Death Queen Elizabeth, that’s who is now the record ruler

With the death of Queen Elizabeth, who reigned for over 70 years, the Sultan of Brunei is now the longest-lived ruler in the world. On 5 October it will be 55 years that 76-year-old Darussalam Hassanal Bolkiah reigns in the sultanate, four years longer than Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who becomes the second longest-lived ruler. The sultan is also the premier of Brunei since 1984, the year in which the sultanate gained independence from the United Kingdom, of which it was a protectorate.