Britain’s longest-serving monarch plans to mark today’s historic milestone at her Sandringham estate – far from the spotlight.
It has been 65 years since Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne following the death of her father King George VI. This is a major milestone for the royal family as she remains the longest reigning sovereign which the United Kingdom has never seen before with any other monarch. To mark the occasion Buckingham Palace re-released a photograph of the Queen wearing distinctive sapphire jewelry. The picture was shot by photographer David Bailey in 2014 for the Great campaign, a publicity campaign aimed at promoting Britain around the world.
In the photograph, The Queen is wearing a suite of sapphire jewelry given to her by King George VI as a wedding present in 1947. To mark the day gun salutes will be fired in Green Park and at The Tower of London. But there are no grand national celebrations planned for the Sapphire Jubilee. As in previous years, Accession day will be a low key affair for the Queen, who is spending it privately on the Sandringham estate. On Sunday her majesty was given flowers by well-wishers in Norfolk after she attended a church service at St Peter and St Paul in West Newton.