The Queen hits 25K!

Queen Elizabeth II Reaches Another Incredible Milestone As British Monarch!

Queen Elizabeth II has reached a new milestone! On Saturday, July 18, she arrived at her 25,000th day as monarch. Seeing as she already holds the record for the U.K.'s longest reign, she also becomes the first British ruler to cross the 25,000 day mark. Here's the history behind the Queen's new achievement.

On July 18, 2020, the Queen reached 68 years, five months, and 12 days as Britain's monarch. Put differently, she's now ruled for exactly 25,000 days! She's only the fourth-ever monarch of a sovereign state to achieve this verified duration.

The Queen's reign began on Feb. 6, 1952, the day that her father, King George VI, died. At the time, Elizabeth was 25 years old. Since then, the Queen has gone on to a nearly seven-decade reign that has shattered many records. A 25,000-day reign is another first for the British monarchy, as the 94-year-old Queen continues to lead while showing few signs of age.

The Queen will spend the 25,000th day of her reign "privately"

Buckingham Palace released a statement that said the Queen will be "spending the day privately." She's earned a day in seclusion too, after an uncommonly busy 24,999th day that saw her attend Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's private royal wedding as well as the knighthood ceremony of Captain Tom Moore.

In 2015, Her Majesty surpassed Queen Victoria's record of a 63 year and 213 day reign, meaning that every day is a new record for the Queen. If she should reach the 70th year of her reign in February 2022, she'd also celebrate Britain's first Platinum Jubilee - an incredibly rare feat which marks a ruler's seventh decade.

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Queen Elizabeth II establishes another first for British monarchy

We also previously explored the Queen's standing among longest reigns in world history. On this list, she currently sits fourth, behind the verified durations of only Johann II of Liechtenstein (70 years, 91 days), Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand (70 years, 126 days), and, the record-holder, Louis XIV of France (72 years, 110 days). To claim the all-time record, she would need to surpass King Louis XIV's mark on May 27, 2024.

Sadly, however, this type of milestone hasn't always been strictly celebratory for the Queen. When she reached the 10,000th day of her reign, that date intersected with the 1979 assassination of her cousin, Lord Mountbatten, who was also the uncle of Prince Philip.

The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen presumably remain at Windsor Castle for Day 25,000. They've been there in lockdown since March 2020, and the Queen only just made her return to carefully-monitored in-person duties on July 17. Congratulations to Her Majesty on yet another stunning accomplishment!