Elizabeth II Through The Years

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, second left, stands with West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, left, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, second right, and Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at Buckingham Palace in London prior to a dinner for summit leaders on June 10, 1984.

August 1987

Britain's Queen Elizabeth, right, and Diana, Princess of Wales, smile to well-wishers outside Clarence House in London, Aug. 4, 1987.

May 1991

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II peers over microphones while giving arrival remarks on May 14, 1991, on the South Lawn of the White House as President George Bush looks on.

August 1993

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, right, stands with her mother Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, center, and her sister Princess Margaret while celebrating the Queen Mother's 93rd birthday at Clarence House in London in August 1993.

September 1997

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, view the floral tributes and other mementos to Diana, Princess of Wales, outside London's Buckingham Palace, Sept. 5, 1997.

November 1997

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are joined by members of the royal family during a thanksgiving service to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, at Westminster Abbey in London on Nov. 20, 1997. Next to the royal couple are, Prince Charles, third, Prince William, fourth, Prince Harry, fifth, Prince Andrew, sixth, and Prince Edward.

October 2000

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II meet at the Vatican on Oct. 17, 2000.

June 2002

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, rides in the Gold State Coach from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral in London for a service of thanksgiving to celebrate her Golden Jubilee, on June 4, 2002.

January 2003

Queen Elizabeth II makes her way down the steps of the King Edward VII hospital in London, Jan. 14, 2003, following minor surgery to remove damaged cartilage in her right knee.

April 2005

Queen Elizabeth II looks at her son Prince Charles as his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, holds her hat, following a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, April 9, 2005. The ceremony followed their earlier civil wedding at the Guildhall in Windsor.

May 2005

Queen Elizabeth II walks into the Royal Gallery in the Palace of Westminster in London before giving a speech during the State Opening of Parliament on May 17, 2005.

April 2006

Queen Elizabeth II is greeted by well-wishers as she departs a church service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, England, on April 16, 2006.

April 2006

A portrait of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, by artist Jemma Phipps, released by the Royal Society of Portrait Painters on April 18, 2006. The portrait was commissioned by the the Ascot Authority to celebrate the Queen's 80th birthday on April 21.

April 2006

Queen Elizabeth II speaks to identical twins Keith, right, and Jack Hurst during the 80th birthday lunch held by the queen at Buckingham Palace in London on April 19, 2006. The Queen entertained 99 guests, all of whom will turn 80 on April 21, the same day she does.

April 2006

A wax figure of Queen Elizabeth II is seen at the Madame Tussauds wax museum in London, April 19, 2006. The queen turns 80 on April 21. Her busy schedule makes it easy to forget she's a grandmother who sailed past Britain's retirement age 15 years ago and seems unlikely to slow down. On the throne for 54 years, she is Europe's longest-reigning monarch and has reigned over 10 British prime ministers.

On Tuesday, April 18, 2006, Britain's Royal Mail issued eight stamps with informal photographs of Queen Elizabeth II, taken throughout her life, to commemorate her 80th birthday on Friday, April 21. The stamps feature smiling images of the monarch, drawn from thousands of archive photographs. One photo from 1931 shows the 5-year-old future queen sleeping on the shoulder of the smiling Queen Mother.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II sits in the Regency Room at Buckingham Palace in London, Wednesday April 19, 2006, as she looks at some of the cards which have been sent to her for her 80th birthday, which she celebrates on April 21. According to Buckingham Palace, the Queen has so far received 20,000 cards and 17,000 emails.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is greeted by crowds during a visit to the BBC's Broadcasting House in London on Thursday, April 20, 2006. The Queen will celebrate her 80th birthday on Friday, April 21. Her birthday will also be officially celebrated in June -- a tradition that started four monarchs and more than 100 years ago by the queen's great uncle Edward VII.