LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II, the world’s longest reigning sovereign, on Monday set a new record as the first British monarch to reach her sapphire jubilee, with 65 years on the throne. The queen, now 90, rose to the throne in 1952 at the age of 25 upon the premature death of her father, King George VI. As with previous milestones in her long reign, Queen Elizabeth is likely to spend Accession Day privately at her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England. She also became the longest-reigning living monarch in the world in October last year following the death of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej. With her advancing age, Queen Elizabeth is gradually handing over more duties to younger members of the royal family.

Source: The Star February 06, 2017 04:30 UTC