Last weekend, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the British throne. In 2015, Queen Elizabeth became the longest-serving British monarch and the second longest-serving monarch in Europe. King Louis XIV of France, who reigned for 72 years and 110 days, still holds the record.

Queen Elizabeth II has witnessed many scientific and technological inventions and discoveries during her long reign, from the invention of the modern pen in 1938 to the opening of the Metro line inaugurated in May this year, which bears her name. At 96 years old, he is definitely the king who has experienced the most contrasts. The creation of the polio vaccine and the launch of Sputnik were among the first discoveries the queen witnessed when she took the crown in 1952.

England has more queens on the throne than any other modern world – eight so far. In monarchies succession has traditionally been agnatic (via male heirs), in England it changed in the 16th century in favor of Mary I of England. However, female-headed houses have always caused controversy because some European traditions forbid women from inheriting land, titles and positions. It was a huge contrast that Queen Elizabeth II experienced in 1961 when the birth control pill was introduced in England.

The queen has adapted to the technology bit by bit and can use it to her advantage. In 1953 his coronation was the first to be broadcast live on television and was seen by more than 27 million people in the UK. In 1957 he sent the first Christmas message on television, a tradition that continues to this day. At the age of 50, in 1976 the queen sent her first email, and in 2007 he chatted with NASA astronauts. In 2010 the royal family joined Facebook and currently has 5.8 million followers.

During a visit to the Science Museum in 2014, the queen sent her first tweet from a royal account inviting the public to visit the information age exhibit. Five years later, in 2019, on another visit to the museum, the queen uploaded her first photo to Instagram. In May this year, Queen Elizabeth II used her Oyster card for the first time, a rechargeable electronic card to use the London Underground. 1939 was the last time he would travel on the Metro with his sister, and when the line that bears his name opened, he refilled his Oyster card for the first time.

Queen Elizabeth II saw the world go digital, Britain in and out of the European Union, we went from using big machines to small devices, and the monarch will probably continue to try new things under the spotlight around the world. On May 9, 2024, the queen will become the world’s longest-reigning monarch. Long live the Queen!