An inseparable element of royal ceremonies are gifts – tangible, sent by subjects, but also immeasurable or even symbolic. The newly opened urban rail line that crosses London from east to west has been renamed the Elizabeth Line. The Queen has also been immortalized as a Barbie doll as part of a new series commemorating outstanding women. Royal Barbie has been modeled after the royal photo for years. Elizabeth wears a cream dress surrounded by a blue ribbon and the tiara of her grandmother Maria, wife of George V – this is also what the doll looks like.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in turn, decided to celebrate the jubilee by restoring old imperial measures, such as the ounce and the pound sterling, which could be used permanently alongside metric measures. Eight cities had a ‘cities’ rank, higher than their previous status as ‘cities’. The Jubilee Pudding Contest has also been scheduled.

The most original idea is to introduce Thank You Day – a holiday and a day off from work, which will be an expression of society’s gratitude for Elizabeth’s reign. Thanksgiving Day is now Sunday, June 5, but the initiators want to bring the festival to life. The former is like this day a year ago, organized at the time as an expression of gratitude to the people fighting the pandemic.

After 70 years of sitting on the throne, the queen became the real record holder. It is not only the longest reigning of all British rulers (Queen Victoria, her great-grandmother, ruled for 64 years), but is now on the verge of breaking the record set by Louis XIV, who ruled France for 73 years. In the coming months, if all goes well, Elizabeth will move from her current fourth position to second place, ahead of Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein at the turn of the 20th century (70 years 91 days), and Bhumibol, King of Thailand. who died a few years ago (70 years and 126 days). Hence, she is the tallest ruling woman.

Note that under Elizabeth, Great Britain had 14 prime ministers, starting with Winston Churchill, and the United States had the same number of presidents. The Queen has met everyone except Lyndon Johnson.

The numbers, while striking, don’t really say much. It is tempting to compare Elizabeth with her great name – the sixteenth century ruler Elizabeth I (1533-1603). The imprint of kings of full power is in no way comparable to what can be left by a monarch who “rules but does not rule” as interpreted by the constitutional monarchy. Is it then possible to speak of a “second Elizabethan era”, since the possibilities of Elizabeth II are limited, as are all modern monarchs?

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The work of his great predecessor cannot be overestimated. Elizabeth I contributed more to the formation of Great Britain than any other ruler of England. Her rule led not only to the stabilization of the state after a period of dramatic internal conflicts, including religious conflicts, but also colonial conquests and laying the foundations for a future empire, and last but not least, the flourishing of literature and science (Shakespeare, Marlowe, Bacon). The reign of Elizabeth II is the process of the disintegration of the empire, although the truth is that it began during the life of her father, George VI. Later it only intensified, especially in Africa.