Queen Elizabeth II: Monarch's epic reign encompassed first Moon landing and invention of internet

Elizabeth was the British royal family's rock and, untainted by royal scandals, her personal popularity remained solid when the antics of others shook the House of Windsor, writes Laura Elston

Britain's Queen Elizabeth was a figure of continuity as the world changed in the 20th century, through the millennium and in the 21st century.  Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Britain's Queen Elizabeth was the longest-reigning monarch in the country's history, heralded for her unparalleled devotion to royal duty during more than 70 years on the throne.

At the centre of British life, Elizabeth II was head of state, head of the armed forces, head of the Commonwealth, and supreme governor of the Church of England.