given Fiji's central location in the South Pacific, the cession became necessary to keep a control on British lawlessness in this part of the world.

Fiji's treasured links are with the British monarch and the BRF, not the British people.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by sinulord

... this title was surrended to Queen Victoria and her heirs, when Fiji was ceded to her in 1874...

So in effect the position of Paramount Chief has become an hereditary title of the British Crown?

By then the British were alarmed at how German and French imperialism was expanding in the Pacific.

Members are probably aware of the French presence (Tahiti, New Caledonia etc) but an increasing German presence in part of New Guinea, Samoa and other islands was also seen as a potential threat to Australia and New Zealand. Germany's ambitions in the Pacific were brought to an end at the close of WWI.

[sinulord]

Originally Posted by Warren

So in effect the position of Paramount Chief has become an hereditary title of the British Crown?

Members are probably aware of the French presence (Tahiti, New Caledonia etc) but an increasing German presence in part of New Guinea, Samoa and other islands was also seen as a potential threat to Australia and New Zealand. Germany's ambitions in the Pacific were brought to an end at the close of WWI.

Yes Warren, as far as the 1874 - 1987 era is concerned. The British monarch was also traditionally Fiji's paramount chief from 1874 to 1970 since Fiji was a colony in those years, and from 1970 to 1987, when Fiji was a member of the Commonwealth realm. Fiji then became a republic from 1987 onwards, but no clarification was made on this issue - whether or not the British monarch was going to remain as the highest ranking chief in the land. This was then confirmed by our GCC in 1998 following a visit to the Queen by our then PM Sitiveni Rabuka. As to whether or not the GCC is going to bestow the same honour upon the Prince of Wales upon his accession is another matter. I think they will most likely do so.

And thanks for enlightening our members on the French and German presence and its effects.

[reen]

Congratulations to the Queen on such an impressive achievement. Personally, I prefer her to Victoria. She seemed much more prepared for the job, and has been very active for the whole of her reign. I'm sure having a supportive husband has been an tremendous help. I like that she seems to be involving the PoW in some joint activities in the recent past.