Queen Elizabeth II Reigned for 70 Years, Queen Victoria Ruled for 63: A Look at 6 Female Monarchs of Britain

• Queen Elizabeth II, who was Britain’s longest reigning monarch, passed away in Balmoral, Scotland, on Thursday, 8 September 2022
• The 96-year-old had a 70-year reign after officially ascending to the throne in 1952 and was coronated in 1953
• The monarch beat Queen Victoria’s 63-year rule, with Queen Elizabeth II set to be succeeded by her son, King Charles III

Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday, 8 September, at Balmoral in Scotland, surrounded by loved ones.

The sovereign reigned over Britain since 1953, after her father, King George VI, died in 1952.

But it wasn’t the first time that the kingdom had a long-standing female monarch, with Queen Victoria ruling over England and Ireland for over 63 years, Britannica wrote.

Briefly News takes a peek at five women who ruled England before Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne.

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Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria was only 18 when she became Great Britain’s sovereign, with her reign lasting over 63 years until she passed on in 1901 at the age of 81, Town & Country wrote. During her time on the throne, Britain was a powerful empire, with the queen becoming the Empress of India in 1877, BBC reported. Queen Victoria was married to her cousin, Prince Albert and together they had nine children, Britannica wrote.

Queen Anne

Queen Anne was coronated in 1702 and was the monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland until she passed away in 1714, Britannica wrote. Prince George of Denmark was her husband. While she was pregnant 18 times, only one of her children, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, survived infancy, living only until the age of 11. Queen Anne is known for uniting the kingdoms of Scotland and England, Britannica wrote.

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Queen Mary II

Queen Mary II ruled over Ireland, Scotland and England from 1689 until 1694. The queen died without any offspring at the young age of 32 from smallpox. Her husband, William II, succeeded her and reigned until he died in 1702, ThoughtCo wrote.

Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I was one of the most well-known monarchs ever to live, and functioned as the ruler of both Ireland and England from 1558 until she passed on in 1603. The royal never married and was known as the ‘Virgin Queen’, Royal Museums Greenwich wrote. At the time, many thought a woman wouldn’t be able to rule, but she proved them wrong and used her wit, persuasion and dominance to retain power, East Anglian Daily Times reported.

Queen Mary I

Known as ‘Bloody Mary’, the queen aimed to restore Catholicism to Britain, killing close to 300 protestants who refused to convert, Britannica wrote. She ruled over England and Ireland from 1553 until 1558, ThoughtCo noted.

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Queen Elizabeth II has died: Remembering Britain’s longest reigning monarch who passed away at 96

Meanwhile, Briefly News also wrote about the late Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning sovereign, who had a very interesting 70-year rule.

The 96-year-old was crowned Queen of England at 27 in 1953 after her father, King George, passed on in 1952. The ruler had quite a fascinating life and legacy, with many people across the globe intrigued by her and the monarchy.

Source: Briefly News