1. Queen Elizabeth II is the fortieth monarch since William the Conqueror obtained the crown of England.

2. The Queen's full title in the United Kingdom is Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

Her Majesty was christened with water from Jordan, which is traditionally used for all Royal Christenings.

4. Her Majesty is five feet four inches tall.

5. Her Majesty received her first pony when she was four, a Shetland called Peggy.

6. The Queen learnt to drive in April 1945 when she became No. 230873 Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of the Auxiliary Transport Service at Camberley Mechanical Transport Training Centre.

7. The Queen meets the Prime Minister for at least 30 minutes every Tuesday when the House of Commons is sitting. He is the 10th Prime Minister she has given audience to in this way.

The Queen's piper plays her favourite tunes in the garden of Buckingham Palace each morning at 0900 GMT when Her Majesty is in residence.

9. The Queen has posed for 111 portraits to date, the most recent painted by Lucian Freud in 2001.

10. The Queen chooses not to wear a riding hat.