Baku. 10 September. REPORT.AZ/ Queen Elizabeth II became Britain's longest-reigning monarch. Today she beats the record held by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and 216 days, Report informs citing foreign media.
As the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary would have been expected to play merely a supporting role in the monarchy. At the time of her birth on 21 April 1926, her father was only second in line to the throne. His brother, the Prince of Wales, was heir apparent to George V. Elizabeth's life changed abruptly on 11 December 1936, when her uncle, now King Edward VIII, announced he was renouncing the throne to marry twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. The crown passed to his brother, who became George VI.
In February 1952, Princess Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip were on a tour to Kenya when news of King George's death reached the royal couple. The princess returned to London as Queen Elizabeth II. Her coronation, at the age of 27, took place in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. The ceremony was broadcast by television and radio throughout the world.