Queen Elizabeth: The world's most travelled monarch

Queen Elizabeth II departing New Zealand, aboard the SS Gothic, 11th December 1953. Photo / The Hulton Archive, Getty Images

In her seventy years on the throne Queen Elizabeth II visited 140 countries and spent almost four years on state visits.

Having first arrived by steamship to New Zealand in 1953, she left for the last time by passenger jet in 2002.

The Queen's Reign began in slow procession and by the mid sixties was flying supersonic on Concorde. Having undertaken over 280 state and commonwealth visits, she is arguably the most travelled monarch in history.

During these seven decades the way she travelled changed, as did the attitudes to the Commonwealth. She began her reign as Queen of over 30 countries and finished as monarch of 14. A shrinking royal remit did not slow her Majesty's appetite for travel.

It may be we'll never see such a travel-ready royal again.

With Queen's children and grandchildren lending their support to sustainable travel initiatives and voicing concerns over global warming, future royal tours will be greatly scrutinised. Will the next royal in line return to slow travel?

Royals will continue to travel but they'll no longer have the pomp of the Summer of 1953 or the frenetic pace of the Queen's 1966 spree.

Here is a deep dive into the Queen's seventy years travelling the globe.