02/06/53 the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the coronation at Westminster Abbey.02/06/53 the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the coronation at Westminster Abbey.
02/06/53 the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the coronation at Westminster Abbey.

In Pictures: The Queen through the decades of her 69-year reign

The monarch acceded to the throne on February 6 1952 when she was just 25 years old

The Queen is set to enter the milestone 70th year of her reign, as she prepares to mark the anniversary of her accession away from Sandringham for the first time in more than 30 years. Elizabeth II the nation's longest reigning monarch will reach 69 years on the throne on February 6, meaning she is just one year away from her Platinum Jubilee

Here is a selection of pictures of the monarch over the decades, as she reaches the anniversary of her accession

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