Queen Elizabeth II leaves legacy of ‘immense stability’ for Great Britain, Cedarville professor says

CEDARVILLE — Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, leaves a legacy of “immense stability” for Great Britain, Glen Duerr, a professor of international studies at Cedarville University, said Thursday.

>> RELATED: Queen Elizabeth II, 96, dies; Charles becomes king

An academic with dual citizenship who was born in the United Kingdom, lived there until he was 15 and is a U.S. citizen, is well versed and well studied when it comes to the royal family and Queen Elizabeth II.

The length of her reign has been “incredible,” Duerr said to News Center 7′s John Bedell, a nod to her being on the throne for seven decades as the longest reigning monarch in British history.

“A 70-year reign is just massive. When you think through what’s happened from 1950 to the present. The queen was the queen when the United Kingdom joined what is now the European Union in 1973,” Duerr said.

“She was the queen when it exited with Brexit in 2016. So there’s just been a massive amount that she’s seen. She’s navigated through a lot of scandal and challenge, but at the same time now at the end of her life she has a son, grandson and great-grandson all in line for the throne. And so in many ways there’s a massive legacy that could reach even to the 22nd century,” the professor said.

>> RELATED: Queen Elizabeth II through the years in photos

The queen leaves a legacy of “immense stability” for Great Britain and will be remembered also for her life of service to her country as well as her diplomatic contributions.

She was “someone that travelled widely. Someone that opened doors in terms of diplomacy -- meeting with Chinese delegations in 1986, Russians in 1994, the Republic of Ireland in 2011,” Duerr said.

“She met with five popes, which was a big deal between the Anglican, or what we call the Episcopalian Church in the United States, and Roman Catholic Church. And so really a long, long life navigating difficult waters. But I think for many people she was their queen.”

Duerr said, offering perspective of the queen’s 70-year reign, consider that she just installed her 15th prime minister in Liz Truss this week. Her first was Sir Winston Churchill, during his second stint as prime minister in the 1950s.

©2022 Cox Media Group