The UK's Queen Elizabeth II marked her platinum jubilee on Saturday by holding a reception for members of her local village. The Queen, 95, ascended to the British throne on February the 6th 1952 following the death of her father King George VI. The Queen will mark her 70-year anniversary as the UK monarch at her country estate. One attendee at Saturday's reception said the Queen was in "sparkling" form. She added: "Seventy years on the throne shows the Queen has been a moving example to absolutely everyone in all walks of life. She has been constant, compassionate and stoic … everything that makes a perfect human being. She has great strength of character and has overcome so many things."

The Queen was on safari in Kenya 70 years ago when she received news of the death of her father. The then 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth was immediately elevated to being the sovereign. She is Britain's longest serving monarch. The previous record-holder, Queen Victoria, was Queen for 63 years. She died in 1901. Queen Elizabeth has been an ever-present part of UK life for almost a century. She has seen 14 Prime Ministers and 14 US presidents come and go. She has also owned more than 30 corgis (her favourite dog) during her reign. Fox News wrote that the Queen has had, "an unprecedented reign that has made her a symbol of stability as the United Kingdom navigated an age of uncertainty".