The Queen, who will turn 86 this year, is England’s second longest ruling monarch; her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria ruled for over 63 years.
According to author Robert Hardman, Elizabeth II has changed the monarchy more in the last 25 years than her predecessors did in the previous 100 years. Though she is extremely popular in England, she did receive some major criticism in 1997 concerning how she handled the death of her former daughter-in-law Princess Diana, a figure who popularity is almost unrivaled in British history.
Elizabeth is the mother of heir Prince Charles and the grandmother of heir Prince William.