- Overtakes Thailand‘s King Bhumibol Adulyadej who reigned for 70 years and 126 days between 1946 and 2016, from Sunday June 12.
- Louis XIV of France remains the longest-reigning monarch, with a 72-year and 110-day reign from 1643 until 1715, while the Queen’s stint on the throne now stands at 70 years and 126 day, equal to King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s.
The Queen has reached an incredible new milestone after becoming the world’s second longest reigning monarch.
Her Majesty, 96, will overtake Thailand‘s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years and 126 days between 1946 and 2016, from today.
Earlier this month, the Queen surpassed Johan II of Liechtenstein, who reigned for 70 years and 91 days, until his death in February 1929.
Louis XIV of France remains the longest-reigning monarch, with a 72-year and 110-day reign from 1643 until 1715, while the Queen’s stint on the throne now stands at 70 years and 126 day, equal to King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s.
The Queen has reached a new milestone today, after becoming the world’s second longest reigning monarch with 70 years and 126 days on the throne under her belt
The milestone comes as Her Majesty celebrated her Platinum Jubilee last week, with four days of parades, street parties, and other events, after officially reaching the milestone on February 6 this year.
After the success of the jubilee she released a statement thanking the nation saying she had been ‘humbled and deeply touched’ and that ‘this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come’.
She added in the statement: ‘While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.’
This record joins the Queen’s many other accolades – including her title as the longest-living reigning monarch.
Her Majesty became the longest-reigning British monarch in September 2015, surpassing her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria.
In March 2020, the Queen surpassed K’inich Janaab Pakal who ruled the Maya city state of Palenque for 68 years and 33 days before his death in 683AD.
Pakal the Great is thought to have ascended to the throne at the age of 12- years-old and during his rule managed to expand Palenque’s power in the western Maya states.
The Mayan civilisation reached its peak between 250 and 900 AD, when it ruled large swathes of what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.
Louis XIV of France, known as Louis the Great, became King at the tender age of four following the death of his father Louis XIII, and ruled from 14 May 1643 to 1 September 1715.
The Queen has remained one of the most poised public figures in the world in the course of her 70-year reign, rarely revealing her emotions in public.
Today, however, an insider has revealed that the huge outpouring of thanks from the British public and from around the Commonwealth left her ‘tearful and overwhelmed with emotion’ during the grand finale of the Jubilee celebrations last Sunday.
For many commentators, the high point of the four-day event came when the Queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
Dressed in a vibrant green Stewart Parvin crepe wool dress and coat with matching hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan, the Queen was seen standing next to a slimmed-down version of the official working members of the Royal Family.
Yet the historic moment nearly didn’t happen at all.
A source said: ‘The Queen only decided that she would go to London about three hours before the balcony appearance.
‘She was not feeling brilliant but the Prince of Wales had called her and told her she really ought to come if she could.
‘He told her there were so many people desperate to see her and he convinced her to come.’
Bound by duty, the Queen travelled from Windsor to London and was astonished by the goodwill shown to her when she arrived.
A source said: ‘The Queen was totally overwhelmed by the number of people waiting to see her – she had tears in her eyes before she stepped out on the balcony.’
Meanwhile, social media users rushed to congratulate the Queen on her milestone today.
One said: ‘Today Her Majesty the Queen is now the second longest reigning monarch, longest-reigning incumbent monarch and the longest-reigning female monarch in history. Congratulations Your Majesty.’
Another wrote on Twitter: ‘She keeps racking up these historical events. Congratulations.’
Daily Mail (UK)