Title: Queen Elizabeth II Poised to Be Britain's Longest Serving Ruler

Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/qe.mp3' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Queen Elizabeth II Poised to Be Britain's Longest Serving Ruler' data-article-id='831'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='9410'>Queen Elizabeth II is set to reach an important milestone this week becoming Britain’s longest-ruling head of state.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='9410' data-end-time='16961'>Queen Elizabeth has worked with 12 British prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to David Cameron. </span> <span data-start-time='16961' data-end-time='24195'>At age 89, she continues to travel and attend official events.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='24195' data-end-time='33741'>Elizabeth came to power after the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952. </span> <span data-start-time='33741' data-end-time='38435'>At the time, she was only 25 years old.</span> <span data-start-time='38435' data-end-time='43401'>She officially became queen in June of 1953.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='43401' data-end-time='50567'>The queen is part of the last generation of Britain’s royal family to be educated at home. </span> <span data-start-time='50567' data-end-time='61293'>The Associated Press reports that she is the first British ruler to have sent an email (1976) or use Twitter, the social networking service (2014).</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='61293' data-end-time='69751'>Royal historian Hugo Vickers says that during her rule, Queen Elizabeth has remained dutiful to her country. </span> <span data-start-time='69751' data-end-time='76689'>He adds that she is known as the “most invisible visible public woman in the world.”</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='76689' data-end-time='83855'>On Wednesday, Elizabeth will beat a record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. </span> <span data-start-time='83855' data-end-time='90726'>Victoria served as queen more than a century ago for 63 years and seven months. </span> <span data-start-time='90726' data-end-time='96803'>Only four other British kings and queens have ruled 50 years or more.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='96803' data-end-time='102721'>Queen Elizabeth already holds the record as the country’s oldest ruler. </span> <span data-start-time='102721' data-end-time='110454'>The only other world leader with longer service is King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.</span> <span data-start-time='110454' data-end-time='114308'>He took power more than 69 years ago.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='114308' data-end-time='118980'>In history, only a few monarchs have served even longer. </span> <span data-start-time='118980' data-end-time='130023'>Ngwenyama Sobhuza, later known as Sobhuza II, served as the Swazi King and later King of Swaziland for more than 82 years. </span> <span data-start-time='130023' data-end-time='135193'>He came to power before the age of one after the death of his father. </span> <span data-start-time='135193' data-end-time='141678'>In addition, Louis XIV served as King of France for 72 years. </span> <span data-start-time='141678' data-end-time='145964'>He was also aided by coming to power at a young age.</span> </p><p><span data-start-time='145964' data-end-time='155714'>British officials say Queen Elizabeth wants the record-setting occasion to be a quiet event and that the day will be “business as usual”. </span> <span data-start-time='155714' data-end-time='163469'>The Queen is expected to leave her private home at Balmoral, Scotland to open the new Scottish Borders Railway. </span> <span data-start-time='163469' data-end-time='171655'>She will also take a steam train ride on the new railway from Edinburgh with her husband, Prince Philip.</span> <span data-start-time='' data-end-time=''> </span> <span data-start-time='171655' data-end-time='173696'>I’m Jonathan Evans.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/queen_image.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=4061 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/what_does_milestone_mean.m4a'>What does milestone mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a very important event'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/possible_to_be_seen.m4a'><span>possible to be seen</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/to_argue.m4a'><span>to argue</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/the_main_idea.m4a'><span>the main idea</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/a_very_important_event.m4a'><span>a very important event</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=4062 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/what_milestone_has_queen_elizabeth_reached.m4a'>What milestone has Queen Elizabeth reached?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='longest ruler of Britain'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/80th_birthday.m4a'><span>80th birthday</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/graduation.m4a'><span>graduation</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/longest_ruler_of_britain.m4a'><span>longest ruler of Britain</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/becoming_a_grandmother.m4a'><span>becoming a grandmother</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=4063 data-hint-location='50567' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/queen_elizabeth_is_the_first_british_ruler_to_use__blank_.m4a'>Queen Elizabeth is the first British ruler to use <span class='blank'>email</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='email'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/paper.m4a'><span>paper</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/phones.m4a'><span>phones</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/cars.m4a'><span>cars</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/477/email.m4a'><span>email</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button 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Queen Elizabeth II is set to reach an important milestone this week becoming Britain’s longest-ruling head of state.

Queen Elizabeth has worked with 12 British prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to David Cameron. At age 89, she continues to travel and attend official events.

Elizabeth came to power after the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952. At the time, she was only 25 years old. She officially became queen in June of 1953.

The queen is part of the last generation of Britain’s royal family to be educated at home. The Associated Press reports that she is the first British ruler to have sent an email (1976) or use Twitter, the social networking service (2014).

Royal historian Hugo Vickers says that during her rule, Queen Elizabeth has remained dutiful to her country. He adds that she is known as the “most invisible visible public woman in the world.”

On Wednesday, Elizabeth will beat a record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Victoria served as queen more than a century ago for 63 years and seven months. Only four other British kings and queens have ruled 50 years or more.

Queen Elizabeth already holds the record as the country’s oldest ruler. The only other world leader with longer service is King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He took power more than 69 years ago.

In history, only a few monarchs have served even longer. Ngwenyama Sobhuza, later known as Sobhuza II, served as the Swazi King and later King of Swaziland for more than 82 years. He came to power before the age of one after the death of his father. In addition, Louis XIV served as King of France for 72 years. He was also aided by coming to power at a young age.

British officials say Queen Elizabeth wants the record-setting occasion to be a quiet event and that the day will be “business as usual”. The Queen is expected to leave her private home at Balmoral, Scotland to open the new Scottish Borders Railway. She will also take a steam train ride on the new railway from Edinburgh with her husband, Prince Philip. I’m Jonathan Evans.

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