[imagesource: Alastair Grant – Pool/Getty Images]

Queen Elizabeth II is 95 years old.

She’s seen a lot, she’s done a lot – her position is, without a doubt, remarkable.

But when offered an award for ‘Oldie of the Year’, she said that she “didn’t believe she met the relevant criteria”.

To justify that, she popped a little pearl of wisdom in her rejection letter by saying, “you are only as old as you feel”.

I feel that.

The award is given out by British magazine The Oldie, which has held ‘The Oldie of the Year Awards’ ceremony over the past three decades to “celebrate the achievement of those who have made a special contribution to public life”, reports NewsAU.

Chairman of the awards, Gyles Brandreth, had penned a letter to the monarch’s private secretary Sir Edward Young with an invitation to accept the award.

The Queen’s assistant private secretary Tom Laing-Baker wrote back declining graciously on behalf oh Her Majesty:

Image: The Oldie/PA Wire/AAP

Last week the Queen was seen using a walking stick as an aid while attending a service at Westminster Abbey, which as The Guardian reported, was the first time in 20 years that she has done so.

The Queen has also, rather sensibly, stopped drinking alcohol, which includes her favourite evening cocktail of a dry gin martini.

Her body might be showing signs of slowing down, but if she doesn’t feel that old, then so be it.

Previous winners for the award have included the likes of Sir John Major (a former UK Prime Minister), Dame Olivia de Havilland (a leading actress of her time), and David Hockney (an English artist).

Singer and composer Petula Clark, 88, who began his professional career as a child entertainer during the Second World War, was last year’s honourable Oldie.

This year’s winners included Delia Smith, Bob Harris, Barry Humphries, Margaret Seaman, Roger McGough, Dr Saroj Datta, Dr Mridul Kumar Datta, and Sir Geoff Hurst.

While the Queen didn’t attend, 74-year-old Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, presented the awards:

Image: Chris Jackson / POOL / AFP

Just FYI, the overall record for the oldest person still living belongs to Japan’s Kane Tanaka, who is now aged 118.

He is only fours years shy of breaking the record of the oldest person ever, which currently belongs to France’s Jeanne Louise Calment, who died aged 122.

In that respect, the Queen still has a long way to go.

[sources:newsau&guardian]