Queen Elizabeth II becomes longest-reigning monarch

Prime Minister David Cameron will lead tributes in the House of Commons and there will be a River Thames salute.

Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-103246p1.html?cr=00&pl=edit-00">Atlaspix</a> / <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/?cr=00&pl=edit-00">Shutterstock.com</a>
IANS London
Last Updated : Sep 09 2015 | 7:04 PM IST

Queen Elizabeth II became Britain's longest-reigning monarch, after passing the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, the media reported on Wednesday.

The Queen, who is 89, will have reigned for 63 years and seven months - calculated at 23,226 days, 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes at about 17.30 (local time), BBC news reported.

Prime Minister David Cameron will lead tributes in the House of Commons and there will be a River Thames salute.

The exact moment the Queen reaches the milestone is not known because her father, George VI, passed away in the early hours of February 6, 1952.

On the Thames, a flotilla of historic vessels, leisure cruisers and passenger boats will take part in a procession between Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament.

The bridge will lift as a sign of respect and H.M.S Belfast will sound a four-gun salute.

The BT Tower in central London will scroll the message "long may she reign".

She has let it be known that she does not want a fuss to be made. It is evidently, viewed as bad form for one long-lived queen to be celebrating the passing of a record set by another long-lived queen.

The prime minister's official spokeswoman said David Cameron had paid tribute to the Queen at a cabinet meeting on Monday.

He said the Queen had a "remarkable record" and was "a symbol of Britain's enduring spirit admired around the world".

Queen Elizabeth's reign has included 12 prime ministers, two more than served under Victoria.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Sep 09 2015 | 6:50 PM IST

Next Story