Part of complete coverage on
Decades, diamonds and dollars: The reign of Elizabeth II by the numbers
By Caitlin Stark, CNN
updated 7:36 AM EDT, Mon June 4, 2012
Prince Albert, later King George VI, proudly sits for a photograph with his young daughter and future monarch, Elizabeth.
A little princess, Elizabeth II sits with her mother Queen Elizabeth.
HRH Princess Elizabeth (center) undergoing instruction at the Auxiliary Territorial Service training centre in April 1945. Courtesy Imperial War Museum
Auxiliary Territorial Service: Princess Elizabeth, a 2nd Subaltern in the ATS, wearing overalls and standing in front of an L-plated truck. In the background is a medical lorry. Courtesy Imperial War Museum
Princess Elizabeth and new husband, Prince Philip of Greece, pose for a royal photographer on their wedding day, 20 November 1947. By all accounts Prince Philip had won the future queen's heart by the age of 13.
Princess Elizabeth enjoys a square dance held in the honor of the royal couple who were in Canada on a state visit in 1951.
A relaxed evening at the theater: The Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II arrive at Windsor's Theatre Royal for a performance of George Bernard Shaw's "You Never Can Tell" on February 23, 1962.
From the Royal Collection -- the queen sits for a photograph with a young Prince Charles and a very blonde Princess Anne.
An official photograph taken of Queen Elizabeth in 1977 -- the year of her silver jubilee.
The queen's eldest child, Charles, Prince of Wales, bows while his new bride, Princess Diana, curtsies to the British sovereign as they leave St Paul's Cathedral, on July 29, 1981.
The year 1992 was a bad one for the royal family. In addition to the three royal marriage breakdowns, a fire wreaks havoc in Windsor Castle causing major structural damage. The queen would later describe this year as "annus horribilis."
Criticism of the monarchy peaked in 1997 following the death of Princess Diana in Paris. The royal family was accused of being remote and out of touch with the grief-stricken public. However, after several days of silence, the queen returned to London, speaking to mourners and admitted there were lessons to be learnt from Diana's life.
Since the death of Diana, the queen's popularity has enjoyed a revival as she continues to preside over what appears to be a softer, more accessible modern royal family. Here, she attends her grandson Prince Harry's graduation from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, southern England in 2006.
The life of a queen: Elizabeth II in pictures
Mother and daughter
A princess during wartime, 1945
Princess turned mechanic?
Elizabeth marries Philip of Greece, 1947
Canada state visit, 1951
Night out on the town, 1962
Queen Elizabeth with her children
Silver Jubilee, 1977
Eldest child Charles weds, 1981
Annus Horribilis, 1992
Royal family popularity drops, 1997
A more accessible royal family, 2006 - present
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Queen Elizabeth II marks her 60th year as queen this year
- The celebrations culminate with festivities June 2-5
- Check out some of the numbers behind her decades-long reign
(CNN) -- It's been 60 years since Queen Elizabeth II became monarch of the UK, and she's marking her Diamond Jubilee year with a series of parties, pageants and even 1,000 boats sailing up the River Thames.
On this anniversary year of her coronation, check out the numbers behind the queen's reign:
Time
60 years, four months -- The length of Queen Elizabeth II's reign as of June 6, 2012, making her the second-longest reigning monarch.
63 years, seven months, two days -- The length of the reign of Queen Victoria, from 1837 to 1901.
Infographic: The queen in numbers

The Imperial Crown of India was made for King George V's appearance at the Delhi Durbar in 1911. It contains more than 6,000 diamonds and other precious stones, and is the only crown allowed to leave the country -- but it has only been worn once.
The Imperial State Crown is worn by the monarch at the end of the coronation ceremony, and at formal occasions including the annual opening of Parliament. The current version was made in 1937, and is set with some of the most famous stones in the collection, including the Cullinane II, or Second Star of Africa diamond, and the Black Prince's Ruby. The pearls suspended from its arches are said to have been Queen Elizabeth I's earrings.
