Queen Elizabeth Ii Marks 65 Years on Britain's Throne

AKIPRESS.COM - Princess Elizabeth was never meant to become queen, let alone the longest-serving monarch in the storied history of British royalty, NBC News reported.

Her father, in fact, was never meant to become king. But on Monday, after nearly a lifetime of service to country and crown, Elizabeth II will commemorate her 65th anniversary as queen.

It is a role that most Britons whether royalist or republican would agree that she has fulfilled with caution, dignity and an unending sense of duty. She will become the only British monarch ever to celebrate her Sapphire Jubilee.

In keeping with the habits of a lifetime, Elizabeth, who is 90, is expected to spend the day quietly at Sandringham, her country estate 110 miles north of London. The course of Elizabeth's life was forever changed in 1936 when her uncle, Edward VII, abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American commoner His brother, Albert, became king, adopting for his reign the name George VI.

And Princess Elizabeth, who had spent the first 10 years of her life never expecting to...