Platinum Jubilee: Queen Elizabeth Celebrates 70 Years on Throne

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952 The 95-year-old monarch was 25 and on a royal visit to Kenya when she heard about the sudden death of her father, King George VI She kicked off celebrations for the 70th anniversary by inviting local community groups to her Sandringham residence in the East of England.

Queen Elizabeth II has marked 70 years on the British throne.

New York Times reports that the milestone puts the queen in a rarefied group: Only three other monarchs are documented to have reigned for more than 70 years.

Exactly 70 years ago Elizabeth, 95, became the queen of Britain upon the death of her father King George VI on Feb. 6, 1952, while she was in Kenya on an international tour.

The news was broken to her by her husband Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99. The queen will mark Accession Day in private as is customary, not viewing it as something to celebrate. Four days of festivities to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee are scheduled for June.

The toddler added a white wig and string pearls and posed with her family’s dog for an extra royal touch. Her mum, Katelyn, shared the snaps with Buckingham Palace without anticipating a reaction.

And she was shocked when she got a letter back from the Queen’s lady.

The letter from the palace read: “The Queen wishes me to write and thank you for your letter, and for the photograph you thoughtfully enclosed. Her Majesty thought it kind of you to write to her, and The Queen was pleased to see the photograph of your daughter, Jalayne, in her splendid outfit. Her Majesty hopes you all have a very Merry Christmas, and I am enclosing a little information about the Royal Pets, which Jalayne might like to have.”