20 December 2007

At 5pm the Queen became the oldest ever British monarch, overtaking Queen Victoria who lived to be for years, seven months and 29 days.


The Queen has reigned for 55 years, making her the fifth longest reigning monarch in Great Britain. Her reign is surpassed by Henry III (56 years), James VI of Scotland and I of England (almost 58 years), George III (59 years) and of course Victoria (63 years). Given the longevity of her mother there is a good chance that she will beat Victoria’s record. If she lives to 98 years she will become Europe’s longest serving monarch, beating Louis XIV 72 year reign. She is very unlikely to beat Pharaoh Pepi II who clocked up (a disputed) 94 years on the Egyptian throne

11 comments:

jmb said...

Apart from her rather messed up family, she has done a remarkable job on the whole. Of course I am a republican at heart (at least for Australia and Canada) but I can't see that ever happening in the UK.
It's hard to imagine anyone living to be 94 in ancient Egypt let alone reigning. Was he just a baby when he became Pharaoh?

♥.Trish.♥ Drumboys said...

I heard this too - interesting facts I saw the Queen once and she waved to me.When I was 13yrs she was driven past in her motorcade. Long live the Queen.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

I'm no royalist, as you know, jams, but long may she reign as Charlie is an even more dire prospect!

Steve Bates said...

As an admirer, not a subject, I say, Long live the Queen! Somebody really should beat Louis XIV's record, you know; apart from his devotion to the performing arts, he had few if any virtues, only longevity. So... Long live this particular Queen!

jams o donnell said...

Jmb, Welshcakes To be honest I'm no royalist either. I think Australia and Canada should have their own heads of state.. How about President Romeo Dallaire in Ottawa? As for the UK, there are much bigger priorities. I suppose I am a republican who's not exactly champing at the bit for change

Steve, Baby-amore, she performs her duties with dignity and grace. I saw her for the first and only time about 13 years ago outside the Mansion House. There were few people outside. I happened to be passing. I was struck by how small she is.

Roland Dodds said...

I would say “long live the Queen”, but it doesn’t seem like she needs my sloganeering.

I am neither British, just one of those fussy Republican Yanks, and it still surprises me how this Crown (and the family that sits under it) have kept about for so long.

jams o donnell said...

I think their longevity in the modern age is down to the position becoming little more than a figurehead in the 17th Century. For a while they did retain a lot of influence but even that has gone. They have not always been popular: in the 1880s Victora was extremely unpopular; it was her golden and diamond jubilees that made her a beloved queen.

So long as the monarch sits on the throme looking regal but keeping teh mouth shut, there's no reason to beleive that the institution will not continue for a while yet

JRD168 said...

I'm sure she will continue for a while yet, and the institution a lot longer. Much as I'd love a republic, i don't think it's going to happen anytime soon!

BTW Jams, your site has been locking up on my computer at home, to the extent that I have turn my computer on and off again to get it to do anything. Apologies therefore for being a less regular reader than usual, I don't know if this is something that other readers have found?

jams o donnell said...

I agree jrd. Unless something cataclysmic happens the monarchy will probably be around for a fair while to come.

Do you use Internet Explorer? It can lock up badly on IE but it runs nicely on firefox and Opera

Roland Dodds said...

I actually noticed your site locks up on my work computer as well. I guess it is IE, since I use Firefox at home.

jams o donnell said...

I find IE is lousy whenever I have had to view my blog elsewhere