Royal perfection. Queen Elizabeth II is now the first British monarch in history to have reigned for 65 years. To mark the historic occasion of this Sapphire Jubilee, a portrait of Her Majesty wearing sapphire jewelry was released.
The stunning photo was released on Monday, February 6, on the @RoyalFamily Twitter account. "Today marks 65 years since Her Majesty The Queen acceded to the throne #SapphireJubilee," the caption reads. The second and third longest reigning monarchs were Queen Victoria and King George III.
Prince William and Harry's grandmother is wearing the jewelry that was given to her by her father, King George VI, as a wedding gift when she married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.
Queen Elizabeth II met her third cousin Prince Philip — born Philip Mountbatten — when she was 8 and they announced their engagement when she was 21. They are parents of Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and have eight grandchildren.
Queen Elizabeth II began her reign in 1952 following the death of her father King George VI at age 56. She's so far been served by 13 British prime ministers — the first was none other than Winston Churchill — since taking over the throne. Last year, she celebrated her 90th birthday with a Horse Guards Parade and waved to well-wishers from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
"She may be my grandmother, but she is also very much the boss," Prince William said at the time, via The Washington Post.