Ethel Caterham, recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person, celebrated her 117th birthday on Aug. 21 at the Hallmark Lakeview Care Home in Lightwater, Surrey.
Centenarian recalls royal visit, long life
The woman born in Hampshire in 1909 marked the milestone surrounded by family and friends. Over the past year she has drawn public attention for a series of notable firsts, including a meeting with King Charles in September, a visit that followed her 116th birthday and was widely reported in the British press.
In a statement released to mark her birthday, Caterham summed up the approach she attributes to her long life: avoiding arguments, listening to others and doing what she enjoys. She said,
“Thank you for all of the kind birthday wishes. Even at 117, I’ve had many firsts this year, from stroking a llama to holding hands with the King.”
Caterham is one of the oldest known survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic, having contracted the virus in 2020 when she was 110 years old, according to Guinness World Records. She inherited the title of the world’s oldest person in April 2025 after the death of Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas of Brazil.
Life and family
Caterham’s life spans more than a century of change. Born five years before the outbreak of the First World War, she is the last surviving British subject from the reign of Edward VII, who died in 1910. She married Norman, a lieutenant colonel in the British Army, after meeting him at a dinner party in 1931. The couple lived for a time in Hong Kong, where she established a nursery school and raised two daughters; both daughters predeceased her. Her husband died in 1976.
- Birth: Aug. 21, 1909, Hampshire, England
- Became world’s oldest person: April 2025
- COVID-19 survivor: contracted in 2020 at age 110
- Royal meeting: visited by King Charles in September (following her 116th birthday)
Longevity appears in her family: one sister, Gladys, reached the age of 104. The longest verified human lifespan remains the Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at 122 years, 164 days.
What her story represents
Caterham’s public profile underscores two broader threads: the cultural fascination with extreme longevity and the continuing social interest in personal histories that bridge modern and premodern eras. As someone born in the early 20th century who has lived through world wars, decolonisation, and the digital revolution, her recollections attract attention not only for their novelty but for the continuity they represent between historical generations and the present day.
At the same time, her survival of COVID-19 at an advanced age has been highlighted by record-keeping organisations as an exceptional medical outcome and a reminder of how the pandemic affected people across the age spectrum.
| Year / Age | Event |
|---|---|
| 1909 | Birth in Hampshire |
| 1931 | Met husband, later lived in Hong Kong and opened a nursery school |
| 1976 | Death of husband, Norman |
| 2020 (age 110) | Contracted and survived COVID-19 |
| April 2025 | Inherited title of world’s oldest person |
| Aug. 21, 2026 | Celebrated 117th birthday |
The milestone has prompted fresh interest in centenarians’ lifestyles and the factors they cite for long life. Caterham’s own three guiding principles — steer clear of quarrels, listen to others, and pursue what brings you pleasure — were emphasised in the brief statement marking her birthday.
As one of the world’s most elderly living people, Caterham remains part of ongoing documentation of extreme human longevity maintained by organisations such as Guinness World Records.
— Reporting for WE NEWS’ World desk
