Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarchs, both came to the throne young yet remained a steady presence through eras of dramatic change. Queen Elizabeth will overtake her great-great-grandmother’s record of 63 years and 216 days on September 9, a remarkable reign that began in 1952 as Britain rebuilt after World War II. When Victoria was born in 1819, she, like Elizabeth, was thought unlikely to inherit the throne. Yet the young princess, who became queen in 1837 shortly after turning 18, lent her name to an age of invention and discovery, as well as a moralistic outlook on life. The Victorian Era was a time when Britain was at its zenith, making grand industrial, scientific, cultural and imperial advances. The roots of 89-year-old Queen Elizabeth’s duty-driven style of monarchy lie with her illustrious ancestor. ‘The great

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