Which later British monarch surpassed Victoria's reign length in 2015?

Which later British monarch surpassed Victoria’s reign length in 2015? The answer is Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth II surpassed Queen Victoria’s record on 9 September 2015, becoming the longest-reigning British monarch. Victoria had ruled from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901, a total of 63 years, seven months, and two days.

Elizabeth became queen on 6 February 1952 after the death of her father, George VI. Her reign therefore began more than six decades before the milestone, and by 2015 she had already presided over enormous changes in Britain, the Commonwealth, technology, and international politics.

The 2015 record concerned length of reign, not age. Elizabeth had already surpassed Victoria as the longest-lived British monarch in 2007. She later extended her reign to 70 years and 214 days, ending with her death on 8 September 2022.

A common mix-up is to confuse Elizabeth’s record with that of the longest-reigning monarch anywhere in history. The quiz’s comparison is specifically between British monarchs, and the other listed names—George VI, Edward VII, and George V—each reigned for far less time.