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Christmas has come early for the royal family as staff adorned a huge 20ft Christmas tree with dazzling gold baubles at Windsor Castle.

Halls at the Queen's residence in Berkshire have been decked a month ahead of the festive period.

Stunning images showed the enormous 20ft Nordmann Fir erected in St George’s Hall at the estate.

The tree was sourced from nearby Great Windsor Park.

Decorations appear to follow a royal gold-and-red theme this year, with some baubles shaped like crowns.

The incredible tree is covered in sparkling gold tinsel, twinkling white fairy lights and huge velvet bows.

Spectacular images showed the castle's State Dining Table set with silver guilt pieces from the Monarch’s Grand Service.

The table has been decorated with festive gold creations.

A second 15ft tree, clad in red decorations, was put up in the Crimson Drawing Room.

Queen Elizabeth II is expected to spend Christmas Day surrounded by her family at Sandringham Palace.

The nation will tune in to watch her annual Christmas speech in what has been an exciting year for the royals.

The images emerged as the UK waited with baited breath for a rumoured announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement.

Bookmakers today suspended betting on another royal wedding amid rumours that Harry is expected to announce his engagement to the 36-year-old actress imminently.

Speculation over the couple’s potential impending marriage has been ramped up in recent weeks with the BBC reportedly primed for a Royal announcement.

