<p>At the grand old age of 95, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is the world's longest-reigning living monarch.</p>.<p>She will celebrate 70 years on the throne on Sunday.</p>.<p>Her reign has been surpassed by just two other major monarchs in recorded history -- France's 17th-century "Sun King" Louis XIV and Thailand's King Bhumibol.</p>.<p><strong>Here are the world's longest known reigns:</strong></p>.<p>The "Sun King" Louis XIV, who reigned for 72 years between 1643 and 1715, is the longest-reigning monarch on record.</p>.<p>Born in 1638, Louis ascended to the throne at the age of four. As well as making France Europe's preeminent power after three major wars, he was a gifted ballet dancer. He married twice and built the immense Palace of Versailles near Paris.</p>.<p>The modern record is held by Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, crowned under the name of Rama IX in June 1946.</p>.<p>The widely revered monarch died in October 2016 at the age of 88. His seven turmoil-laden decades on the throne were marked by a communist insurgency, coups and street protests, throughout which he was seen as a figure of constancy.</p>.<p>Britain's Queen Elizabeth II inherited the throne on February 8, 1952, at the age of 25 after the death of her father, George VI.</p>.<p>She still reigns over another 14 nations in the Commonwealth as well as heading the organisation, which takes in a third of humanity.</p>.<p>Elizabeth II will overtake King Bhumibol Adulyadej as the longest-reigning modern monarch if she is still on the throne on June 12, 2022.</p>.<p>Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph reigned for nearly 68 years between 1848 and 1916.</p>.<p>The head of the powerful Habsburg dynasty ruled over a multi-ethnic realm with more than 50 million people. Seen as both a custodian of imperial glory and the tragic figure responsible for its decline, many also blame him for World War I.</p>.<p>Queen Elizabeth's great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, reigned for almost 64 years from 1837 until 1901 when the British Empire was at its height and gave her name to the Victorian age.</p>.<p>Japanese Emperor Hirohito died in January 1989 at the age of 87 after reigning for 62 years.</p>.<p>Initially seen as a demigod, questions remain over his role in Japanese expansionism before and during World War II.</p>.<p>After the war, he became a mere figurehead as his nation drew close to the United States and for long became the world's second-largest economy.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>At the grand old age of 95, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is the world's longest-reigning living monarch.</p>.<p>She will celebrate 70 years on the throne on Sunday.</p>.<p>Her reign has been surpassed by just two other major monarchs in recorded history -- France's 17th-century "Sun King" Louis XIV and Thailand's King Bhumibol.</p>.<p><strong>Here are the world's longest known reigns:</strong></p>.<p>The "Sun King" Louis XIV, who reigned for 72 years between 1643 and 1715, is the longest-reigning monarch on record.</p>.<p>Born in 1638, Louis ascended to the throne at the age of four. As well as making France Europe's preeminent power after three major wars, he was a gifted ballet dancer. He married twice and built the immense Palace of Versailles near Paris.</p>.<p>The modern record is held by Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, crowned under the name of Rama IX in June 1946.</p>.<p>The widely revered monarch died in October 2016 at the age of 88. His seven turmoil-laden decades on the throne were marked by a communist insurgency, coups and street protests, throughout which he was seen as a figure of constancy.</p>.<p>Britain's Queen Elizabeth II inherited the throne on February 8, 1952, at the age of 25 after the death of her father, George VI.</p>.<p>She still reigns over another 14 nations in the Commonwealth as well as heading the organisation, which takes in a third of humanity.</p>.<p>Elizabeth II will overtake King Bhumibol Adulyadej as the longest-reigning modern monarch if she is still on the throne on June 12, 2022.</p>.<p>Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph reigned for nearly 68 years between 1848 and 1916.</p>.<p>The head of the powerful Habsburg dynasty ruled over a multi-ethnic realm with more than 50 million people. Seen as both a custodian of imperial glory and the tragic figure responsible for its decline, many also blame him for World War I.</p>.<p>Queen Elizabeth's great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, reigned for almost 64 years from 1837 until 1901 when the British Empire was at its height and gave her name to the Victorian age.</p>.<p>Japanese Emperor Hirohito died in January 1989 at the age of 87 after reigning for 62 years.</p>.<p>Initially seen as a demigod, questions remain over his role in Japanese expansionism before and during World War II.</p>.<p>After the war, he became a mere figurehead as his nation drew close to the United States and for long became the world's second-largest economy.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>