Queen Elizabeth II becomes world's second-longest reigning monarch of all time
The queen is the second-longest reigning monarch
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Queen Elizabeth II officially became the world's second-longest serving monarch of all time on Sunday, having officially reigned as head of state for 70 years and 126 days.
Her majesty, 96, has overtaken Thailand's late king, the ninth monarch Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016.
Louis XIV of France, known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, still holds the title for longest-serving sovereign with 72 years and 110 days. He was on the throne from 1643 until 1715.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On May 9, Elizabeth surpassed Johan II of Liechtenstein, who served for 70 years and 91 days, until his death in February 1929.
The queen became the longest-reigning British monarch in September 2015, surpassing her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Elizabeth was crowned on June 2, 1953.
The 96-year-old monarch made a surprise appearance from Buckingham Palace last week during the final day of Jubilee celebrations. (Chris Jackson, Getty Images)
To celebrate seven decades of service, Elizabeth made a surprise appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony last week following four days of Platinum Jubilee festivities in her honor.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It was widely anticipated that she would not participate in the final event of the week as she had struggled with mobility issues and experienced "some discomfort" at the initial Trooping the Colours military parade, and missed the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral in addition to her favorite horse racing day at Epsom Downs — only the third time she's been unavailable for race day in her history on the throne.
Elizabeth was joined by Prince Charles and Camilla Parker, the Duchess of Cornwall. Grandson Prince William and wife Kate Middleton also joined them, bringing their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ed Sheeran sang his chart-topping hit "Perfect" for Elizabeth and in tribute to the queen's late husband, Prince Philip, as images of the couple flashed behind on a big screen. The Duke of Edinburgh died in April 2021 at the age of 99.
Following his song, the 31-year-old musician, who recently welcomed his second daughter with wife Cherry Seaborn, joined in on a rendition of "God Save The Queen" outside the palace at the end of the pageant.
Queen Elizabeth II smiles on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour alongside (L-R) Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George and Prince William (Chris Jackson, Getty Images)
Sheeran previously performed for the queen at her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012 when Elizabeth celebrated 60 years on the throne.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PRINCE LOUIS, 4, GOES VIRAL AGAIN DURING QUEEN ELIZABETH'S PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS
Queen Elizabeth II became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee earlier this year after marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, Realms and the Commonwealth.
Following the four-day extravaganza, Elizabeth wrote: "I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family. I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come."
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry returned to London for the first time in years in honor of the monarch's 70 years on the throne, and were seen celebrating with royal family members at the Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday. They were not permitted on the balcony, which was designated for working senior royal members.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Despite not appearing on the balcony, both Harry and Meghan were caught on camera shushing a few younger royals in a moment that has since turned viral. They also attended the Service of Thanksgiving, before retreating to their Frogmore Cottage home to celebrate daughter Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor's first birthday with friends and their three-year-old son, Archie, on Saturday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex invited close friends and family for a "casual, intimate backyard picnic" for their youngest child, who showed off a head full of red hair much like her father, according to a spokesperson.
"It was such a privilege to celebrate the 1st birthday of Lilibet with my family and hers! Joy and face painting all around," photographer Misan Harriman captioned an Instagram image of the little one playing in the grass.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex depart the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on June 03, 2022, in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Chris J Ratcliffe)
The couple, who married in 2018, enlisted the help of Claire Ptak from East London's Violet Bakery to create a special cake for Lilibet. Ptak also created the Duke and Duchess's wedding cake.
A spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that the couple remained "incredibly touched" by the outpouring of love for their daughter as she turned one, and were grateful to learn of the more than $100,000 in donations made to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in her honor.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}They noted that WCK most recently provided support on the frontlines in Uvalde, Texas, where Meghan paid her respects to the victims of last month's shooting massacre at Robb Elementary.