Crowds to crown UK queen's 60th anniversary party
The Diamond Jubilee comes just over a year after the royal wedding of Prince William, the queen's grandson, to Kate Middleton, a spectacular display of pomp and pageantry which has boosted the monarchy's popularity at home and abroad.
While international media attention has focused on the young Duke and Duchess of Cambridge since their marriage, in early June it is the queen who will be in the limelight as she becomes only the second British monarch to mark the milestone.
Queen Victoria also made it to 60 years in 1897, although the vast British Empire she reigned over at that time has all but vanished and royalty has become a largely symbolic institution with few real powers.
The queen has less than four years to go to become the longest serving British monarch, but she trails Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej as the longest-serving living head of state.
Despite her age, courtiers and many commentators believe that 86-year-old Elizabeth remains an important figurehead in Britain and beyond, a symbol of stability and service that has taken on added weight during straitened economic times.
A poll published in Britain's Guardian newspaper on Friday showed public support for the queen was at a record high in spite of harsh economic times and growing cyncism towards politicians following a number of high-profile scandals.
The survey showed 69 percent of respondents thought Britain would be worse off without the monarchy, with 22 percent saying it would be better off - the largest margin between the opposing views since the poll was first commissioned in 1997.
"Historically people have turned to symbols of certainty, probity and solidity in times of crisis," said Robert Hardman, author of a recent biography of the monarch called "Our Queen" and a writer for the royal-friendly Daily Mail.
"People feel she's lived through all sorts of crises, not least the Second World War, and she's dependable."
Members of the royal family have been marking the jubilee all year with tours both national and international, but the climax of the celebrations is a four-day weekend from June 2-5.
On Saturday, the queen indulges her life-long passion for horses with a visit to the Epsom Derby.
Sunday has been billed "The Big Jubilee Lunch" encouraging thousands of Britons to spill out on to the streets and share a meal with neighbours and friends.
Also on Sunday, arguably the most spectacular event takes place on the River Thames snaking through central London.
Up to 1,000 vessels from around the world will assemble to accompany the queen and her husband on the Royal Barge as they travel along the river, watched by a flag-waving, cheering crowd expected to number more than a million.
Paul McCartney and Elton John are among the artists set to perform at a pop concert outside Buckingham Palace on Monday, when a network of 2,012 beacons will also be lit across Britain and the Commonwealth of mostly former British colonies.
On Tuesday, the jubilee weekend concludes with a service of thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral and a short carriage procession from Westminster to Buckingham Palace where the queen and her family will appear on the balcony.
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