Congratulations Queen Elizabeth II 23,226 days, and counting...

[marylander1940]

 

The Queen has thanked well-wishers at home and overseas for their "touching messages of kindness" as she becomes Britain's longest-reigning monarch.

 

Speaking in the Scottish Borders, the 89-year-old monarch said the title was "not one to which I have ever aspired".

 

At 17:30 BST she had reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes - surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.

 

David Cameron said the service the Queen had given was "truly humbling".

 

Dressed in turquoise with her trusty black handbag at her side, the Queen spoke briefly to the gathered crowds earlier.

 

"Inevitably a long life can pass by many milestones - my own is no exception - but I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness," she said

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34177107

 

Still a long way to go... she's number 48 in the list of longest serving monarchs in history.

[Guest]

OK. So she's now the longest-serving monarch in British history. She's made her mark. Time for the old bat to call it quits. She'd have to hang in there for almost 20 more years to be the oldest serving reigning monarch in the history of the world. She'd be 109. Prince Charles should have a chance.

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

[LouieD]

Why in the world would you call her such a nasty name? She has, to my way of thinking as an American, been an excellent monarch, beyond reproach, in all respects.

 

Prince Charles is another story.

[BabyBoomer]

I think she'd like to outlive Charles, so that when she died her grandson William would become King.

 

~ Boomer ~

[Guest]

Why in the world would you call her such a nasty name? She has, to my way of thinking as an American, been an excellent monarch, beyond reproach, in all respects.

 

Really? Well, she sure kept a stiff upper lip when her daughter-in-law was killed. She never steps foot in most of her realms. Just shuttles between Windsor, Balmoral, and Buckingham Palaces... I feel as if she couldn't be bothered with most of her subjects, especially those who don't live in Britain. She's just a snooty old hag, as far as I can tell. But I guess we Americans just can't understand why some people are just born better than others.

[+ purplekow]

Wow, there are old queens and nasty old queens. I believe she is just an old queen. As for nasty ofd queens...

I think most Americans, in fact most people, know exactly why some people are just born better than others. We are born better, They are not,

[Rudynate]

Really? Well, she sure kept a stiff upper lip when her daughter-in-law was killed. She never steps foot in most of her realms. Just shuttles between Windsor, Balmoral, and Buckingham Palaces.

 

She's old, give her a break. I watched a documentary about her the other night. I think they said that she is the most travelled head of state in history. Last year, she made three state visits.

 

Physical therapists call that habit that old people develop of clutching at whatever furniture is available for balance as they walk along "furniture crawling." I first notice the queen "furniture crawling" on her last visit to the US in 2007.

[mike carey]

Over her reign, the Queen has visited Australia 16 times, her first visit in 1954 lasted 58 days during which it was estimated 75% of the population turned out to see her. On her most recent visit in 2011 the members of the official welcoming party at Fairbairn RAAF Base in Canberra, the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of the ACT were all women, as was the GG's aide de camp. Since then Prince Charles, William and Harry have made official visits.

[Guest]

Since then Prince Charles, William and Harry have made official visits.

 

Good. Time for Prince Charles to take the throne, and let the has-been crawl over the furniture in Balmoral Castle.

[JulianLondon]

Let's add this to her record. Also this has been reported from a left leaning newspaper.

 

The Queen is patron to 510 charities in Britain, including Cancer Research UK, theBritish Red Cross and Barnado's. The wider Royal Family support a grand total of 2,415 charities in Britain, with this figure rising to almost 3,000 worldwide.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2012/jun/11/queen-charitable-support

[marylander1940]

I think she'd like to outlive Charles, so that when she died her grandson William would become King.

 

~ Boomer ~

 

She already outlived her younger sister Princess Margaret, as we all know she was the black sheep of that family and had a very different life style...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Margaret,_Countess_of_Snowdon

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/10/world/princess-margaret-dies-at-71-sister-of-queen-elizabeth-had-a-troubled-life.html

[+ WilliamM]

Good. Time for Prince Charles to take the throne, and let the has-been crawl over the furniture in Balmoral Castle.

 

There no indication that Elizabeth has slipped mentally. If she was going to retire as queen, she would have done it before now. I am not a fan of the queen, but she is certainly not a has-been. Elizabeth is likely the most well known woman in the world.

[thickornotatall]

Why in the world would you call her such a nasty name? She has, to my way of thinking as an American, been an excellent monarch, beyond reproach, in all respects.

 

Prince Charles is another story.

you're right...very disrespectful//mean// ignorant....shame on you Unicorn...

[marylander1940]

Good. Time for Prince Charles to take the throne, and let the has-been crawl over the furniture in Balmoral Castle.

 

Such inappropriate comment about a woman who's almost 90 and has survived everything including a disrespectful son.

 

http://cdn.popdust.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tumblr_m8zjxdZrfo1qemyyi.gif

 

http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3b9m8nJdC1qhic1oo1_500.gif

 

[Guest]

Such inappropriate comment about a woman who's almost 90 and has survived everything including a disrespectful son.

