How Queen Elizabeth II Preserved the Monarchy

The death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday brought to an end a remarkable reign that spanned seven decades, 15 prime ministers and 14 American presidents.

During her time on the throne, which saw the crumbling of the British Empire and the buffeting of the royal family by scandals, Elizabeth’s courtly and reserved manner helped to shore up the monarchy and provided an unwavering constant for her country, the Commonwealth and the wider world.

Guest: Alan Cowell, a contributor to The New York Times and a former Times foreign correspondent.

Background reading:

• Amid social and economic upheaval across her 70-year reign, the queen remained unshakably committed to the rituals of her role.
• Her heir, Charles, was long an uneasy prince. But he comes to the throne, at 73, as a self-assured, gray-haired eminence.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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