'Thank you for every amazing minute, Ma'am - all 33,460,800 of them': On a very special day, a tribute to a remarkable woman from one of her (not so) humble subjects 

By Piers Morgan for MailOnline

Published: 09:06 EST, 9 September 2015 | Updated: 09:17 EST, 9 September 2015

 Queen Elizabeth II today becomes the longest-reigning Monarch in British history.

She has been on the throne for 63 years.

Or to be more precise, 23,226 days and 16 hours at the very moment at 5pm UK time this afternoon when she eclipses the previous record-holder, her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.

It’s a stunning achievement.

But pure longevity alone is not why Her Majesty is held in such universal respect and admiration both at home and abroad.

At 5 pm UK time on Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth will eclipse her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as the longest-reigning Monarch in British history. She is seen  on this historic day at a railway inauguration 

At 5 pm UK time on Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth will eclipse her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as the longest-reigning Monarch in British history. She is seen  on this historic day at a railway inauguration 

The Queen has scarcely put a regal foot wrong during her entire six-decade tenure, unlike so many of the ghastly, avaricious, corrupt, venal, adulterous, conniving forebears. Here she is at her 1953 coronation

The Queen has scarcely put a regal foot wrong during her entire six-decade tenure, unlike so many of the ghastly, avaricious, corrupt, venal, adulterous, conniving forebears. Here she is at her 1953 coronation

No, it’s because of her outstanding, peerless sense of duty and service to her people.

It’s a reign which has been notably, uniquely uncontaminated by error, embarrassment or mishap.

The Queen has scarcely put a regal foot wrong during her entire six-decade tenure, unlike so many of the ghastly, avaricious, corrupt, venal, adulterous, conniving forebears.

We’ve had some shocking Kings and Queens:

The ghastly, murderous Richard III who plotted against his two better-qualified rivals for the throne, had them jailed, and then, it is widely believed, had them both killed.

George IV, a notorious womaniser who lavishly and recklessly squandered money as his people suffered terrible financial hardship.

He was so selfish he even banned his own wife from his coronation, thus depriving her of becoming a queen.

Mary Tudor, the witch-like harridan who delighted in personally ordering hundreds of Protestants to be burned at the stake.

Henry VIII, of course, the gargantuan, bearded, petulant beast with a penchant for chopping off his wives’ heads when they displeased him.

As for ‘Mad’ George III, don’t even get me started on that clown.

Without his diabolical, disastrous reign there’s a good chance America would still be under British rule – and I could, possibly, be its current King.

Imagine that: a country with no guns, cricket instead of baseball, and mandatory tea and cucumber sandwiches every day at 4pm for every citizen.

By comparison to that motley crew of miscreants, Queen Elizabeth II stands as a shining beacon of decency and decorum.

Which is why I have no hesitation in proclaiming her as the single greatest British Monarch of them all.

I’ve met the Queen three times.

The Queen is small, but always immaculately attired, and automatically flashes the world’s most famous fixed grin even to people she may not like. She is also very intelligent and has a wonderful sense of humor

The Queen is small, but always immaculately attired, and automatically flashes the world’s most famous fixed grin even to people she may not like. She is also very intelligent and has a wonderful sense of humor

She is small (5ft 4in), always immaculately attired, and automatically flashes the world’s most famous fixed grin even to people like me who she probably views, given my tabloid editor past, as a right royal pain in the backside.

But don’t be misled by her benign demeanour.

Beneath that grin lurks a formidable intelligence, a wisdom of rare depth and experience, and a sense of humour that can cut to the quick like one of the antique swords which line her palace walls.

‘Do you enjoy hosting your garden parties?’ I once asked her at a Windsor Castle event thrown for British media figures in 2002 – as we looked out over the magnificently tended green fields.

‘Well, Mr Morgan,’ she replied in her clipped, very posh voice, ‘let me put it this way: how would YOU like 12,000 complete strangers trampling on YOUR lawn?’

On another occasion, we discussed David Beckham’s foot, which he has broken just before a big tournament. She not only knew all about the injury, she had very strong views about the way he was treating it.

‘He shouldn’t be driving a car!’ she pronounced.

I found her very entertaining company, but all delivered at arms length. Nobody outside a very tight inner circle gets too close to the Queen – physically or otherwise.

Despite her absurd global fame – is there anyone more recognisable in the world? – she remains a figure of mystery to most.

Much of this is down to her mother’s firm instruction to enjoying enduring popularity as a royal: ‘Never complain, never explain, and never speak in public unless you absolutely have to.’