 

 

I'm sorry you feel that way, but anyone whose physical condition has deteriorated to the point where she can't even travel to her realms, or even, according to another poster, move around unassisted, should not carry on with a job she can no longer perform well. The other monarchs of Europe (former Queen of the Netherlands, former Kings of Spain and Belgium) abdicated when their health made doing their job difficult. As your response hints, she only seems as if she's holding on in order to spite her son, which seems like a poor reason in my view. I'm no expert on royal matters, but what exactly has Charles done which is so "disrespectful"? From what I've seen from TV shows, her displeasure has come chiefly from Charles's choice of wives. Yet her choice of husband was controversial as well--many disapproved of a foreigner being so chosen (and he was a member of the Orthodox Church as well). Why shouldn't he be able to chose his love, just as she did?

I don't find keeping her position chiefly to show her displeasure with her "disrespectful" son to be an honorable reason. If her goal was to be Britain's longest-serving monarch in history, well, she's achieved that goal. Holding on to thumb her nose at Charles? Pretty small-minded in my opinion.

[marylander1940]

I'm sorry you feel that way, but anyone whose physical condition has deteriorated to the point where she can't even travel to her realms, or even, according to another poster, move around unassisted, should not carry on with a job she can no longer perform well. The other monarchs of Europe (former Queen of the Netherlands, former Kings of Spain and Belgium) abdicated when their health made doing their job difficult. As your response hints, she only seems as if she's holding on in order to spite her son, which seems like a poor reason in my view. I'm no expert on royal matters, but what exactly has Charles done which is so "disrespectful"? From what I've seen from TV shows, her displeasure has come chiefly from Charles's choice of wives. Yet her choice of husband was controversial as well--many disapproved of a foreigner being so chosen (and he was a member of the Orthodox Church as well). Why shouldn't he be able to chose his love, just as she did?

I don't find keeping her position chiefly to show her displeasure with her "disrespectful" son to be an honorable reason. If her goal was to be Britain's longest-serving monarch in history, well, she's achieved that goal. Holding on to thumb her nose at Charles? Pretty small-minded in my opinion.

 

Now you're making a good point, unfortunately your first choice of words sounded like an inappropriate way to talk about her.

[thickornotatall]

Such inappropriate comment about a woman who's almost 90 and has survived everything including a disrespectful son.

 

http://cdn.popdust.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tumblr_m8zjxdZrfo1qemyyi.gif

 

http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3b9m8nJdC1qhic1oo1_500.gif

 

Now you're making a good point, unfortunately your first choice of words sounded like an inappropriate way to talk about her.

Some people write shit to be relevant...not a nice way to speak of a woman he will never know....or really even knows about...at 90 years she looks pretty good to us...dumbstruck at outrageous comments...oh well.....

[Epigonos]

The situations in the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium are very different from that in the United Kingdom. The coronation oaths of those three countries does not include a "until death" clause. When Elizabeth II took her coronation oath she and her subjects were fully aware that it was until death. During the last years of Queen Victoria's life she was in a wheelchair. Earlier this year Queen Elizabeth made a state visit to Germany so she is still traveling but not huge distances.

[Samai139]

I'll ignore the cheap shots at a woman who has dedicated the last 63+ years of her life to a position she was not born to---her father's accession to the throne was a result of her uncle's abdication and she only realised what was in store for her at the age of 10 or so.

That abdication may have prompted her promise, while on a royal visit to South Africa, that she would serve the people of the nation and (at that time) the Empire, as long as she lived, whether that life be long or short.

From the latest news footage that I have seen, she is in remarkably good physical condition for a woman of 89--no "furniture crawling" no walker, no cane, etc. Of course she has slowed down in the past few years, giving many duties to her son, Prince Charles and her grandson Prince William---good training for heirs apparent.

Congratulations to the Queen and may she continue to reign;

[rickvt]

Sure looks like several posters on this thread did not get Daddy's message on Decorum. Long like the Queen!!

[Rudynate]

I think a monarchy of the scale of the UK's is a scandalous waste of the public treasure. The scale of the Scandinavian monarchies is much more appropriate to their role in society and government in this age. In spite of that, I confess that I have a fondness for the queen. I think the Prince of Wales might possibly be the World's Most Tedious Man. Royal-watching will enter a dark age when he becomes king.

 

Of course, there is the wonderful Carl Philip of Sweden who might be worthy of some watching.

[marylander1940]

I think a monarchy of the scale of the UK's is a scandalous waste of the public treasure. The scale of the Scandinavian monarchies is much more appropriate to their role in society and government in this age. In spite of that, I confess that I have a fondness for the queen. I think the Prince of Wales might possibly be the World's Most Tedious Man. Royal-watching will enter a dark age when he becomes king.

 

Of course, there is the wonderful Carl Philip of Sweden who might be worthy of some watching.

 

[+ WilliamM]

Agree about the sanity of the Swedish monarchy -- the scaled down version. As to Elizabeth, her uncle's abdication was the most important moment in her life and her parents' lives. I understand why she made her decision in Kenya to stick on to the end of her life no matter what.