It was Travel That Endear Queen Elizabeth to the World

The death of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96 on Thursday triggered an outpouring of grief, admiration, and respect for Her Majesty – not just in the United Kingdom but all over the entire world.

The Queen was revered for her grace and dignity, and much of that was due to her extensive travel schedule as the longest-serving monarch in British history.

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Remember, for the first 50 years or so of her 70-year reign, there was no cable television. No satellite television. No internet. No around-the-clock news coverage. No social media. People only knew The Queen from clips of Movie-Tone News while at the theater.

Or from her travels.

Queen Elizabeth II was one of the most well-traveled heads of state in memory. She brought the monarchy, and the royal family, to the masses. And the masses loved her.

Elizabeth made 290 state visits over 70 years – an average of more than four per year – and visited 117 countries, according to the British newspaper The Telegraph.

The Queen saw her role as more than just an extension of British tradition. Her numerous trips brought the United Kingdom to the world. As early as 1953, less than a year after her coronation, Elizabeth traveled to New Zealand and said during her annual Christmas message: “I set out on this journey in order to see as much as possible of the people and countries of the Commonwealth and Empire. I want to show that the Crown is not merely an abstract symbol of our unity, but a personal and living bond between you and me.”

More than 50 years later, she recalled in 2006 a trip to South America in 1968.

“I have vivid and happy memories of my visit to Brazil with Prince Philip in 1968, especially the warmth and hospitality of the Brazilian people,” she said.

She was royalty, of course, but was also a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, and enjoyed many of the simple pleasures of life that travel brought. Elizabeth went horseback riding with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, event went to a Major League Baseball game with the first President George Bush.

She visited Kenya and Kentucky. New Zealand and New York. Norway and Nepal. West Germany and united Germany. All totaled, The Guardian noted that traveled an estimated 1,032,513 miles and circled the globe 42 times.

And with every mile in the air, every hand-wave upon touchdown, Elizabeth endeared herself to millions.