Queen celebrates becoming first monarch to spend 65 years on the throne
The Queen has become the first British monarch to achieve a Sapphire Jubilee.
Elizabeth II has now reigned for 65 years – having become Queen on this day in 1952 – longer than other monarch in British history.
A portrait of Her Majesty by British photographer David Bailey has been reissued to mark the momentous anniversary.
Today marks The Queen's #SapphireJubilee
It has been 65 years since Her Majesty acceded to the throne.
On 6 February…
Posted by The Royal Family on Sunday, February 5, 2017
The image was originally done for her 88th birthday.
16 large oblong sapphires surrounded by diamonds can be seen in the portrait, recognising today’s anniversary for her Sapphire Jubilee.
However the monarch won’t be doing any public events today.
The Queen traditionally spends Accession Day – the anniversary of the day she became monarch – in private at her Sandringham Estate, rather than at Buckingham Palace in London.
According to tradition, royal gun salutes will fire in London on the day in recognition of the occasion.
At 12 noon, a 41-strong gun salute will be staged in the park in front of Buckingham Palace by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, followed by celebratory music from the Band of the Royal Artillery.
As well as this, 89 horses pulling six First World War-era guns will appear in the park and later a gun salute will be fired at the Tower of London at 1pm.
In her more than six decades on the throne, the Queen has had to pass 22 LGBT rights into law, plus most recently signing a pardon for convicted gay and bisexual men.
The Queen was 25 when she became monarch, travelling in Kenya when her father suddenly died.
When the Queen first ascended, the UK had many pieces of anti-LGBT pieces of legislation on the statute book.
Today, it is internationally recognised as having among the best LGBT rights legislation in the world.
This includes the decriminalisation of homosexuality, equal age of consent, human rights act, government ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual people serving in the armed forces lifted, gender recognition act, same-sex adoptions and same-sex marriage rights – all of which the Queen has signed into law.
The celebrations for this anniversary are much more low key than prior anniversaries.
A pop concert for her Golden Jubilee, which was held in front of the Palace as well-wishers descended on the Mall once again.
Most celebrations are expected to wait for 70th year reigning, to be marked in 2022.
