Queen Elizabeth of England on Monday rededicated herself to the service of her people as she marked 60 years on the throne.
In a message released by Buckingham Palace, the Queen said: “I dedicate myself anew to your service.
“Today, as I mark 60 years as your Queen, I am writing to thank you for the wonderful support and encouragement that you have given to me and Prince Philip over these years and to tell you how deeply moved we have been to receive so many kind messages about the Diamond Jubilee.
“In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship and good neighbourliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign and which my family and I look forward to seeing in many forms as we travel throughout the UK? and the wider Commonwealth, '' it stated.
The Queen expressed the hope that the jubilee year would “be a time to give thanks for the great advances that had been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with a clear head and warm heart as we join together in our celebrations.
Meanwhile, two new photographs of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh taken at Buckingham Palace have been unveiled to mark the day also known as Accession Day.
The first picture shows the royal couple together – the Queen in State Dress and the Duke in Royal Navy ceremonial dress.
In the second, the 85-year-old monarch poses alone with the Queen Victoria Memorial in the background, a gesture to the only other monarch to reach mark diamond jubilee.
Accession Day is always marked on Feb. 6, which was the day in 1952 that Princess Elizabeth became Queen.
Her father, George VI, died unexpectedly in his sleep while his daughter was on tour in Kenya.