According to the Washington Post:
Queen Elizabeth II…surpass[ed] in length the record of 63 years, 7 months, 2 days set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.
But the two queens share uncanny similarities: Neither was destined to become the monarch, they both married German princes, they became creatures of routine and protocol…
From an early age, both decided to subordinate their lives to their country and steeled themselves mentally for this when barely into womanhood.
On the day Victoria became queen at 18 in 1837, she wrote just as earnestly in her diary, “I shall do my utmost to fulfil my duty towards my country.”
To read the entire article in the Washington Post, please click here.
