Queen Elizabeth II becomes fourth longest-reigning monarch in history

She had only just recently beaten Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria to become the fifth longest-reigning monarch in history but now she had moved up yet another spot. Just last year, she surpassed Eleanor of Aquitaine, who ruled the Duchy of Aquitaine in her own right, as longest-reigning female ruler. In 2015, she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria to become the longest-reigning British monarch.

Queen Elizabeth II has now beaten Pascal the Great, who ruled the state of Palenque in Southern Mexico in the early 7th century for 24,870 days. However, the longest-reigning monarch in history remains King Louis XIV of France and he reigned for 26,407 days. Queen Elizabeth will reach that milestone on 24 May 2024, by which time she’ll be 98 years old.