WATCH ABOVE: Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 89th birthday and some are hoping Prince William’s pregnant wife Kate will give them another reason to celebrate. CBS’ Susan McGinnis reports from London.
TORONTO — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, the world’s oldest reigning monarch, is celebrating her 89th birthday on Tuesday.
The queen has sat on the British throne for 62 years. NBC News reports that her birthday will be marked by gun salutes at Windsor Castle just outside London, where she’s spending the day, as well as Hyde Park and the Tower of London.
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Her official birthday is normally celebrated in June, though, when there is a higher chance of nice weather for outdoor ceremonies. There’s usually a ‘Trooping the Colour’ parade in central London to mark the day.
The queen was crowned in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, when she was 27.
She celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. And despite her age, she still performs a range of royal duties, including meeting other heads of state.
Here’s a look at her life through photos.
November 20, 1947: Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh are cheered by the crowd after their wedding ceremony, on their road to Buckingham Palace, London.
Queen Elizabeth driving her children at Windsor.
May 16, 1954: Queen Elizabeth II and her children Prince Charles of Wales and Princess Ann of England salute the crowd from a balcony of Buckingham Palace in London after returning from a trip around the world.
1962: Queen Elizabeth II talks to some of the Chelsea Pensioners at the Royal Hospital’s Founder’s Day Parade in London.
Circa 1962: Queen Elizabeth II at a Royal Variety performance in London.
October 23, 1971: Queen Elizabeth II is given a helping hand as she hops ashore from a floating platform on a visit to Turkey. Prince Philip and Princess Anne are with her.
June 17, 1974: Queen Elizabeth II giving the royal salute during a Trooping of the Colour ceremony at Horse Guard’s Parade, London.
June 1977: Queen Elizabeth II talking to well wishers in Camberwell during her silver jubilee year celebrations.
October 25, 1984: French President Francois Mitterrand and his wife Danielle and Queen Elizabeth II arrive at the French Ambassador’s residence in London, where the President held a state banquet in honour of the Queen.
June 11, 1992: Portrait taken on in the city hall of Blois shows Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II smiling during her third official visit in France
September 2, 2006: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales laugh as they watch competitors during the Braemar Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in Braemar, Scotland.
June 30, 2010: Queen Elizabeth II is given flowers by children in Ottawa, Canada.
June 13, 2012: Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Queen Elizabeth II during a children’s sports event on their visit to Vernon Park in Nottingham, central England.
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