Queen Elizabeth II marks her Diamond Jubilee anniversary today.
The British royal family matriarch, 85, marks 60 years as queen, and on this date, she dedicated herself anew to continuing to serve Britons and those around the world.
A new set of portraits of Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip, taken by John Swannell in the Centre Room at Buckingham Palace in December 2011, have been released to commemorate the occasion. Take a look:
Elizabeth said that while has seen "great advances" since she took over following her father George VI's death on February 6, 1952, she is looking forward to the future with a "clear head and warm heart."
The comments came after a day in which she and husband, 90, attended a church service in Norfolk, to the delight of flower-clasping well-wishers..
In her message, which was released by Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth said:
"I hope that we will all be reminded of the continued power of togetherness ... convening strength of family, friendship and good neighborliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign."
Elizabeth is the mother of Prince Charles and the grandmother of Prince William, the two next in line to succeed her at the helm of the British monarchy.