Platinum Jubilee: Queen Elizabeth II the record breaker!

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for 70 years and during that time she's broken lots of world records!

Celebrations have been taking place to mark those 70 years, in what is known as the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Due to the length of time the Queen has been on the the throne, the Platinum Jubilee will probably be a once in a lifetime event for people living in Britain today.

Read on to find out some of the incredible records the Queen has broken during her time on the throne...

Longest-reigning monarch

Princess Elizabeth with her father King George VI

Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne longer than any other king or queen in Britain's history.

She succeeded to the throne on 6 February 1952 following the death of her father, King George VI.

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June 1953

Sixteen months later, the Queen was crowned at her coronation on 2 June 1953, at Westminster Abbey in London.

A coronation is a big ceremony that includes the ritual placement of a crown on the monarch's head.

It's thought 27 million people across the UK watched the coronation ceremony, with many families, friends and neighbours gathering around a single television set at a time when TVs were not as common as they are today!

Head of State of the most countries

The Queen visits Australia in 2006

When Elizabeth II became Queen in 1952 she did not just become the Queen of Great Britain.

She also became head of a special group of countries called the Commonwealth, which includes places like Jamaica and Australia.

Today the Queen is head of state - meaning the top figurehead - of 15 countries in the world, more than any other person.

Often the connection between the Britain, the monarchy and other countries comes from Britain's imperial past in what was known as the British Empire.

In November 2021, the country of Barbados chose to become a republic, removing Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state, ending historical ties with the United Kingdom.

Most currencies featuring the same individual

An Australian five dollar note featuring an image of Queen Elizabeth II

Guinness World Records states that the image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II appears on at least 33 different currencies - that's money such as notes and coins - more than any other living monarch anywhere in the world.

Most valuable crown

The centrepiece of the British monarchy's crown jewels is the St Edward's crown.

It's the oldest and heaviest crown in Britain!

Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, it has been traditionally used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th century but it's not the original.

The Queen crowned with the St Edward's Crown during her coronation in 1953

When the monarchy was briefly abolished in 1649, the original crown was sold.

After the monarchy was restored a little more than a decade later, a new crown was made and is the same one that can be seen today as part of the crown jewels in the Tower of London.

Due to its historical significance the crown is considered priceless. But by calculating the value of each component part, in 2019 its estimated overall worth was £3.5 million.

The Queen in TV and film

Queen Elizabeth II has been portrayed on stage and screen more than any other living monarch.

Notable performances include Helen Mirren's depiction of Her Majesty in the movie The Queen from 2006, The Netflix drama, The Crown and even a cartoon cameo in The Simpsons.