On 21st April, Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 90th birthday, ahead of her official birthday on the 11th June. Along with being the longest reigning monarch in British history, Queen Elizabeth is the constitutional monarch of 15 sovereign states that together with 38 other states make up the Commonwealth. The Queen has been Head of the Commonwealth for 64 years, having ascended the throne just three years after the formation of the institution. As a result of her decades in leadership, the Queen was a common subject for informants in the Commonwealth Oral History Project. From the interviews, we read that the Queen loves watching marathons, has a sense of humour, and most importantly, cares deeply about Commonwealth matters. Former Director of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Political Affairs Division, Amitav Banerji summed up the feelings of many of those interviewed:

‘Well, I think the Queen is a remarkable person and, by common agreement across the board, she is part of the glue that keeps the Commonwealth together. She has seen heads of government come and go. She’s been very much the common thread running through and even the most republican of nations do not fail to show her the respect that she commands as Head of the Commonwealth. All the countries that today join the Commonwealth or line up to join the Commonwealth know that they would need to accept her as the Head of the Commonwealth, without surrendering their sovereignty.’

Read more about the Queen’s role as Head of the Commonwealth

Read more about the Queen’s position as constitutional monarch of Australia

Photograph of Queen Elizabeth II and Commonwealth leaders, taken at the 1960 Commonwealth Conference, Windsor Castle Front row: (left to right) E. J. Cooray, Walter Nash, Jawaharlal Nehru, Elizabeth II, John Diefenbaker, Robert Menzies, Eric Louw Back row: Tunku Abdul Rahman, Roy Welensky, Harold Macmillan, Ayub Khan, Kwame Nkrumah Source: John G. Diefenbaker Centre, Saskatoon, Canada, image number JGD1300

Photograph of Queen Elizabeth II and Commonwealth leaders, taken at the 1960 Commonwealth Conference, Windsor Castle
Front row: (left to right) E. J. Cooray, Walter Nash, Jawaharlal Nehru, Elizabeth II, John Diefenbaker, Robert Menzies, Eric Louw
Back row: Tunku Abdul Rahman, Roy Welensky, Harold Macmillan, Ayub Khan, Kwame Nkrumah
Source: John G. Diefenbaker Centre, Saskatoon, Canada, image number JGD1300

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shridath Ramphal, receiving the order of Australia from HM Queen Elizabeth II on board the Royal Yacht Brittania, Brisbane, Australia. (Date unknown)  Source: Commonwealth Secretariat

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shridath Ramphal, receiving the order of Australia from HM Queen Elizabeth II on board the Royal Yacht Brittania, Brisbane, Australia. 1982
Source: Commonwealth Secretariat

HM Queen Elizabeth II with Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, leaving Westminster Abbey, London after the annual Commonwealth Day observance. 1999 Source: Commonwealth Secretariat

HM Queen Elizabeth II with Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, leaving Westminster Abbey, London after the annual Commonwealth Day observance. 1999
Source: Commonwealth Secretariat