MONARCHIST is not really a word I associate with myself in my view of the world.

Having said that, I’m not a particular fan of Britain becoming a republic, given the dire standard of most of this nation’s politicians.

But I do tip my hat to the Queen today.

Yesterday, Her Majesty became Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, eclipsing the record of her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria.

I am sure there are plenty of our readers who do not consider being a monarch to be a job.

Nevertheless, the Queen has been in the same ‘job’ for more than 63 years.

During those years, there have been 12 British Prime Ministers, from Sir Winston Churchill to David Cameron, and six Roman Catholic popes.

There have also been 8,728 episodes of Coronation Street, but the least said about that the better.

I cannot imagine there are many other 89-year-olds who get through the kind of schedule the Queen does every year.

It is easy to argue that perhaps there would be more people of the same age with similar energy if they had led such a cosseted life.

But I wonder whether that is really the case.

It is difficult to comprehend quite how long the Queen has been the nation’s monarch.

The majority of us have known no other person in the role.

To put it in some kind of context, if and when Prince Charles succeeds to the throne, he will be older than his grandfather King George VI was when he died.

Quite where the monarchy will go when the Queen is no longer with us is difficult to know.

There is a feeling that she remains the glue that holds the nation and the monarchy together.

The Queen is held in the kind of respect that no other member of the Royal family enjoys.

Whether such respect will ever be felt for Charles, his sons or their offspring is difficult to know.

There seems to be a greater general good feeling towards Prince William than there is to his father.

The Diana factor plays a part in that.

But there has been talk for some years that William would be a better king for modern times than his father.

I doubt it is a scenario that will come to pass.

The Queen has a sense of duty that has been instilled in Charles.

Just as she will never abdicate, it is difficult to see Charles standing aside to let his son take the throne.

Whatever happens in the future, and, given the long life of the Queen Mother, we are probably some years away from mourning the Queen, I have no doubt that the monarchy will change irrevocably once a new king takes his place in the pages of history.

The Queen has been a constant in British life for more than six decades.

The only time she has ever been doubted by the nation was in the immediate aftermath of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

What will happen without that constant?

It is impossible to say.

For now, however, I am happy that it remains.