Aging royally is a grace gifted to few.
But Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is still rocking the throne as she edges ever closer to her centennial year.
Longevity is no stranger to her immediate bloodline, after all her mother, the Queen Mother, lived to be a ripe old 101 before dashing off to the afterlife.
And so it is that this senior monarch, who has worn the crown of her country since 1952, is a much beloved figure in British life.
Her recent birthday has summoned well wishers from across the British Commonwealth, and adoring British subjects and fellow Royal family members have paid her flattering homage.
Last year, the Queen gained the distinction of being Britain’s longest-ever reigning monarch. On Thursday, she achieved another milestone as the nation’s first sovereign to celebrate her 90th birthday.
Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz recently helped commemorate her with a few family photos of the elder statesman with her gene pool and heirs in waiting.
Later this summer, formal celebrations will be held to mark her “official birthday,” culminating with a national service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral and a giant picnic outside Buckingham Palace for 10,000 guests…just in case you thought her present celebrations were being too subtle.
