‘Accidental queen’ Elizabeth II set to break record for longest-serving British monarch

She only became queen by a twist of fate but now, aged 89, Elizabeth II is about to become Britain’s longest-serving monarch in a reign spanning the post-war era to the digital age.

A constant in an ever-changing world, she is at the height of her prestige and “embodies the history of the 20th century”, according to historian Kate Williams.

The queen has met most of the major figures in recent history, from India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Japanese emperor Hirohito and French general turned statesman Charles de Gaulle.

South Africa’s anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela called her “my friend”, while her reign has seen the construction and the destruction of the Berlin Wall.

The sprawling British empire of the Victorian era, on which it was said that the sun never set, has shrunk to a few remnants during her reign. Most recently, Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997.

Yet even in far-flung parts of the world, “when people refer to the queen they almost always mean our queen,” said John Major, one of the 12 prime ministers to have held office during her reign.