The most successful English monarch.

I am going to have to throw in a vote for Queen Elizabeth the I. I love the way she politcked her way through waters that were dominate by men, and all of her flirtatious, diplomatic courtships. I think she was a brilliant tactician, although much of her reserves were wasted by just having to prove, and keep proving, that she was strong enough to hold the throne. Had she been born in a different time, and in a succession that was secure and not clouded by the religious tensions of the time, I think Elizabeth would have had the makings of a very great leader indeed. Here are a couple of my favourite quotes, whic typify why I think she was so successful: ... What a family is without a steward, a ship without a pilot, a flock without a shepherd, a body without a head, the same, I think, is a kingdom without the health and safety of a good monarch. To her brother, King Edward, c.1550. Chamberlin, The Sayings of Queen Elizabeth (1923), ch. 1. I would rather be a beggar and single than a queen and married. To the Ambassador of the Duke of Wurtemberg, 1564. Chamberlin, The Sayings of Queen Elizabeth (1923), ch. 2. There is small disproportion betwixt a fool who useth not wit because he hath it not and him that useth it not when it should avail him. To Baron Buckhurst (Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset), c.1587. Chamberlin, The Sayings of Queen Elizabeth (1923), ch. 11.

I would say the most successful was William the Conqueror. It's not easy to conquer a country (as Iraq proves) and he did so with fewer troops than Harold. He was very pragmatic, clever and efficient - probably the most efficient monarch Britain ever had.

QEII has been on the throne so long that there are few who would really know what it was like under any other monarch. I would suggest that the current Queen has 'ruled' (such as the system allows) with dignity, restraint and diligence for a massive portion of her life and deserves due recognition. When you think that she was not destined to be a monarch, it is remarkable how she has taken to the role. She is the head of a powerful family and represents an influential country and her role will probably be recognised in the fullness of time. I think she will be seen as a quiet ruler for whom most right-minded people have the utmost respect whether you agree with the principle of monarchy or not. I don't want to appear as an ardent monarchist - I am no fan of the personality cult that surrounds the royals in general, but I do have the utmost respect for the apparent dignity and integrity of Queen Elizabeth II.