The king of Spain announced today that he is abdicating his throne, thereby elevating his son Felipe to the role of king at the age of 46. He's the third European monarch to "retire" in the last year and a half and every time it happens, royalty watchers turn their eyes to England and whisper "Will Elizabeth be the next to go?" Snarkier observers turn their eyes to Prince Charles, who turns 66 in November, and imagine him saying "When will it be my turn?"
So who's the woman on the horse in the picture above? Why it's the Queen herself, out for her daily ride and looking pretty good at age 88. No abdication here. It's probably just a coincidence that this picture was released on the very same day King Juan Carlos said good-bye but I think it's at least possible that the Queen, or more likely members of her staff, wanted to send a subtle message that says "Don't even think about it."
By-the-way, the longest-serving British monarch was Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and 217 days. Barring disaster, this Queen will surpass that record in September, 2015.
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