Queen Elizabeth II's reign became the longest in UK history in September 2015, after the 63 years and 216 days she spent at the head of the throne. Until then, the record holder was Queen Victoria, her great-grandmother. This was also one of the longest-lasting reigns in the world, second only to the 72 years of King Louis XIV of France. Elizabeth moved to second place in the rankings in June this year, months after her 70th year of reign, when she surpassed the Thai monarch Bhumibol Adulyadej, who held the command for 70 years and 126 days.