Following the Platinum Jubilee celebrations across the UK, The Queen has officially become the second-longest reigning monarch in history, the BBC reported. As of today, she has been on the throne for 70 years and 127 days, surpassing Thailand’s former King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016, and second only to Louis XIV of France.
She already became the longest-reigning British monarch in September 2015, surpassing Queen Victoria. Louis XIV of France reigned for 72 years and 110 days from 1643 to 1715, meaning if the Queen is still reigning in May 2024 she would become the longest reigning monarch of a sovereign state.
The Queen has been taking on fewer royal duties, owing to her mobility issues, with other royals taking on more prominent roles. At the end of the Jubilee celebrations, she said in a letter of thanks to the British public that she was “humbled and deeply touched” by the number of people to have celebrated alongside her, adding that she “remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.”
