A 115-year-old British woman who was born just eight years after the death of Queen Victoria has been crowned the world's oldest person. Supercentenarian Ethel Caterham was born in 1909 and is believed to be the oldest Briton to have ever lived.

Mrs Caterham, the last surviving British subject born during the reign of Edward VII, has inherited her title after the previous record-holder, Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, died at the age of 116 on April 30. Sister Canabarro Lucas had been blessed by Pope Francis, who also died in April, aged 88.

"I do what I like", Mrs Caterham said, when asked the secret to her extraordinary longevity. Britain's most elderly citizen, who lives in a care home in Surrey, beamed with delight wearing a regal-looking tiara for her 115th birhday celebrations on August 21 last year.

She also credited her advanced years to "never arguing with anyone" and speaking to BBC Radio Surrey in 2020, Mrs Caterham said: "I’ve taken everything in my stride, the highs and lows. I’ve been all over the world, and I’ve ended up in this lovely home, where everyone is falling over themselves for me, giving me everything I want."

Mrs Caterham was born in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, on August 21, 1909, at a time when the British Empire covered around 25% of the globe. The family lived in Tidworth, Wiltshire, where she grew up the second-youngest of eight children.

Aged 18, she became an au pair to a military family in British India and set off on a three-week voyage by ship to start a three-year placement. During her time in India, Mrs Caterham developed a love of tea and tiffin, a traditional light breakfast or teatime meal.

In England in 1931, she met her husband Major Norman Caterham and the pair were married at Salisbury Cathedral.

Mr Caterham served as a senior officer in the Royal Army Pay Corps and rose to the rank of Major as the couple lived in Gibraltar and Hong Kong during his tours with the military. In Hong Kong, Mrs Caterham set up a nursery.

The Caterhams had two daughters and Major Caterham died in 1976. As a widow, Mrs Caterham lived in Surrey for 50 years and drove her late husband’s classic Triumph Dolomite car until she was 97.

She has three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren, but sadly outlived both her daughters. Speaking about her family in 2022, Mrs Caterham noted: "Family is the most important thing in life, to be able to leave memories with your children and grandchildren. Possessions don’t matter a bit in the end – all you need is someone to look after you."

According to Guinness World Records, Mrs Caterham recieved her title after her claim was verified by record monitoring bodies LongeviQuest and the Gerontology Research Group.

At the age of 115, and 254 days (Friday), Mrs Caterham is older than the United Nations, the Republic of Ireland and 32 years older than the current life expectancy for a woman in the UK.

When she was born in 1909, the Prime Minister was the Liberal Party leader Herbert Henry Asquith. Serving in his Cabinet at that time as President of the Board of Trade was a relatively young ambitious politician by the name of Winston Churchill, who was 34.