A Brief History
On September 19, 2022, the United Kingdom and all of the Commonwealth will pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II by conducting her Royal funeral. Having reigning for a record 70 years, 214 days, she made her mark on British history, but was she the greatest queen in British history?
Digging Deeper
We ask you for your opinion, and we list a few other possible choices to pick from:
Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni tribe of Celtic Britons from an unknown date until 61, fought against Roman occupiers and inspires British people, especially women, to this day.
Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Consort of England (1154-1189), previously Queen Consort of France (1137-1152), mother of Henry the Young King and Richard I, acted as regent in Richard’s absence at the Crusades.
Elizabeth I, r. 1558-1603, saw the firm establishment of the Church of England, while her realm also became a leading sea power in the world, defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588 and beginning British colonization of North America.
Victoria, r. 1837-1901, had the longest reign of a British monarch until Elizabeth II, saw Britain rise in power, wealth, and Empire during her long reign.
Elizabeth II, r. 1952-2022, provided a steady source of stability for the British people during her 7 decade reign, overseeing The Cold War, de-colonization, and the rise of Europe as a united entity.
Question for students (and subscribers): Who do you believe was the greatest queen in British history? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Fry, Plantagenet Somerset. Kings and Queens of England and Scotland. DK, 2011.
Morton, Andrew. The Queen: Her Life. Grand Central Publishing, 2022.
The featured image in this article, a 1/3 value postage stamp designed by Edmund Dulac issued on 3 June 1953 by Royal Mail for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, is in the public domain, because it is one of the following:
- It is a photograph taken prior to 1 June 1957; or
- It was published prior to 1972; or
- It is an artistic work other than a photograph or engraving (e.g. a painting) which was created prior to 1972.
HMSO has declared that the expiry of Crown Copyrights applies worldwide (ref: HMSO Email Reply)
More information.
See also Copyright and Crown copyright artistic works.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.
