September 9, 2015: Queen Elizabeth II sets royal record
If her parents had a later son, the Queen would have lost her position in the line of succession. Photo: Getty
On this day in 2015, Queen Elizabeth II overtook her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, as Great Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
The Queen broke Victoria’s record of 63 years and seven months.
Not only is the Queen Great Britain’s longest-serving monarch but, since the death of Thailand’s monarch King Bhumibol in 2018, is also the world’s longest-serving living monarch.
And by a long way. The next-longest serving is the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, who came to the throne on October 4, 1967.
Elizabeth became Queen aged just 25 after the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952.
Now 93, Elizabeth has reigned for more 67 years and seven months – significantly more than two-thirds of her life.
This has also bestowed an interesting honour on Prince Charles.
His mother’s longevity has made him the longest-waiting heir, overtaking his great-great-grandfather, Edward VII, who waited for more than 59 years for Queen Victoria to die before becoming king in January 1901.
