Her reign spanned Britain’s journey from the wireless to the smartphone, from social deference to egalitarianism, from empire to the EU — and out again. Through the dramas and vicissitudes of seven decades, with their wars and other woes, Queen Elizabeth II served as the nation’s figurehead, supremely able to hold her people together.

Amid momentous social and political upheaval, her falterings were few. The Queen, who has died at the age of 96, became a symbol of continuity and unity in an ever-changing political landscape. Her coronation, the first in British history to be fully televised, was viewed around the UK and the world. By the end of her reign, she had established the monarchy as one of the few institutions in public life still capable of commanding mass appeal.

The decades before her accession saw the abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII, while monarchies across Europe were displaced and removed, by violent or constitutional means. The enduring strength of “the Firm”, as the British monarchy is often known, is testament to the success of her reign.