Ladbrokes closed betting that Harry and Meghan would marry next year at odds of 4/6.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle 75 show all The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle 1/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend The Endeavour Fund Awards at Mansion House Samir Hussein/WireImage 2/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss on the steps of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding in St George's Chapel PA 3/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle Getty Images 4/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex holding their son Archie during a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Tutu at their legacy foundation in cape Town, on day three of their tour of Africa PA 5/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn 6/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 Reuters 7/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle embrace following the polo at Coworth Park on 7 May 2017 Rex Features 8/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace EPA 9/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle PA 10/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet Pony Major Mark Wilkinson and regimental mascot Cruachan IV during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle Getty Images 11/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square on 25 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada Reuters 12/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto PA 13/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Getty Images 14/75 Prince Harry arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto Reuters 15/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Getty Images 16/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square on 25 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada Getty Images 17/75 Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Karwai Tang/WireImage 18/75 Prince Harry arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Ontario Reuters 19/75 Meghan Markle attends the Opening Ceremony of the 2017 Invictus Games at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada PA 20/75 Meghan Markle on the cover of Vanity Fair Peter Lindbergh exclusively for Vanity Fair 21/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 Getty Images 22/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn 23/75 Larking around: Harry and Meghan pull faces in footage not shown in the BBC engagement interview BBC 24/75 Meghan Markle visits Nottingham for her first official public engagement with fiancee Prince Harry Jeremy Selwyn 25/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Nottingham Contemporary in Nottingham, to attend a Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair on their first official engagement together PA 26/75 Meghan Markle arrives at the Terrance Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair at Nottingham Contemporary Getty Images 27/75 The royal brothers and their partners on Christmas Day. AFP/Getty Images 28/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle listen to a broadcast through headphones during a visit to youth-orientated radio station, Reprezent FM, in Brixton PA 29/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive in Brixton, EPA 30/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM in Brixton Getty Images 31/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM in Brixton Getty Images 32/75 Loved up: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Cardiff Castle EPA 33/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle attend a street dance class during their visit to Star Hub in during their visit to Star Hub on January 18, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales. Getty Images 34/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit the people of Edinburgh Getty Images 35/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards PA 36/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards Getty Images 37/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception for young people at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images 38/75 rince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle meet a Shetland Pony as they arrive at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Frank Augstein/AP 39/75 Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle PA 40/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak with patrons at the Social Bite in Edinburgh AP 41/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 42/75 Meghan Markle arrives for a visit in Birmingham on International Women's Day PA 43/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham Splash News 44/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 45/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 46/75 The Reverend Canon David Stanton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave after attending a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP/Getty Images 47/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbet AFP/Getty Images 48/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception with delegates from the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London PA 49/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ride in an Ascot Landau along the Long Walk after their wedding PA 50/75 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel PA 51/75 Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor Castle for the glamorous evening reception PA 52/75 Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor Castle for the glamorous evening reception PA 53/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex head back down the Mall to Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 9, 2018 Getty Images 54/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex talk to members of OneWave, an awareness group for mental health and wellbeing at South Bondi Beach on October 19, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images 55/75 Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex are seen during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Sydney, Australia, 27 October 2018 EPA 56/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how funds raised by the 'Together: Our Community' Cookbook are making a difference at Al Manaar, North Kensington on November 21, 2018 in London Getty Images 57/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Britain's Prince Harry unveil a plaque to officially open Number 7, a 'Feeding Birkenhead' citizens supermarket and community cafe, at Pyramids Shopping Centre, as part of a visit to Birkenhead, northwest England, Monday Jan. 14, 2019 AP 58/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the National theatre in central London on January 30, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 59/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a visit to the Bristol Old Vic theatre, which is undergoing a multimillion-pound restoration PA 60/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (L) and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, reacts as they visit Bristol Old Vic theatre in Bristol, south-west England on February 1, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 61/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (R) and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (C) help volunteers in the kitchen as they pack food parcels to go in the charity outreach van during a visit to One25 charity in Bristol, south west England on February 1, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 62/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards at Drapers Hall in London on February 7, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 63/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex try some food during a cooking school demonstration at Villa des Ambassadors in Rabat on the third day of their tour of Morocco PA 64/75 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duke & Duchess of Sussex, pet a horse at the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equestrian Sports in Rabat on February 25, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 65/75 Meghan Markle wearing a short Reiss dress on International Women's Day AFP/Getty Images 66/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House, where they meet young people who demonstrate a Canadian spring tradition of making maple taffy (maple syrup cooled on snow to make sweets) on March 11, 2019 in London Getty Images 67/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave following a Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London PA 68/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex attend a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House on March 11, 2019 in London WireImage 69/75 Members of Britain's Royal family leave after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey AP 70/75 The Duchess of Cambridge (left) talks with the Duchess of Sussex (right) as they attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, Richard Pohle/The Times/PA 71/75 Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex hold their baby son in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, Berkshire on 8 May 2019 REUTERS 72/75 Archbishop Desmond Tutu kisses the forehead of baby Archie as his mother smiles on warmly Reuters 73/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a visit to the Auwal Mosque, the oldest mosque in South Africa, on day two of their tour of Africa. PA 74/75 Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Jeremy Selwyn 75/75 Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex at The Fields of Remembrance in Westminster Abbey Jeremy Selwyn 1/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend The Endeavour Fund Awards at Mansion House Samir Hussein/WireImage 2/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss on the steps of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding in St George's Chapel PA 3/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle Getty Images 4/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex holding their son Archie during a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Tutu at their legacy foundation in cape Town, on day three of their tour of Africa PA 5/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn 6/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 Reuters 7/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle embrace following the polo at Coworth Park on 7 May 2017 Rex Features 8/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace EPA 9/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle PA 10/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet Pony Major Mark Wilkinson and regimental mascot Cruachan IV during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle Getty Images 11/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square on 25 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada Reuters 12/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto PA 13/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Getty Images 14/75 Prince Harry arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto Reuters 15/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Getty Images 16/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square on 25 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada Getty Images 17/75 Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Karwai Tang/WireImage 18/75 Prince Harry arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Ontario Reuters 19/75 Meghan Markle attends the Opening Ceremony of the 2017 Invictus Games at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada PA 20/75 Meghan Markle on the cover of Vanity Fair Peter Lindbergh exclusively for Vanity Fair 21/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 Getty Images 22/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn 23/75 Larking around: Harry and Meghan pull faces in footage not shown in the BBC engagement interview BBC 24/75 Meghan Markle visits Nottingham for her first official public engagement with fiancee Prince Harry Jeremy Selwyn 25/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Nottingham Contemporary in Nottingham, to attend a Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair on their first official engagement together PA 26/75 Meghan Markle arrives at the Terrance Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair at Nottingham Contemporary Getty Images 27/75 The royal brothers and their partners on Christmas Day. AFP/Getty Images 28/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle listen to a broadcast through headphones during a visit to youth-orientated radio station, Reprezent FM, in Brixton PA 29/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive in Brixton, EPA 30/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM in Brixton Getty Images 31/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM in Brixton Getty Images 32/75 Loved up: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Cardiff Castle EPA 33/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle attend a street dance class during their visit to Star Hub in during their visit to Star Hub on January 18, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales. Getty Images 34/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit the people of Edinburgh Getty Images 35/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards PA 36/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards Getty Images 37/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception for young people at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images 38/75 rince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle meet a Shetland Pony as they arrive at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Frank Augstein/AP 39/75 Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle PA 40/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak with patrons at the Social Bite in Edinburgh AP 41/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 42/75 Meghan Markle arrives for a visit in Birmingham on International Women's Day PA 43/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham Splash News 44/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 45/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 46/75 The Reverend Canon David Stanton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave after attending a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP/Getty Images 47/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbet AFP/Getty Images 48/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception with delegates from the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London PA 49/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ride in an Ascot Landau along the Long Walk after their wedding PA 50/75 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel PA 51/75 Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor