HRH Queen Elizabeth II marks Diamond Jubilee

Britain is celebrating the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, marking 60 years on the throne during which she has set a number of landmarks. The queen acceded to the throne on February 6, 1952, upon the death of her father King George VI while she was away in Kenya, and was crowned the following year on June 2.

Britons yesterday began four days of festivities for Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee, turning out in droves for events around the country.

The queen devoted the first day of her four-day Diamond Jubilee celebrations to one of her favourite pursuits: flat racing. Her Majesty has rarely missed the event since attending just days after her Coronation in 1953.

Here are a few interesting facts about the queen’s reign and the jubilee festivities:
 ■ Queen Victoria was the last and the only previous British monarch to celebrate a diamond jubilee, in 1897. Queen Elizabeth II is the oldest British monarch to celebrate one, being 85 on the 60th anniversary of her accession, while Victoria was 77.
 ■ Only three other world head of states have celebrated diamond jubilees during Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej marked his in 2006; the Sultan of Johor, which is now part of Malaysia, celebrated his in 1955; and Emperor Hirohito of Japan celebrated his in 1986.
 ■Queen Elizabeth II is the 40th monarch since William the Conqueror who obtained the crown of England in 1066.
 ■There have been 12 British prime ministers since the queen acceded to the throne. Winston Churchill was the first. She met current premier David Cameron when he was nine years old and acting in a production of The Wind in the Willows, playing a rabbit to the mole of her youngest son Prince Edward.

Congratulations to Her Royal Majesty!