Monarch. Tenacious family matriarch. Lover of corgis.

There's many a term that can be applied to Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning queen regnant of all time, but, perhaps, one of the

Monarch. Tenacious family matriarch. Lover of corgis.

There's many a term that can be applied to Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning queen regnant of all time, but, perhaps, one of the most interesting descriptors would be: Fascinating study in contrasts.

She owns roughly 200 of her favorite $2,500 Launer purses, a $10 million collection of Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Land Rovers and a custom Range Rover and some 150,000 works of art, but one of her must-have items is a $9 bottle of Essie nail polish in the ever-so-slightly pink-tinged hue of Ballet Slippers.

She wiled away the years of World War II outside of London at Windsor Castle with younger sister Princess Margaret and rationed fabric coupons to craft her wedding dress and yet is thoroughly modern enough to hang with James Bond, visit the Game of Thrones set, Skype with her many grandchildren and just recently made her first official post on Instagram.

And she is one of the most public figures in the world, yet, the average person knows very little about her, save for the fact that she tends toward coordinated pastel ensembles and is marking her 94th birthday today.