a sovereign with exceptional longevity

A page of history that turns. The Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday September 8 at the age of 96. From her first public speaking, long before her coronation, to her final speeches, almost all Britons, even the oldest, have known only the sovereign. Longest reign in the history of the crown, Elizabeth II witnessed the march of the world.

Elizabeth II could not imagine such a life during her earliest childhood. She certainly grew up in the royal family, but without having to reign, a priori. His life is first written in black and white and under the bombs. The princess knows the Nazi Blitz, and is trained to drive military vehicles during the war. Already, she had the conviction of a public destiny, in this solemn commitment. Originally, the throne was promised to his uncle, Edward VIII. But he gave up in 1936 to live his love with a divorced American. If he hadn’t made that choice, Elizabeth might never have been sovereign. After the abdication, his father, George VI, became king. But his health is fragile. The monarch died on February 6, 1952. Elizabeth II was 25 years old. His time had come.