UK, London -- Today, the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and leading royals have attended a special service at Westminster Abbey to mark the 60th anniversary of her coronation in 1953.
Outside the church crowds of smiling well-wishers wearing red, white and blue took to the streets to cheer Britain's monarch.
Much of the Royal Family were at the church to mark the landmark day with a religious service at Westminster Abbey, where she was crowned on June 2, 1953.
Alongside the Queen were also the heavily pregnant Duchess of Cambridge and her husband Prince William. It is the first time the couple, whose first baby is due next month, has attended a public event at the church since they married there more than two years ago.
During his address the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby described the Queen's life as one of 'demanding devotion and utter self sacrifice - a path she did not choose but one she was called to,' adding she will 'rule in heaven with Jesus'.
The Duke of Edinburgh was also there despite having to withdraw from an engagement with this wife last night due to illness.
The service was the main national event to celebrate the coronation and is a lower-key affair than last year's events that marked the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Leading figures from national life were among the 2,000 guests, including the Prince of Wales, Prime Minister David Cameron, Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma and senior individuals from the military.
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr John Hall, welcomed the Queen and Duke when they arrived at the great west door of the Abbey where kings and queens have been crowned since 1066. Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, who had arrived a few minutes before the royal couple, also warmly greeted the Queen and Philip.
Among the guests was Lord Singh of Wimbledon, from the Sikh community, a regular on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, and senior figures from the Sunni and Shia Muslim communities, liberal and orthodox Jewish communities and the UK's Hindus. High Commissioners from Commonwealth countries were also present, along with representatives of British overseas territories, the diplomatic corps and participants in the 1953 coronation.
Today's spectacle, like the event of 60 years ago, was broadcast live by the BBC. In 1953, more than 8,200 guests witnessed the historic proceedings in the Abbey and an estimated 27 million people in Britain watched the events unfold on television.
The formal service has been divided into the Recognition, Anointing, Homage and Thanksgiving, reflecting parts of the original Coronation ceremony.
The majestic St Edward's Crown - with which the Queen was crowned - will rest on the High Altar - the first time the heavy, solid gold, jewel encrusted crown has left the Tower of London since the 1953 coronation.
The Queen was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, in a solemn, ancient ceremony which dates back more than 1,000 years.
After the service, the Queen, Philip, their children and spouses will gather for a private lunch with 100 guests from the Abbey community in College Hall - the medieval abbot's dining hall built in the late 14th century.
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