A 21-gun salute signaled the official start Friday of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebration in the U.K., a four-day affair in which Britons will honor the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the British throne. Highlights of the celebration include Sunday's Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the Thames River, Monday night's concert at Buckingham Palace, and a thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday — for which Britons will enjoy an extra public holiday. Here, a numerical look back at the queen's six-decade reign and monumental celebration:
25
Elizabeth's age when she became queen
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85
Her current age
12
British prime ministers during Elizabeth's reign
12
U.S. presidents during Elizabeth's reign
6
Popes during her reign
30
Corgis Elizabeth has owned during her reign. Currently, she has three, says Estelle Shirbon at Reuters: Monty, Willow, and Holly.
3,500
Acts of Parliament the Queen has given Royal Assent to since 1952
261
Overseas visits she has taken, including 78 to the United States
116
Countries she has been to
Passports she owns
404,500
Honors and awards she has conferred
3.5 million
Letters Elizabeth has answered, according to the official website of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee
45,000
Christmas cards she has sent
90,000
Christmas puddings she has given to her staff during the holidays over the last 60 years, as part of a custom that began with King George V
129
Portraits she has sat for
50,000
People the Queen hosts each year at Buckingham Palace for a variety of occasions, including banquets, lunches, receptions, and Garden Parties
63
Years Queen Victoria reigned, from 1837 to 1901. Victoria is the longest-serving monarch in British history, followed by Elizabeth.
1,000
Ships expected to take part in Sunday's pageant on the River Thames, the expected highlight of the Jubilee
More than 1 million
People expected to line the river to cheer on the flotilla
£12 million
Estimated cost of the Diamond Jubilee Pageant. "The pageant is a once-in-a-lifetime event," pageant master Adrian Evans tells the Daily Mail, "one that will reclaim the Thames as a royal route."
6 million
Britons who plan to throw a Jubilee party over the weekend
70
Dogs that will be dressed as double-decker buses at a Jubilee-themed brunch at the King Edward Hotel on Sunday
3
Knighted rock stars who will perform at Buckingham Palace during the Diamond Jubilee concert Monday night: Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, and Sir Cliff Richard
£100,000
Price of the commemorative Diamond Jubilee whiskey by John Walker and Sons, sales of which will be donated to the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust
$500 million
The Queen's estimated net worth
£32.1 million
Amount Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip are paid annually by the British government, about $50 million
80
Percentage of U.K. residents who want the country to remain a monarchy
Sources: AP, BBC (2, 3), Bloomberg, Daily Mail, TheDiamondJubilee.org, LA Times, Reuters
This article — originally published on February 6, 2012 — was last updated on June 1, 2012.
