The Queen Has Seen It All in Her 70 Years. How Will Prince Charles Compare?
Over 70 years of postwar Britain including 14 different prime ministers, Elizabeth II has seen it all.
Queen Elizabeth II reading despatch papers from her Red Box, circa 1956.
Source: Universal History Archive/Getty Images
A worsening cost-of-living crisis, a messy political scandal and the threat of further repercussions from the war in Ukraine form an unlikely backdrop for a celebration of national stability.
As the UK marks Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, the clouds are a reminder that the 96-year-old monarch won’t be around for ever, just as the country faces an uncertain future. Beyond the most immediate challenges, the unresolved status of Northern Ireland after Brexit and Scotland split over independence raise questions about whether the kingdom will even stay united in the coming decades.