With 25,000 Days Of Work, Queen Elizabeth Breaks New Record: A Life In Photos

Princess Elizabeth was 25 years old 25,000 days ago when she became queen while on tour in Nairobi after her father King George VI died in 1952.

More precisely, that means that on Saturday, July 18, Queen Elizabeth II has been ruling from the throne for a grand total of 68 years, five months and 12 days.

Those numbers mark a new record in reigning longevity: Not only is she the longest-reigning British monarch, but the longest-reigning monarch ever.

The previous record was held by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who reigned for more than 63 years.

“Not one (record) to which I have ever aspired,” she said when she beat that record in 2015. “Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception.”

An Extraordinary Life

And she certainly has gone on to be part of many milestones, including welcoming a new millennium, meeting 12 American presidents, celebrating numerous Jubilees, watching her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up, granting permission for their weddings (and seeing many of those marriages collapse), dealing with Brexit and the multiple other British political crises and — along with the scandals and tragedies involving various members of the royal family — addressing the nation over the coronavirus pandemic.

Now locked down in Windsor Castle, her private home, with her 99-year-old husband, Pince Philip, the longest-reigning monarch in the world will be celebrating the landmark quietly, after her first public appearances this weekend since she self-isolated due to the coronavirus pandemic.

She’s Out Again

On Friday, she came out to celebrate the “secret” wedding of her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, with Edoardo Mapelli Mozi, and to accord knighthood to Captain Tom Moore during a ceremony where social distancing was very much in place.

British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore, who is 100 years old, raised over £32 million during the coronavirus pandemic.

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said the 94-year-old monarch would spend the day "privately."

The queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have both celebrated birthdays at Windsor Castle during lockdown on April 21 and June 10 respectively

Braking Records Left and Right

Having celebrated her Sapphire Jubilee in 2017 to mark 65 years on the throne, the queen is getting close to another milestone: her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 to mark her 70-year reign.

By now the queen is accustomed to accumulating records. According to the Guinness World Records, her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, which marked the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne, featured a flotilla of hundreds of vessels sailing down the Thames River in a procession that broke the record for the largest-ever pageant of boats.

During her long, extraordinary life — apart from being the world’s longest-reigning queen and the longest-reigning living monarch — she also appears at 94 as the oldest British queen and the oldest monarch in the world.

The record had been held previously by King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, who died in 2015 at 90.

The image of Queen Elizabeth II appears on the currencies of more than 35 countries. Among her records: the world's wealthiest queen.

Forbes estimates her personal fortune at $720 million, not counting such invaluable, state-owned treasures as Buckingham Palace and the Crown Jewels.