On Wednesday, September 9
Queen Elizabeth II became
the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
At 5:30pm she had reigned for 63 years and 216 days - surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.
Elizabeth is the nation's 40th monarch and only the sixth queen since William the Conqueror took the crown over 1,000 years ago. Her rule has seen 12 British Prime Ministers, 12 U.S. Presidents and seven Popes in office.
She is the most travelled monarch in history, having visited over 116 countries. She carries out hundreds of engagements a year, and, at the age of 89, continues to make international state visits.
She is patron of over 600 charities and organizations, having held 400 of those posts since 1952. She has conferred over 400,000 honors and personally presided over 610 Investitures.
