Gun salute marks The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

A 41-gun salute by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in London's Hyde Park, has marked the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne.

It was followed by a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London and there was also a 21-gun Royal Salute at Edinburgh Castle at noon.

The Queen, 85, usually spends Accession Day - the day her father, George VI, died in 1952 - privately but this year she had two engagements in Norfolk.

Her 60 years as monarch are set to be marked by a series of regional, national and international events during 2012, culminating in a four-day long UK Bank Holiday weekend in June.