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Crowned at 25 -

Queen Elizabeth succeeded the throne on February 6, 1952. Her father, King George VI, died quite suddenly of a blood clot. She was on an official tour at the time and was declared queen while visiting Kenya.

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Longest-reigning queen in history -

In 2020, the Queen broke her most prestigious record. On July 18, she became the longest-reigning queen in the history of the world. The previous record was held by her great-great-grandmother, the formidable Queen Victoria.

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Beating her great-great-grandmother's record -

Queen Victoria ruled for 63 year and 216 days, an impressively long reign that was several years longer than any other king or queen in British history. 

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A dubious honor! -

Queen Elizabeth said she had never aspired to this particular honor. “Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception,” she said.

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Oldest British queen -

As of December 21, 2007, Queen Elizabeth became the oldest British queen in history. She was 81 years and 244 days old.

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Surpassing Queen Victoria -

The previous holder of this title was, once again, Queen Victoria, who died in 1901 when she was 81 years, seven months, and 29 days old.

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Longest-reigning living monarch -

Of all the kings and queens who are alive today, Queen Elizabeth II has been reigning for the longest.

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Previous record holder -

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand was the previous record holder. He died after reigning for 70 years in 2016. Queen Elizabeth will surpass the 70-year mark in 2021.

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The leading lady -

There is only one other reigning queen in the world at the moment: Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. Queen Margrethe is a good 20 years behind Queen Elizabeth in her reign.

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Head of State of the most nations - Another accolade awarded to the Queen by Guinness World Records is that she was the ruler of the most independent nations. The Queen acted as the Head of State to all of the Commonwealth states.

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Queen of the Commonwealth -

Including the UK, Queen Elizabeth was Head of State of 16 different countries. They include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Belize.

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The most powerful woman in the world? -

While her position was mostly ceremonial in most of these countries, meaning she had no political responsibilities, some people considered she was the most powerful woman in the world!

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Most currencies -

The Queen also holds the record for the most currencies to bear her portrait. As the head of 16 Commonwealth states, she appears on their coins and notes.

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A face seen around the world -

In addition to these 16 states, there are ex-Commonwealth states that still use her image on their coins. Fiji is one example.

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Celebrating the longest-reigning British monarch -

When Queen Elizabeth became the longest-reigning monarch in British history in 2015, the Royal Mint released a new portrait to be added to British coins.

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The royal coin portrait -

During her reign, the Queen’s coin portrait has been updated five times. The most recent portrait created in 2015 shows her in her more elderly years, with a few lines and wrinkles visible in the molding.

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World’s wealthiest queen -

While the Queen was naturally in a position of extreme privilege as the monarch of a prosperous empire, she was also a wealthy woman in her own right.

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According to Forbes -

Without including priceless state-owned treasures like the Crown Jewels and Buckingham Palace, Forbes has estimated her personal fortune to be around US$500 million. It was estimated to be $504 million in 2012, which made her the world’s wealthiest queen.

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Longest royal marriage - Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married in 1947, before she even became queen. They were married for nearly 74 years, until his recent death in April 2021.

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Young love -

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip met as teenagers and their friendship turned into love. Elizabeth requested permission from her father to marry Philip when she was just 20 years old. King George gave his permission, but told them to keep the engagement a secret until she was 21.

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Controversy and disapproval - Many royal marriages are arranged, but it’s clear that Elizabeth and Philip married for love. Philip was not an ideal match and there was controversy when their engagement was announced. Technically Philip was Greek, he didn’t have much of a fortune, and his sisters had married Germans with rumored Nazi connections. Nonetheless, the marriage went ahead.

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Married at the age of 21 -

They got married in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. There have been speculations about marital problems over the years, but it seems that their union remained strong until the end.

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Most-traveled monarch -

Tours and official visits were a well-known part of the Queen’s job. Particularly in her younger years, she was often seen traveling to different corners of the world to meet with their leaders and take in the sights.

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Visits around the world -

According to the BBC, the Queen has traveled more than any other king or queen in the world. She has made over 260 official visits to over 115 different countries.

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Jet-setting in her old age -

Even in her later years, the Queen continued to travel to other nations to fulfill her duties. Since turning 50, she visited 43 countries for the first time. It’s quite amazing really.

Sources: (BBC) (Insider) (Forbes) (The Independent)

See also: The royal family's secret travel rules

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