UK Woman, 115, Becomes World’s Oldest Person

Lightwater, Surrey – May 2, 2025

115 year 115-year-old British woman is the oldest person in the world.
Ethel Caterham, a UK woman, has become the world’s oldest person at 115 years and 252 days old.

She lives in a care home in Lightwater, Surrey. She reached this milestone after the death of Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, a Brazilian nun who was 116 years old.

Ethel was born on 21 August 1909 and is the last living person born when King Edward VII was on the throne. When she turned 115 years old in August 2024, she added that she didn’t get why people were making such a big deal out of it. She revealed that the key to her long life is to never argue with people, to listen, and to do whatever she pleases.

Her new record has been confirmed by Guinness World Records and LongeviQuest, an organisation that tracks the world’s oldest people. On her 115th birthday, she received a letter from King Charles III, congratulating her on reaching such a remarkable age. He sent her his warmest wishes and said he enjoyed learning about her fascinating life.

Ethel was born in Shipton Bellinger in Hampshire and grew up in Tidworth, Wiltshire. She was the second youngest of eight children. At the age of 18, she worked as an au pair for a military family in India. She returned to the UK in 1931 and met Norman Caterham, who became her husband. They married in Salisbury Cathedral in 1933. Norman later became a lieutenant colonel in the army, and the couple lived in Hong Kong and Gibraltar. While in Hong Kong, Ethel opened a nursery.

She has lived through many major events, including the sinking of the Titanic, World War I, the Russian Revolution, the Great Depression, and World War II. She has lived in Surrey for the past 50 years and continued to drive until the age of 97. One of her sisters, Gladys, also lived a long life, reaching the age of 104. Ethel now has three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.

Ethel is also one of the oldest people to survive Covid-19. She caught the virus in 2020 at the age of 110 and recovered, according to Guinness World Records.

A representative from Hallmark Lakeview Luxury Care Home, where she resides, described Ethel’s life as an amazing story and a true inspiration. Her wisdom, spirit, and strength inspire all around her.

Mark McKinley, a director at Guinness World Records, said that Ethel did not set out to be a record breaker, but they would like to visit her shortly and hand her an official certificate.

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