Queen Once Said 'None of Us Can Slow the Passage of Time' – Charles Is Already Preparing to Be King, Claims Expert

Queen Elizabeth II has ruled Britain for decades, and as it stands, she is the country's longest-ruling monarch. However, she has recently dealt with numerous health issues, raising questions about the monarch's future.

It has been 70 years since Queen Elizabeth took over the throne, and the milestone does not go unnoticed. The British royal family and the country people will celebrate the big occasion with a four-day bank holiday.

Also on plan is a long list of events, including a Thanksgiving ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral and a platinum party at Buckingham Palace that will be graced by performances from Elton John and Sir Rod Stewart.

The Big Jubilee Lunch will wrap up the celebrations, which will run until Sunday, June 5, 2022. Trooping the Colors, a celebration of the Sovereign's birthday, kicked off on June 2.

QUEEN ELIZABETH'S CHILDHOOD

Born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in Mayfair London in 1926, Queen Elizabeth was the eldest of two children. Her sister was Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.

She spent her childhood between the White Lodge in Richmond Park and Piccadilly in London. At only seven, her father brought home a corgi, and she fell in love and has reportedly owned at least 30 corgis since.

She had a carefree childhood and spent most of it playing with horses and dogs. However, all that changed in December 1936 when her father became King after his elder brother abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson.

Being the eldest of King George IV, the sudden change of events threw 10-year-old Princess Elizabeth into the direct line as heir to the throne.

The Princess had grown up under the ideals of possible life on the throne, learning the ropes when she was only a toddler. The BBC reports her to have inclined her bonneted head to respond to the officer commanding's salute when she was only three.

Young as she was, she had absorbed some royal gravitas from her grandfather, and it became evident during her 21st birthday when she gave her first speech as a future monarch, dedicating her life to the service of the Commonwealth.

HER ONE GREAT LOVE

At 13, Princess Elizabeth fell in love with the man that would be her future husband for over seven decades. Princess Elizabeth first met Philip during the wedding of Princess Maria and Prince George in 1934 when she was only 8.

Years later, they met again at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. Princess Elizabeth's dad, King George IV, had asked Philip to escort his daughters. Princess Elizabeth and Philip hit it off and started exchanging letters.

In July 1947, Princess Elizabeth and Philips's engagement became public after being announced in the court circular. The two reportedly got engaged the previous summer, but The Kind demanded that the engagement only be revealed after Princess Elizabeth turned 21.

The lovebirds married four months later, at Westminster Abbey, with 2,000 guests bearing witness to the beautiful union. They had their honeymoon at the Scottish royal estate of Balmoral.

Before their first anniversary, they welcomed their first baby, son Charles Philip Arthur George, in 1948, followed by Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise in 1950.

KING GEORGE VI DIES

In February 1952, Princess Elizabeth and her husband were touring Kenya when she received word that her father had passed on in his sleep. She immediately returned to London and was proclaimed Queen.

She and her little family moved out of Clarence House and into Buckingham Palace. The following year, in June, Queen Elizabeth was coronated in front of 8,000 guests at Westminster Abbey.

The coronation was the first of its kind to be televised, with the BBC broadcast attracting a viewership of 20 million in Britain and millions of others worldwide. Addressing the nation that evening, The Queen said:

"Although my experience is so short and my task so new, I have in my parents and grandparents an example which I can follow with certainty and with confidence. I thank you all from a full heart."

The Queen has revolutionized the modern Commonwealth and navigated evolving relationships with new countries. She has also encouraged a meets-and-greets between the royal family and their subjects.

She even broke protocol by allowing Princess Diana to wear frowned-upon dresses and turning a blind eye when Kate Middleton addressed Prince Charles as "grandpa" instead of the official "Your Royal Highness."

And even though the subtle rule of "never complain, never explain" has been in existence since before she sat on the throne, she remained mum after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's explosive interview with Oprah.

THE LONGEST-REIGNING MONARCH

On September 9, 2014, The Queen became the nation's longest-reigning monarch overtaking her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.

Despite the milestones, she has faced numerous difficult situations in the past years. First was her son Prince Andrew's involvement in a sex scandal. The incident forced The Queen to distance royals from Andrew and even strip him of his royal duties.

Then came Harry and Markle's announcement that they would be stepping down from their royal duties. Despite being sad about the information, The Queen reacted swiftly, issuing an initial statement within hours of the announcement.

In April 2021, The Queen experienced one of her most tremendous losses when her husband of over 70 years, Prince Philip, passed on. While his final moments were peaceful and gentle, his demise left a massive void in The Queen's life.

RECENT HEALTH ISSUES

As if the past few years have not been challenging enough for The Queen, she has also faced severe health struggles. After an overnight hospital stay in October 2021, she contracted Covid-19, which became a source of speculation and worry.

Towards the end of the year, she missed several public appearances, such as the Opening Session of the 11th General Synod. She instead sent her son Prince Edward with her message, stating:

"It is hard to believe that it is over 50 years since Prince Philip and I attended the very first meeting of the General Synod."

"None of us can slow the passage of time, and while we often focus on all that has changed in the intervening years, much remains unchanged, including the Gospel of Christ and his teachings." The message continued.

Even with concerns about her health, questions about the monarchy's future are rife, with royal experts saying the family is already preparing for Charles to take over the throne. Royal historian Dr. Ed Owens told Express:

"The Royal Family won't be thrown into a crisis when the Queen dies. The symbolic transition of power to Charles is already underway."

And while there are no reports on The Queen's thoughts on the matter, she has reportedly expressed her desire for Camila, the Duchess of Cornwall, to be the Queen Consort when Charles becomes King.