Queen Elizabeth II: A legacy like no other
hrough 1,200 years of war, death and empire-building, succession in the British monarchy has rarely been a straight line.
The crown has zigged and zagged through 37 generations, landing on the heads of an anointed few.
Some inherited it upon their father’s final breath. Others conquered armies and murdered rivals to grab it for themselves.
But for one little girl, that intricate crown of gold, ermine and 440 precious gems found its way to her through a royal scandal.
Weighing 2.3 kilograms, St Edward’s Crown was placed upon Queen Elizabeth II’s head for a mere moment during an ancient ceremony that transformed her from Lilibet Windsor into the sovereign.
The most sacred of Britain’s treasures was then carefully packed away for her eventual successor.
But every monarch bears the weight of that brief moment for the rest of their reign.
Upon Elizabeth’s shoulders, she carried her kingdom’s hopes, her people’s love, their imagination and their expectations. Sometimes she even bore their disappointment in her.
The crown has zigged and zagged through 37 generations, landing on the heads of an anointed few.
Some inherited it upon their father’s final breath. Others conquered armies and murdered rivals to grab it for themselves.
But for one little girl, that intricate crown of gold, ermine and 440 precious gems found its way to her through a royal scandal.
Weighing 2.3 kilograms, St Edward’s Crown was placed upon Queen Elizabeth II’s head for a mere moment during an ancient ceremony that transformed her from Lilibet Windsor into the sovereign.
The most sacred of Britain’s treasures was then carefully packed away for her eventual successor.
But every monarch bears the weight of that brief moment for the rest of their reign.
Upon Elizabeth’s shoulders, she carried her kingdom’s hopes, her people’s love, their imagination and their expectations. Sometimes she even bore their disappointment in her.