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London — The world's oldest surviving person, British pistillate Ethel Caterham, turned 116 connected Thursday, conscionable months aft the rubric passed to her pursuing the decease of Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas.
Caterham was marking the juncture softly with her family, taking the time "at her ain pace," the attraction location wherever she lives successful Surrey, conscionable southbound of London, told CBS News successful a statement.
"Ethel and her household are truthful grateful for each of the benignant messages and involvement shown to her arsenic she celebrates her 116th day this year," Hallmark Care Homes said successful the statement, adding that portion she was not giving immoderate interviews to people the occasion, a speech with King Charles III "may beryllium her 1 concession, understandably!"
The British monarch often extends a idiosyncratic greeting to Britons erstwhile the people 100th birthdays, usually successful the signifier of a written letter, and determination was nary contiguous confirmation by Buckingham Palace that Charles had plans to talk with Caterham.
Ethel Caterham, the world's oldest surviving person, celebrates her 115th day successful a record photograph taken successful August 2024.
Courtesy of Hallmark Care Homes and the Caterham family
She celebrated her 115th day past twelvemonth with a missive from Charles who congratulated her connected a "truly singular milestone."
The great-grandmother is the past surviving taxable of King Edward VII.
The rubric of the oldest idiosyncratic ever is held by French pistillate Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 years and 164 days earlier her decease successful 1997, according to Guinness World Records.
Caterham was calved connected August 21, 1909, successful the colony of Shipton Bellinger successful southwest England, 5 years earlier the commencement of World War I.
She is present the oldest idiosyncratic successful the satellite according to Guinness, the U.S.-based Gerontological Research Group (GRG) and the LongeviQuest database, aft the decease of 116-year-old Canabarro successful April.
Her concealed to longevity? "Never arguing with anyone! I perceive and I bash what I like," she has said previously.
She has 3 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, having outlived some her 2 daughters and her hubby Norman who died successful 1976.
She lone stopped driving erstwhile she was conscionable shy of 100, and played span good into her aged age.
She adjacent survived a bout of COVID astatine the property of 110 successful 2020, according to the Daily Telegraph newspaper. The aforesaid year, she told the BBC that successful her life, she had "taken everything successful my stride, the highs and lows."
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