Ethel Caterham Turns 117: World’s Oldest Person Sets New British Longevity Record.
Ethel Caterham, the world’s oldest living person, has made history by becoming the first British person ever verified to reach the age of 117, marking another extraordinary milestone in the country’s longevity records.
Caterham celebrated her 117th birthday on Friday, August 21, 2026, at Hallmark Lakeview Care Home in Light water, Surrey, surrounded by family and friends. Born on August 21, 1909, in Ship ton Bellinger, Hampshire, she is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person.
Her latest milestone follows a series of longevity records. In April 2025, Caterham became the oldest living person in the world following the death of Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas at the age of 116. She had also surpassed the previous British longevity record held by Charlotte Hughes, who died in 1993 aged 115 years and 228 days.
Caterham was already the first British person to reach 116, a record she set on her 116th birthday in August 2025. Her 117th birthday now extends that record and places her among the very small number of people in documented history to have reached such an age. LongeviQuest CEO Ben Meyers described her achievement as increasingly historic for Britain, noting that she continues to add to the country’s longevity record.
Beyond the numbers, Caterham’s life spans some of the most significant events of the modern era. She was born before the First World War, lived through both World Wars and survived COVID-19 after contracting the virus at the age of 110. She was the second youngest of eight children and later travelled to British India at 18 to work as a nanny for a military family.
She later married British Army officer Norman Caterham in 1933. The couple lived in several countries, including Hong Kong, before returning to Britain and raising their two daughters. Norman died in 1976, while Caterham has since outlived both of her children. She is now surrounded by three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.
Caterham’s remarkable longevity has also brought her into contact with Britain’s royal family. In September 2025, King Charles III visited her at her Surrey care home after she turned 116. During the meeting, Caterham recalled seeing Charles when he was invested as Prince of Wales in 1969 and jokingly told him that “all the girls were in love” with him.
Reflecting on her latest year, Caterham said she had experienced “many firsts,” including stroking a llama and holding hands with the King. Rather than presenting longevity as a formula, she has previously suggested that her approach to life includes avoiding unnecessary arguments, taking things as they come and maintaining a positive outlook.
At 117, Caterham remains the world’s oldest verified living person and the oldest British person ever recorded. Her story offers a remarkable window into more than a century of global history while underscoring the importance of careful age verification in documenting exceptional longevity.