A Long Life Can Pass by Many Milestones

In June 2012, a National Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul's Cathedral to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. A year later, she shook hands for the first time with Martin McGuinness, then Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister. In September 2015, she became Britain's longest-serving monarch when she surpassed the length of Queen Victoria's reign. She continued with her public duties well into her 90s. During the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, the Queen broadcast a reassuring message to the nation.