Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria, who ruled from 1837 to 1901, have had silver, golden and diamond events to mark their 25th, 50th and 60th years as monarch. But Elizabeth is the only one to celebrate her 70th year on the throne.
1977 Silver Jubilee
- The festivities saw nationwide street parties, with Union Jack flags in abundance.
- Some one million people thronged central London to see the monarch during a carriage procession, while she also made a River Thames boat trip and toured 36 counties of the UK with her husband, Prince Philip.
- They also travelled an estimated 56,000 miles (90,100 kilometres), visiting Commonwealth countries in Pacific islands, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the Caribbean.
- A limited number of new 25-pence coins were minted and the London Underground's newest addition was named the Jubilee Line.
2002 Golden Jubilee
- The 1990s were marked by a trio of royal divorces, a fire at Windsor Castle and princess Diana's death.
- The queen lost her sister princess Margaret that February and her 101-year-old mother queen Elizabeth in March, triggering widespread public sympathy.
- A Buckingham Palace garden pop concert in front of 12,000 people was crowned by Queen guitarist Brian May playing the national anthem on the roof, as a million people filled the streets outside.
- The monarch's grandsons, princes William and Harry, were seen in public with their future stepmother Camilla for the first time.
- A palace balcony appearance was topped by a Concorde flypast.
- Besides a three-month tour of Britain, queen Elizabeth also visited Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
2012 Diamond Jubilee
-
The 2012 jubilee came in the same year that London hosted the Olympics and Paralympics.
-
The June 2-5 celebrations saw a river pageant, beacons lit, a thanksgiving service and a pop concert
-
The pageant of 1,000 boats was the largest flotilla on the Thames in 350 years. An estimated 1.2 million people lined the riverbanks to watch, despite torrential rain.
-
An estimated 8.5 million people took part in Big Jubilee Lunch gatherings, which replaced street parties.
-
The Houses of Parliament's clock tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower and the Olympic Park also took on her name.
