World’s oldest living person marks her 117th birthday in Surrey

Ethel Caterham, recognized as the world’s oldest living person, has turned 117 at her care home in Lightwater, Surrey, surrounded by family and friends. Born on 21 August 1909 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, she gained the distinction in April 2025 following the death of Brazilian nun Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas at 116.

Marking the milestone, Caterham thanked people for their birthday wishes and reflected on a year that still brought new experiences. These included stroking a llama and holding hands with King Charles III during a visit shortly after her 116th birthday. “I’ve had a lovely day celebrating with my family and friends, and I look forward to seeing what next year brings,” she said.

Her life stretches across more than a century of profound change. Caterham was born five years before the First World War and is the last surviving person who was a subject of King Edward VII. At 18, she travelled to India to work as an au pair. She later lived in Salisbury, Gibraltar and Hong Kong, where she established a nursery school. Caterham drove until she was 97, continued playing contract bridge after turning 100 and survived Covid-19 in 2020 at the age of 110. The record for the longest documented lifespan remains 122 years and 164 days, held by France’s Jeanne Calment.