JAMAICAN protocol and logistics consultant Merrick Needham has attributed Queen Elizabeth II’s historic lengthy reign to a healthy lifestyle and her high moral standards.

According to Needham, the Queen — who today is sitting on the throne for 63 years and 216 days — will outstrip her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria’s reign and is now the longest reigning English and British monarch for 1,088 years.

“I have personally checked the reign duration of every king and queen regnant from Athelstan in 927 AD right through… and none of them has reigned as long as Elizabeth will as of today, September 9,” Needham told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“It’s a remarkable event,” he added.

Asked what he thought has contributed to the 89-year-old Queen’s longevity, Needham pointed to two factors.

“First, to some extent if you feel you’re doing something worthwhile you tend to want to continue to be able to do it and therefore to be able to be physically up to the challenge she’s a great health addict. She eats and drinks very sensibly,” Needham said.

He also said that the Queen, who began her reign on February 6, 1952 at the age of 25, had always been very keen on sporting-type exercise and was a good horse rider.

“I can remember when I was working in London as head of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Conference Unit and going to her birthday parade she would ride her horse down from the palace, using the side saddle at that, which is not easy to do,” Needham said.

The side saddle, he explained, requires riders to utilise a lot of muscle positioning to hold themselves in place neatly all the time.

“But I think she has also set a good example, first of all, of personal morality and she has championed a lot of fine causes. She’s generally really a fine person,” Needham added.

To mark the milestone, The Queen — whose reign has overseen seven archbishops of Canterbury and seven popes — will be placing special focus on youth and education across the Commonwealth of Nations.