Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has today past the milestone of becoming the country’s longest serving monarch.
At around 5.30 pm on September 9, 2015, she will have reigned as queen for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 30 minutes or so – and from then on sets a new record.
The precise time she surpasses the previous record set by Queen Victoria is not known as Queen Elizabeth’s father dies in his sleep and no exact time of death was recorded.
Queen Victoria came to the throne on June 20, 1837and died on January 22, 1901. She had just turned 19 years old when she became queen.
Queen Elizabeth is now 89 years old. She came to the throne on February 6, 1952, although she was crowned in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. She was 25 years old when taking on the role of queen.
Tributes from politicians
Queen Victoria was Queen Elizabeth’s great-great grandmother.
Politicians paid tribute to the Queen in recognition of her new record.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Her selfless service and duty have won the Queen respect and admiration around the world.”
The Queen celebrated her special day by opening the new £294 million Scottish Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank.
Events to mark the royal record have been held around the country, including a flotilla of boats sailing down the River Thames in London, led by the royal barge Gloriana.
During Queen Elizabeth’s reign, the royal family has some good and bad times – a series of weddings and births tarnished by the death of the Queen’s sister Princess Margaret and her son Prince Charles’ first wife Princess Diana.
Will record be beaten?
Prince Charles, now aged 66 years old, is heir apparent to the throne.
Speculation mounts among royal watchers as to whether the Queen will abdicate now she has become the longest serving monarch or carry on until she becomes too frail to attend events.
The Queen Mother died aged 102 years old and maintained a rigorous schedule of public engagements until close to her death.
Statisticians will argue that the nation can expect to see this record beaten in the future as children born now are likely to live well into their 90s and one in three are expected to become centenarians.
Prince George, born to Charles’ son William, was born in 2013 and can expect to live well into the next century, for example.