(Oh how today’s celebrities could do with taking a leaf out of that book…)

She may have some ghastly forebearers, but Her Majesty is lovely. Her sense of humor was evident when she joked about hosting garden parties ('how would YOU like 12,000 complete strangers trampling on YOUR lawn?’) and David Beckham with Piers. She is pictured here in a 2002 portrait

She may have some ghastly forebearers, but Her Majesty is lovely. Her sense of humor was evident when she joked about hosting garden parties ('how would YOU like 12,000 complete strangers trampling on YOUR lawn?’) and David Beckham with Piers. She is pictured here in a 2002 portrait

The Queen has never given a formal interview, nor has she ever held a press conference.

We thus have no real idea what she’s like or what she really thinks about anything.

‘What is the POINT of the Queen?’ I was once asked by an American journalist.

It’s a good question.

There is a general feel-good purpose to the royal family; the magnificent pomp and ceremony of State occasions have an almost Viagra-like effect on Britain’s economy and mood. Just look at the worldwide excitement and attention for the recent wedding between Prince William and his bride Kate Middleton.

As the figure-head of the family, the Queen provides a calming face of unity to the nation in good times and bad.

But if you ask me what the Queen’s most important ‘point’ is, then I would say it’s the weekly private meeting she has with her Prime Minister, of whom she has had 12.

I’ve spoken to three of them, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, about the traditional encounters. All attested to her extraordinary wisdom, based on unparalleled experience of world affairs.

The Queen, after all, has met every leader for the last 63 years, and surveyed every world crisis in that time.

‘There was no problem I encountered that she hadn’t seen before, in some form,’ Mr Blair told me once. ‘I found that very comforting.’

‘She’s so intelligent,’ agreed Mr Brown, ‘and never hesitated to challenge me about something if she didn’t agree.’

‘I trusted her instincts better than almost anyone else’s,’ said Mrs Thatcher.

I suspect a lot more British government policy is decided over a cup of tea in those meetings than in any cabinet meeting.

She also has a wonderful ability to instinctively feel the national mood and respond accordingly.

The only time Piers has seen the Queen rattled was in the days following the death of Princess Diana. The two are pictured here in 1987 outside Clarence House in London

The only time Piers has seen the Queen rattled was in the days following the death of Princess Diana. The two are pictured here in 1987 outside Clarence House in London

I’ve only seen the Queen rattled on one other occasion, and that was in the days after the death of Princess Diana.

The royals decamped to Balmoral in Scotland as the nation descended into grief, and Her Majesty was personally attacked for the first time anyone could remember for refusing to lower the flag at Buckingham Palace, and for making no personal address to the nation.

I spoke to one of her press chiefs at the time, and he said she was like the proverbial rabbit trapped in headlights – unable to rid herself of the rigid formality the royals had always been taught to practise in such times of crisis and personal grief.

I wrote the headline on the Daily Mirror front page (I was the paper’s Editor at the time): ‘SPEAK TO US, MA’AM, YOUR PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING’. Other newspapers did similar entreaties.

It may seem utterly impertinent now, but in the moment it accurately reflected the mood of the country.

The next morning, the Queen came back to London, lowered the flag, and addressed us all without her famous tiara.

‘I speak as a grandmother,’ she began, and then made one of the greatest speeches I’ve ever heard – sincere, eloquent, moving and direct.

The mood changed instantly, from anger to respect and affection.

But when she returned to London after Diana's death, lowered the flag over the Palace and addressed the nation, she consoled and helped stabilise the country with a great speech 

But when she returned to London after Diana's death, lowered the flag over the Palace and addressed the nation, she consoled and helped stabilise the country with a great speech 

And there, right there, I understood the primary purpose of the Queen – to console, celebrate with, encourage and stabilise Great Britain.

She’s done it for 63 years and done so with astonishing competence and dignity.

During the making of an official royal documentary about her life, entitled Elizabeth R, in 1992, she told the director: “One feels the buck stops here, so to speak. I had a letter this morning. It said: ‘I’ve been going round and round in circles but you are the only person who can stop the circle.’ I thought that was rather nice.”

In the end, the ultimate buck does indeed stop with her. And she stops a multitude of circles on a daily basis.

I suspect we won’t really understand the astounding debt we owe this remarkable woman until she is no longer with us.

But today we can acknowledge a magnificent milestone in her reign, and offer due praise for 63 years of quite splendid service.

Ma’am, thank you.

I remain your deeply grateful, not very humble, and occasionally thoroughly disobedient servant.

 

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