Record-breaking reign of Queen Elizabeth - in pictures

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The Queen will officially become the longest-serving British monarch in history today, dethroning the previous holder of the title, her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.

Queen Elizabeth II, who came to the throne in 1952, is currently the second longest-serving living monarch in the world, after Rama IX of Thailand, who has put in 69 years on the throne to Her Majesty's 63. Sobhuza II of Swaziland, who died in 1982, holds the title of longest-serving monarch in history, beginning his 82-year reign in 1899 aged four months.

Recent years have seen other long-serving monarchs cutting their reigns short to allow their heirs to come to the throne. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announced in January 2013 that she would abdicate in favour of her son, Willem-Alexander. However, the Netherlands has an accepted tradition of abdication – Queen Beatrix was following in the footsteps of her grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina, and her mother, Queen Juliana.

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No such tradition exists in the UK, and it is thought that the Queen would not countenance the idea of stepping down from the throne. There's certainly no public demand for any shift in the monarchy – polls have consistently shown the Queen to be the most popular and admired member of the royal family, with oldest son and heir to the throne Prince Charles trailing her.

It may be a landmark moment for the British monarchy, but for the Queen it will be a normal working day. Although officially on her annual summer retreat to Balmoral, today she will make a public appearance to open the new Scottish Borders Railway and enjoy a steam ride on the line alongside Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. In the evening, the Daily Mail reports that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to join the Queen and Prince Philip for a private dinner at Balmoral to mark the occasion.

Preparations for the Queen's milestone are also underway at a more unusual location – Madame Tussauds. The London waxwork museum is giving its model of Queen Elizabeth a hasty touch-up ahead of tomorrow. Described by The Observer as "nightmare-inducing" in its present form, staff at the museum have been busy giving Her Majesty's wax replica a makeover, even styling her hair to ensure she is looking her best.

There will be no official celebration of the milestone, with the Daily Telegraph reporting that this is due to the Queen's respect for her ancestor Victoria, who died in 1901 aged 81. Instead, attention at the Palace is being directed towards preparations for the Queen's 90th birthday festivities in April next year. The main event will see 10,000 selected guests – mostly representatives of the Queen's charities – take part in a massive "street party" near Buckingham Palace. Peter Phillips, Princess Anne's son and grandson of the Queen, will be helping to organise the party as director of events management company Sports Entertainment Ltd.