Queen Elizabeth II has become the first British monarch to ever celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee, marking 65 years on the throne.
Queen Elizabeth, 90, inherited the role of monarch after the death of her father, King George VI, from lung cancer on 6 February 1952 when she was just 25-years-old.
The Queen’s coronation took place in June 1953 and was televised to over 20 million people. During her reign there has been 13 UK Prime Ministers, seven Archbishops of Canterbury and seven Popes. She has visited more than 177 countries, racking up more than one million miles in travel. She has sat for 130 official portraits and in 2012 she became the second British monarch to celebrate a diamond jubilee.
In 2015, she became the UK’s longest reigning monarch, beating Queen Victoria’s reign of 63 years and 216 days. She has since become the longest reigning monarch in the world, following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, aged 88.
Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 and has been married longer than any other British monarch. She has gone on to have four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
The occasion is to be marked with cannon salutes in London’s Green Park and at the Tower of London. However, the Queen is expected to spend the day at her Sandringham country estate, with a senior royal aide confirming, “This will be a day of quiet reflection for Her Majesty, not of celebration.”
“One must remember, the moment she became Queen marks the moment her beloved father passed away.”
