Photos: Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee - CNN

Queen Elizabeth II watches from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade in London on Thursday, June 2.

Jonathan Brady/Pool/AP

Updated 0113 GMT (0913 HKT) June 3, 2022

Queen Elizabeth II watches from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade in London on Thursday, June 2.

Jonathan Brady/Pool/AP

For the first time in history, a British monarch is celebrating 70 years on the throne.

Queen Elizabeth II was 25 years old when her reign began on February 6, 1952.

To mark the unprecedented anniversary, there are Platinum Jubilee celebrations taking place across the country. This four-day holiday weekend will include a variety of public events and community activities.

The festivities began Thursday with the Queen's birthday parade, which is also known as Trooping the Colour. The Queen and members of the royal family made their customary balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace before the event ended with a flypast by the Royal Air Force.

This is the Queen's first jubilee without her husband, Prince Philip, who died last year.

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