Elizabeth I, Queen of the Continent

The stability and continuity the monarchy was supposed to provide began to look shaky, as one by one, the royal marriages broke down around her. None was uglier than the break up of prince charles and diana spencer. The national outpouring of grief seemed to highlight the emotional gap between the queen and her people. Elizabeth did much to repair the damage with a single bow of the head to the passing coffin of a popular princess. In seven decades on the throne, elizabeth re defined the monarchy, remated for a more modern, less deferential age. And in the process, she became iaway queen.