7 billion neighbors

70 years of reign, god save Elizabeth II

Audio 48:30

Queen Elizabeth II waves to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after her coronation on June 2, 1953, surrounded by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, Princess Anne and the Queen Mother (at right).

© AP Photo

By: Emmanuelle Bastide

1 min

This June 2, 2022 marks the 70th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II.

Crowned at 25, she is the first sovereign of the United Kingdom to celebrate a platinum jubilee.

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4 days of festivities with a parade, a big concert and a historical reenactment, a beer in her name, a public holiday... The British saw things big to honor their queen, who is 96 years old, at the peak of her popularity.

During these 7 decades, Elisabeth II has indeed established a privileged relationship with her “subjects”, she would almost be part of the family.

Few countries maintain such a bond of affection with their monarch.

If her reign was marked by tragedies, scandals and political twists, she knew how to adapt to her time and to the means of communication.

From the kitch of coffee mugs bearing her likeness, to the critically acclaimed Netflix series The Crown, to portraits of Andy Warhol, Elizabeth II has also become a true pop icon around the world.

Why is she so loved?

How to explain this fascination for the English monarchy?  

With

Philippe Chassaigne

, professor of contemporary history at

and specialist in Great Britain, author of

Kevin Guillot,

founder of the

website , a website dedicated to the British royal family, journalist for Dynasty magazine.

An exchange with 

, RFI correspondent in London 

Musical programming:

► Sing

- Gary Barlow & The Commonwealth Band featuring Military Wives 

► God save the queen

- Young Bravado 

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