On Sept. 9, Queen Elizabeth II will become Britain's longest reigning monarch, passing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria's record. There will be no parties or celebrations for the queen, according to MSN, just the noting of the occasion with a public engagement, the opening of a new railway line in Scotland. No official events are planned either.
Her reign of 23,226 days, 16 hours and 30 or so minutes surpasses Queen Victoria's record 63 years, 216 days on the throne.
The queen has "established a record of unimpeachable integrity", said historian David Starkey. The 89-year-old monarch inherited her sober style of reign from her father and grandfather, King George V. The lack of celebratory mood is in keeping with this style.
Queen Elizabeth weathered many scandals in the 90s, including the divorce of three out of her four children, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne, according to News Max.
Following the death of Princess Diana, nicknamed the "people's princess" for her compassion to all, Queen Elizabeth II was criticized for misreading the mood of the nation as public grief outpoured. Under Queen Elizabeth II ruling, the decision was made to grieve privately in keeping with her usual quiet style. The queen kept the family in their Scottish residence, instead of going back to Buckingham Palace in London, to grieve with her public. The public's love for Princess Diana above all, made them feel this was a direct snub of their beloved princess, instead of common behavior for their queen. This move was perhaps her most unpopular during her reign, as well as her refusal to lower the royal flag at Buckingham Palace upon Diana's death.
The Palace is gearing up already for the queen's 90th birthday celebration in April of next year, according to The Week.
Queen Elizabeth is the queen of 15 additional domains, including Australia, Canada and Jamaica.
