# Elizabeth II surpassing Victoria **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 1, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620 "2015-09-01T17:04:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/21 "2015-09-01T20:25:41Z")
It makes for intelligent, pleasant conversation. The family name was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor (after a castle) during the First World War. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/22 "2015-09-01T20:40:07Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > I’m still not sure why the Brits don’t kick them to the curb. As an American I am rather delighted I don’t have to pay for these undereducated twits or let them have a say in my government. Well, I’m sure the United Kingdom will survive your disapproval. It’s good to be rather delighted and a little bit angry about things that have absolutely zero impact on your life . Just let it all out, I say. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/23 "2015-09-01T21:12:38Z")
Germans took over the throne of England way back in 1714, with the accession of George I. From Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > At the age of 54, after the death of Queen Anne of Great Britain, George ascended the British throne as the first monarch of the House of Hanover. Although over fifty Roman Catholics bore closer blood relationships to Anne, the Act of Settlement 1701 prohibited Catholics from inheriting the British throne; George was Anne’s closest living Protestant relative. Better a German King than a Catholic one, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/24 "2015-09-01T21:12:39Z")
The UK dies seem to have a better Parliment than our Congress. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/25 "2015-09-01T21:14:41Z")
[QUOTE=King George V] I may be uninspiring, but I’ll be damned if I’m an alien. [/QUOTE] 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/26 "2015-09-01T21:18:21Z")
> [@WF\_Tomba](#): > > Germans took over the throne of England way back in 1714, with the accession of George I. From Wikipedia: > > Better a German King than a Catholic one, apparently. Were Catholics alleged to have orchestrated the Gunpowder Plot? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/27 "2015-09-01T21:19:45Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > No need to change all those monogrammed things. I recently read that one of the things they’ll have to do when Queen Elizabeth dies is issue new [badges](http://imgc.artprintimages.com/images/art-print/metropolitan-police-badge-with-eiir-for-queen-elizabeth-ii_i-G-46-4627-DOPFG00Z.jpg) to all the police officers. I imagine there’s probably a lot of other equivalent items that bear the [royal cypher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_cypher) and will need to be replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/28 "2015-09-01T21:31:28Z")
Assuming Charles does succeed his mother he will be the oldest person to accede to the throne. Having a really long reign means a person has to come to the monarchy early in life. Victoria was 18, Elizabeth was 25. So in all likelihood it will be several generations before there’s a chance for someone to beat out Elizabeth and Victoria. ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/29 "2015-09-01T21:31:34Z")
Won’t all of the money in all of the Commonwealth nations have to be recycled? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/30 "2015-09-01T21:37:58Z")
> [@tonyfop](#): > > Won’t all of the money in all of the Commonwealth nations have to be recycled? Why would it? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/31 "2015-09-01T21:41:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I recently read that one of the things they’ll have to do when Queen Elizabeth dies is issue new [badges](http://imgc.artprintimages.com/images/art-print/metropolitan-police-badge-with-eiir-for-queen-elizabeth-ii_i-G-46-4627-DOPFG00Z.jpg) to all the police officers. I imagine there’s probably a lot of other equivalent items that bear the [royal cypher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_cypher) and will need to be replaced. Can’t he take the name Edward and save everyone some money? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/32 "2015-09-01T21:49:20Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Can’t he take the name Edward and save everyone some money? 🙂 We’ll still have to change the pictures on money, etc,… also, I think Elizabeth’s cypher says E II R. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/33 "2015-09-01T21:57:52Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > We’ll still have to change the pictures on money, etc,… also, I think Elizabeth’s cypher says E II R. Well, if we’re trying to rescue the monogram for an Edward, the next King Edward would be the 9th, (IX), so… maybe pencil in a slash mark across the second “I” in “II”? Kinda becomes an X that way. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/34 "2015-09-01T22:01:56Z")
> [@tonyfop](#): > > Won’t all of the money in all of the Commonwealth nations have to be recycled? No. There’s still an occasional George VI coin in the change (or would be, if I ever used cash these days). Lizzy II money will be perfectly spendable after she kicks it. There’s be a new heads design for coins minted the next year, and I would presume a relatively prompt banknote redesign, but old money will stay in circulation just as long as it would otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/35 "2015-09-01T22:12:19Z")
How about a shout-out for Prince Philip, already Britain’s longest-serving consort. The daft old bugger. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/36 "2015-09-01T22:17:29Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > That’s certainly the usual way that the monarchy changes hands, but it’s not certain. His mum could, as I understand it, abdicate. Well, yeah, but I assume Charles knows better than the interviewer, or anyone else, whether he and his mother would ever do it. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/37 "2015-09-01T22:18:24Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > No. There’s still an occasional George VI coin in the change (or would be, if I ever used cash these days). Lizzy II money will be perfectly spendable after she kicks it. Considering that any British coinage with George’s face on it would be pre-decimal currency incremented in pence and shillings, I’d be greatly surprised if there were still any in circulation these days. We do get _Canadian_ coins turning up here in the northwest now and then, and once in a great while we’ll get a Canadian penny with George’s face and the inscription proclaiming him Emperor of India, but it’s exceedingly uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/38 "2015-09-01T22:21:02Z")
> [@WF\_Tomba](#): > > Germans took over the throne of England way back in 1714, with the accession of George I. Does that mean the next turn goes back to the French for the throne? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/39 "2015-09-01T22:23:40Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Does that mean the next turn goes back to the French for the throne? IIRC, the current king of Norway is the first non-native-born Briton in the order of succession, but there’s several dozen spare heirs between him and the throne. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620/40 "2015-09-01T22:52:26Z")
Brenda’s mother made 101, so there’s likely to be a good few years yet, thank goodness. Charles would be do the UK a great favour by abdicating in favour of William. Charles just doesn’t appear to have the inner steel that his mother has. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-ii-surpassing-victoria/729620.md?page=3)