Queen Elizabeth has been on the throne since 1952. She has served as Britain’s head of state throughout wars, economic troubles, royal marriages (and divorces), and changing times. However, she is not the longest-reigning monarch in history. Who has the title, and how close is the queen to getting the No. 1 spot?
Which Royal Has Ruled The Longest?
The queen was crowned on February 6, 1952, when she was just 25 years old. Today, she has been on the throne for 70 years and 162 days, or 25,730 days total. Queen Elizabeth is famous today for her long reign as a monarch, as many of her contemporaries have passed away or stepped down from the throne.
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Her time as queen would lead some to believe that she is the longest-reigning monarch in history, but a different royal holds the top spot on the list. King Louis XIV of France is the current record holder, with 72 years and 110 days—26,407 days total—as the head of France.
Other Long-Reigning Royals
King Louis took the throne on May 14, 1643, and did not give it up until his death on September 1, 1715. He’s got 677 days on Queen Elizabeth, which means she would need to continue reigning for about 2 more years to take the lead.
The queen’s long-running reign seems like a pretty rare thing, but there are plenty of other royals who have ruled their countries for many years. Coming in third place is King Rama IX of Thailand, who ruled for 70 years and 162 days.
Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein has the fourth spot, with 70 years and 91 days. Fifth place is held by Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II of Kedah, who ruled for 68 years and 220 days.
Could Queen Elizabeth Take The No. 1 Spot?
Queen Elizabeth isn’t the only British monarch who has led the UK for a very long time. Queen Victoria is also in the top 10 longest-reigning monarchs, with 63 years and 216 days. Before the current queen’s tenure on the throne, many believed that Queen Victoria’s record of longest-reigning British monarch would never be broken.
Over the last few years, there has been a lot of talk about how much longer Queen Elizabeth will serve as head of the United Kingdom. The monarch shows no sign of slowing down, but only time will tell if she breaks King Louis XIV’s record.