Diamonds are a queen's best friend

The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II is the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. She is currently queen regnant of 16 sovereign states, 12 of which were British colonies or Dominions at the start of her reign.

Elizabeth was born April 21, 1926 in London, and educated privately at home. Her father acceded to the throne as George VI in 1936 on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII. She began to undertake public duties during the World War II, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

On Wednesday, Feb. 6, 1952, Princess Elizabeth received the news of her father's death and her own accession to the throne, while staying at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya. (Momma's grandmother once stayed in the same room!)

The Coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, conducted by Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Crowds of people viewed the procession all along the route, despite heavy rain. The ceremony was also broadcast on radio around the world and, at the Queen's request, on television for the first time. 

Grandmomma remembers going to a friend's house to watch the coronation since her family didn't have a television set!

Queen Victoria in 1897 is the only other monarch in the history of the United Kingdom to have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee.