From trains to tweets: 5 shared facts about Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II

On September 9, Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest reigning British monarch, beating the 63-year, 216-day record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria — who was crowned on June 20, 1837, and retained the throne until her death on January 22, 1901.

But longevity isn’t the only trait they share.

“Both held their ground as powerful figureheads at a time when direct political power moved away from the sovereign,” says Estelle Bouthillier, Concordia's resident monarchy expert.

The information and documentation analyst won a Communications Ambassador of the Year award for her work with the media on Prince George's birth in 2013.

She brought these salient points to our attention.
 

5 shared facts about Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II

1. An early start

Both got in on the game early: Queen Victoria was 18, whereas Queen Elizabeth II was 25 years old.

Coincidentally, Bouthillier says, they were (and are) both short in stature, with Victoria reaching only 4 ft 11 and Elizabeth standing at 5 ft 4.
 

2. A powerful political ally

Both sought the counsel of a key figure in Westminster.

Queen Victoria confided in Lord Melbourne (1779–1848). Queen Elizabeth's reign barely overlapped with Winston Churchill's last term as prime minister (1952-55), but his wartime relationship with her father, King George VI, was critical.

3. A struggle with political neutrality

One can only imagine the complications attached to working with more than 10 prime ministers — and each monarch had one particular thorn in her side.

Queen Victoria despised William Gladstone and Queen Elizabeth’s “difficult” relationship with Margaret Thatcher was the worst kept secret in the British Isles.
 

4. A resounding “yes” to technology

As Bouthillier notes, Queen Victoria became the first UK monarch to travel extensively by train.

Queen Elizabeth allowed TV cameras inside Westminster Abbey for her coronation, launched the Royal.gov.uk website (yes, the Royal Household does indeed have a cookie policy) — and even started a Twitter account.
 

5. Professional dedicaton, till the end

“Queen Elizabeth renewed her vows in 2012 and she’ll stay on the throne until she dies,” Bouthillier says.

“And that’s not a bad thing, because Prince Charles can do and say more things now than he can when he becomes king. If the queen becomes too frail to fulfil her duties, I think she’ll create a regency for Charles, but she won’t step down."

Find out more about Estelle Bouthillier's royals-related work with the media.