Queen Alexandra's Crown was designed with eight arches, a style typical of her native Denmark. It was originally set with the Koh-i-Nur diamond, which is now in the Queen Mother's Crown -- today it is set with paste stones.
The Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove dates back to 1661; the bird symbolizes the Holy Spirit.
The annointing of the new monarch, using holy oil, is one of the first parts of the Coronation ceremony. The Coronation Spoon is the oldest of the Crown Jewels -- it survived the Civil War, and dates back to the 12th century.
The Crown Jewels collection also contains items created for banquets. This enormous gold salt cellar, in the shape of a castle, was presented to King Charles II after the Civil War by the citizens of Exeter.
British monarchs are symbolically "married" to the country during their coronation. This coronation ring was made for Queen Victoria, as the traditional one was too large. However, this version was too small, and became stuck on her finger.
This tiny crown -- which stands less than 10cm tall -- was made for Queen Victoria after the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861; it was designed to be worn over her widow's veil.
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition
HIDE CAPTION
Crown Jewels sparkle in major new exhibition
Inside an enduring royal romance
Brooke Baldwin on Jubilee preps
Queen's personal diamonds
Jewels
2,868 -- The number of diamonds in the Imperial State Crown that the queen wears at the state opening of Parliament.
4.9 lbs -- The weight of the St. Edward's Crown worn by Elizabeth at her coronation in 1953. (Photos: Monarchs' diamonds, rubies and sapphires)
Money
£32.1 million -- Amount the British government provides Elizabeth and Prince Philip annually (about $50 million U.S.)
$500 million -- The queen's approximate net worth.
$4.2 billion -- Net worth of British entrepreneur Richard Branson.
1 -- Number of ATMs in Buckingham Palace.
Travel
261 -- The number of official overseas visits Elizabeth has made as of January 1, 2012.
116 -- The number of different countries she has visited during her 60 years as queen.
5 -- The number of times the queen has made a state visit to the United States; the first was in 1957 and the most recent in 2010.
Prime ministers and presidents
12 -- Number of prime ministers who have served during Elizabeth's reign, from Winston Churchill to David Cameron.
2 -- Number of prime ministers born during her reign (Tony Blair in 1953 and David Cameron in 1966).
12 -- Number of U.S. presidents in office since Elizabeth ascended to the throne, from Harry Truman to Barack Obama.
1 -- Number of U.S. presidents born during Elizabeth's reign (Barack Obama in 1961).
1 -- Number of sitting U.S. presidents with whom the queen did not meet (Lyndon B. Johnson)
Photos: All the queen's presidents, from Truman to Obama
Firsts and onlys
Queen Elizabeth II is the only British monarch to have celebrated a diamond wedding anniversary, having been married to Prince Philip since 1947.
She is the only person is the United Kingdom who can drive without a license or car registration.
She does not have a passport.
Source: Official website of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, except where noted
Are you celebrating the Jubilee? Share with us on iReport!
Part of complete coverage on
updated 5:03 PM EDT, Tue June 5, 2012
Diamond Jubilee celebrations reached a colorful climax Tuesday as the queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
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updated 8:38 AM EDT, Tue June 5, 2012
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updated 6:25 AM EDT, Tue June 5, 2012
The Thames became a sea of red, white and blue Sunday, as tens of thousands celebrated the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
updated 6:07 AM EDT, Tue June 5, 2012
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CNN iReport celebrates the British monarchy ahead of the Diamond Jubilee this weekend from June 2-5.
updated 6:24 AM EDT, Tue June 5, 2012
When Queen Elizabeth II takes to the Thames it won't be the first time the royals have made merry on the river.
updated 7:43 AM EDT, Sat June 2, 2012
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updated 6:32 AM EDT, Tue June 5, 2012
The queen's diamond jubilee celebrations show how proud Britons are to have Elizabeth as their head of state.
2012 marks the 60th year in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. CNN will be in London celebrating with the British royal family. Follow the coverage of this majestic event with CNN.