The Queen will join the nation in celebrating her 70-year reign this weekend.
Her Majesty is marking her Platinum Jubilee this year – and we’re being treated to an extended bank holiday to celebrate, from June 2-5.
The Queen has achieved a lot in the past 70 years, acceding to the throne at the age of 25 and dedicating herself to a life of service ever since.
Here, we look back at some of the joyous moments during her reign so far, when it was all smiles for the camera…
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This is one of the sweetest shots taken of two-year-old Princess Margaret (seated) with her sister Elizabeth, aged seven.
Who would have thought the future Queen of England would go on to sit on the throne for over 70 years, becoming the longest-reigning British monarch in history?
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The Queen’s love of corgis is well documented, and this four-legged friend certainly captured her heart.
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The engagement of Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten was announced in 1947, and here the happy young couple is pictured together at Buckingham Palace. Their marriage lasted a magnificent 73 years.
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A laughing Elizabeth accepts a toy stove for Prince Charles in 1951.
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The same year, a smiling Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh attended the opening night of the Royal Festival Hall in London.
The Queen looks exceptionally beautiful in a stunning ballgown, fur wrap, spectacular tiara and diamonds galore.
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And then came the Queen’s coronation on June 2, 1953. She wowed the world in the horse-drawn carriage known as the Gold State Coach, with her handsome husband by her side.
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The Queen is all smiles as she arrives at the Copenhagen Town Hall on a state visit to Denmark in 1957.
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Always a good sport, the Queen met Dame Edna Everage – the creation of Australian humourist Barry Humphries – at Windsor in 1977. We can’t decide who’s wearing the most lavish jewels, the Queen or Dame Edna?
(Martyn Hayhow/PA)
Even a rainswept racecourse at Royal Ascot wasn’t going to wipe the smile off the Queen’s face.
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The Queen laughs as she leaves St George’s Chapel after the wedding of her youngest son, Prince Edward, in 1999.
(Andrew Milligan/PA)
We may never know what had the Queen, the Duke and Charles in fits of giggles at the Braemar Highland Games in 2006 – but the Queen certainly looks very happy and relaxed.
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