THE Lord Mayor of Bradford has written to the Queen to congratulate Her Majesty on becoming the longest-serving British monarch, a milestone which is reached today.

Queen Elizabeth II will have reigned longer than her great great grandmother, Queen Victoria, who was on the throne for 63 years and 216 days.

To mark the milestone, the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Joanne Dodds has written on behalf of the people of Bradford, to offer "our warm, loyal and sincere congratulations" on the Queen's lengthy reign and her devoted service to the nation.

"The passing of those decades have, of course, seen enormous changes in every sphere of life, but the unifying role Her Majesty has played – with the emphasis always placed clearly on duty and service – is a wonderful example to us all and one for which her many loyal citizens are hugely grateful," said Cllr Dodds.

The Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend Toby Howarth, said: “What’s brilliant about this celebration of her reign is that it is not coming from her, it is coming from us. I think that is really nice.”

He said the Queen had championed her own Christian faith in countless meetings with people of other faiths over the decades.

“She has a real and deep personal faith, which she is unembarrassed about talking about. She has been a champion of Britain being a nation where people from all different faiths are welcomed.”

Keen royalist Margaret Watson echoed her congratulations, describing the Queen as "remarkable", reigning with a sense of duty, dignity and a strong Christian faith.

"She is a living representation of 60 years of history. The world has changed more in her lifetime than any of her predecessors, yet the Queen has remained a calm presence in the centre. I can't imagine this country without her," said Mrs Watson, who is in her 70s and lives in Ilkley.

Otley Town Council was today holding a flag-raising ceremony to mark the occasion. Town council chairman Councillor Ray Georgeson said: "September 9 is an ordinary working day, of course, but none of us are likely to be part of a historic point in time like this one ever again.

"I’m delighted we are marking this occasion with a simple tribute to Her Majesty the Queen and hope Otley residents who see the Union Flag flying that day will take a moment to reflect on her life of service to the nation."


The Town Mayor, councillors and other dignitaries were joined by residents for the morning ceremony in Manchester Square.

Those assembled around Otley Maypole for what Councillor Nigel Francis (Ind, Danefield) hailed as "a historic day" gave a rendition of the National Anthem to mark the occasion.

The Queen officially passes Queen Victoria's record at about 5.30pm today. At this point she will have reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes.

During her time on the throne, the Queen has seen a total of 12 Prime Ministers and 6 Archbishops of Canterbury serve under her. She has attended an estimated 25,500 official engagements in Britain, conferred 400,000 honours and awards and received 3.5 million items of correspondence.

The Queen, joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, was scheduled to mark the milestone by opening the new Scottish Borders Railway.

Events taking place to mark the occasion include the royal barge Gloriana joining a flotilla of boats in a procession down the River Thames at noon.

The Royal Mint has also commissioned artist Quentin Devine to produce a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, made up of exactly 1,952 coins - each bearing her 2015 effigy, in celebration of the the milestone.

In addition a new photographic display celebrating the Queen's reign goes on show at Buckingham Palace today, with official portraits and images of the Queen from 1952 to the present day on display.