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
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.
Jewels
Photos: Crown Jewels sparkle in major new exhibition
Photos: Crown Jewels sparkle in major new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition – 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.
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Photos: Crown Jewels sparkle in major new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition – 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.
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Photos: Crown Jewels sparkle in major new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition – 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.
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Photos: Crown Jewels sparkle in major new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition – The Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove dates back to 1661; the bird symbolizes the Holy Spirit.
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Photos: Crown Jewels sparkle in major new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition – 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.
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Photos: Crown Jewels sparkle in major new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition – 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.
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Photos: Crown Jewels sparkle in major new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition – 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.
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Photos: Crown Jewels sparkle in major new exhibition
Crown Jewels sparkle in new exhibition – 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.
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Inside an enduring royal romance 02:25
Brooke Baldwin on Jubilee preps 02:12
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)
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
