The forthcoming international Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II will be a historic event in every sense. Marking the sixtieth anniversary of her accession to the throne, the Diamond Jubilee places Queen Elizabeth II in the company of very few other monarchs--among them Queen Victoria--to have achieved such a long reign. Published to commemorate the momentous event, this official souvenir album charts the Queen's life from childhood to the present and provides an invaluable companion to the history behind the Diamond Jubilee as well as a biography in photographs of the truly remarkable woman it celebrates. Making extensive use of materials drawn from the Royal Archives, the book features three hundred full-color illustrations--many never before seen--including personal documents and photographs portraying the formal and family life of Queen Elizabeth II both before and during her successful sixty-year reign. A magnificent souvenir of a rare event in royal history, this charming book also provides an intimate portrait of the life of Queen Elizabeth II.