Story highlights
- Members of the royal family join a service to celebrate 60 years since the coronation
- The queen acceded to the throne in 1952, but her formal coronation took place in 1953
- Prince William and his pregnant wife Catherine are among the guests
Members of the royal family, UK government and dignitaries gathered Tuesday in Westminster Abbey for a service to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.
The queen was accompanied to the service by her husband, Prince Philip, as well as her son Prince Charles and her grandchildren, among them Princes William and Harry.
William's pregnant wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, was also present. She is expecting their first child in July, just over two years after they were married at the abbey.
Prime Minister David Cameron gave a reading as the service began amid pomp and ceremony.
The queen acceded to the throne in 1952, but her formal coronation took place on June 2, 1953.
Photos: Rare, classic photos of Queen Elizabeth II
Photos: Rare, classic photos of Queen Elizabeth II
Informal portraits of Elizabeth II – Queen Mother Elizabeth, from left, Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II attend Princess Margaret's wedding in 1960.
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Photos: Rare, classic photos of Queen Elizabeth II
Informal portraits of Elizabeth II – Queen Elizabeth II watches a University of Maryland vs. University of North Carolina football game at Maryland's Byrd Stadium during her 1957 official visit to the United States.
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Photos: Rare, classic photos of Queen Elizabeth II
Informal portraits of Elizabeth II – The queen speaks at a state dinner in Ghana in 1961.
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Photos: Rare, classic photos of Queen Elizabeth II
Informal portraits of Elizabeth II – Queen Elizabeth visits Ethiopia in 1965.
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Photos: Rare, classic photos of Queen Elizabeth II
Informal portraits of Elizabeth II – Queen Elizabeth II visits Ethiopia in 1965. See the full gallery on Life.com.
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Celebrating the Queen's 60th anniversary 01:36
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in his reading paid tribute to the queen's "60 years of commitment" and service since she was crowned.
The Bishop of London, the Right Rev. Richard Chartres, also hailed the queen's "affectionate service" to her people in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth and "the strength and inspiration she fosters" there.
The music and choral works performed at Tuesday's service reflected the choice of music for the coronation 60 years ago.
After the service, the queen and Philip stepped out into brilliant sunshine amid the tolling of bells, climbing into a glass-topped limousine for the return journey to Buckingham Palace.
Diamond Jubilee celebrations were held last year to mark the queen's 60 years on the throne.
There have been 38 coronations at Westminster Abbey since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066.
A special "coronation chair" ordered built by Edward I, who reigned from 1272 to 1307, has been used for almost every coronation since the 14th century.
Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 was the first to be televised, allowing her British subjects to watch the entire ceremony.
