Long to reign over us, God save the Queen! As of Monday, Queen Elizabeth reached another milestone.
The 96-year-old ruler is now the third longest-reigning monarch in world history. She has been Queen for 70 years and 92 days, surpassing Johann II of Liechtenstein, who ruled for 70 years and 91 days before dying in Oct. 2016.
In just 34 more days, the Queen could move up again and take the second spot from Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years and 126 days.
But the Queen has a couple of years to go if she wants to claim the top spot — King Louis XIV of France ruled for 72 years and 110 days.
Queen Elizabeth became the longest-ruling monarch in U.K. history in Sept. 2015, when she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who spent 63 years and 216 days on the throne.
The royal was just 25 years old when she unexpectedly ascended following the premature death of her father, King George VI.
To celebrate her 70 years on the throne, a weekend of Platinum Jubilee festivities will take place the first weekend of June.
In addition to Trooping the Colour, the annual public celebration of the Queen's birthday that includes the royal family gathering on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a flypast, there will be a Service of Thanksgiving, the Platinum Party at the Palace and the Platinum Jubilee pageant.
While the Queen hopes to attend the events, she has been absent from a number of recent engagements due to health setbacks and mobility issues. She most recently stepped out on March 29 to attend a Service of Thanksgiving honoring her late husband, Prince Philip.
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