In his memoir, Tony Blair recounted his first meeting with her as prime minister: “You are my 10th prime minister,” the queen told him. The historian David Cannadine said Queen Elizabeth’s legacy would feature both transition and decline - the change of British society into “a much more fluid, multicultural, more secular society,” and “the downsizing of the British Empire into the British Commonwealth, the downsizing of Britain as a great power.” But that is not going to be the legacy of this Elizabeth, who has reigned over Britain’s long transition from empire to Commonwealth, from world power to relative international insignificance. The first Queen Elizabeth gave her name to an age, as did Victoria, in an ever more powerful kingdom. British time on Wednesday, at 89, she had ruled for 23,226 days, 16 hours and about 30 minutes, according to the BBC, surpassing Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother. She became queen at 25, and as of 5:30 p.m. LONDON - “Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl, but she doesn’t have a lot to say,” Paul McCartney wrote in 1969, as a coda to “Abbey Road.” Of course, Queen Elizabeth II met the Beatles, too, in what has now become, by reason of fate and genes, Britain’s longest reign.

But I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness.” “Inevitably a long life can pass by many milestones, my own is no exception. It is my very happy duty to declare the Borders Railway open.” But I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness.

Although it is not one to which I have ever aspired, inevitably a long life can pass by many milestones. Many, including you First Minister, have also kindly noted another significance attaching to today. “Prince Philip and I are very grateful for the warmth of your welcome on this occasion. Transcript Queen Elizabeth Thanks Well-Wishers Queen Elizabeth II spoke in Tweedbank, Scotland, on the day she became the longest-reigning monarch in Britain’s history.

David starkey queen elizabeth ii