9th September, 2015
Queen Elizabeth II will become Britain’s (and Australia’s) longest reigning monarch when she passes the record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, more than a century ago, in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
The milestone of 63 years and 216 days will reportedly be passed at about 5.30pm British Standard Time (about 2.30am tomorrow morning, Australian Eastern Standard Time).
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Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 2010. PICTURE: David Adams |
Elizabeth became queen when her father, King George VI, passed away in the early hours of 6th February, 1952. The exact time of his death is unknown.
Tributes to the Queen are being made around the world while in the UK, Prime Minister David Cameron will lead tributes in Parliament and a flotilla of water craft will make its way along the River Thames in London before a four gun salute.
The 9th September will be the 23,226th day of the Queen’s reign. She is expected to pass the day attending to official duties in Scotland. Now 89, the Queen inherited the throne at the age of 25 after her father died at the age of 56.
Her reign, during which she has met numerous major historical figures – from Charles de Gaulle to Nelson Mandela – has spanned the terms of 12 British Prime Ministers.
– DAVID ADAMS
