Queen Elizabeth: now longest reigning monarch in Great Britain

Queen Elizabeth II today becomes Britain’s longest-reigning monarch later, surpassing the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.

The 89 year old queen  will have reigned for 63 years and seven months – calculated at 23,226 days, 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes at about 17:30 BST.  The exact moment the Queen becomes the longest-reigning sovereign is not known because her father, George VI, passed away in the early hours of 6 February 1952, BBC said.

According to the BBC, programmes have been lined up to mark the day, although the Queen herself would not want much fuss about the record milestone that she has notched.

The Queen, along with her husband, Prince Philip  will spend the day on official duties in Scotland. The high point will be the opening of the £294m Scottish Borders Railway.

By noon, a flotilla of historic vessels, leisure cruisers and passenger boats will take part in a procession along the Thames,  between Tower Bridge – which will open as a sign of respect – and the Houses of Parliament. The  HMS Belfast will sound a four-gun salute

Business in the House of Commons will be postponed for half an hour so MPs, led by David Cameron, can pay tribute to the Queen.

The prime minister tweeted: “Over the last 63 years, Her Majesty has been a rock of stability in a world of constant change.

“It is only right that we should celebrate her extraordinary record, as well as the grace and dignity with which she serves our country.”

The kingdom is agog about the event.  Crowds  gathered at Edinburgh Waverley Station to greet her as she proceeded along with Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister to Tweedbank in the Borders to open the railway. She is expected to make a speech at the event.