MPs and many Conservatives in the country had not ditched her as their spiritual leader.

ECONOMIST: John Major

British colonial rule was almost gone: some newly independent countries kept the queen as head of state while others ditched her altogether in favor of a president.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

That changed in mid-October when she ditched her staff and launched an impromptu press conference in which she criticized the use of robocalls, even as they were being used for her boss.

CNN: Analysis: Palin rocked campaign, for good and bad

In an interview with the BBC, Marta Andreasen - who was ditched from her post as chief accountant at the European Commission in May - says the Commission's numbers fail even to meet minimum accounting standards.

BBC: EU hit by accounting allegations