The republican debate might be back on the agenda, but monarchists and royal watchers will be out in force this week as Queen Elizabeth II makes history.

On Thursday (Australian time), our head of state will match the record set by her great great grandmother, Queen Victoria, as Britain’s longest reigning monarch – 63 years and 216 days.

To mark the occasion, a ‘river pageant’ will be held down the iconic Thames which is expected to draw crowds of loyal subjects.

‘We’re one of the main boats in the procession. We have an orchestra on board and so we’re going to be playing patriotic tunes,’ Chris Hyland of MV Havengore told 6PR’s Chris Ilsley.

‘We’re starting at Tower Bridge… and then there’s a gun salute by HMS Belfast and then we’ll eventually end up opposite our parliament building, just as the MPs are finishing the Prime Minister’s question time.

‘Then we’ll have a big rousing round of God Save the Queen and more jets of water into the air and so on.’

In Perth, St Georges Cathedral will host a public celebratory service at 5pm Sunday 13 September. It is expected WA Governor Kerry Sanderson AO will attend.

Like other royal milestones, the Perth Mint has struck a commemorative coin.

Listen to the full interview below: 

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