Today, the 53 countries of the British Commonwealth mark a historic milestone as Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest-serving monarch in British history.
She surpasses Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, seven months and two days. [...]
"I think we're a bit surprised that the monarchy is still here," says Robert Lacey, a historian and author who wrote a biography of Elizabeth II. "You think back to the swinging '60s, satire, the Beatles — you wouldn't have given much time for the monarchy then [or] in the depths of the scandals of the 1990s, Windsor Castle burning down so significantly."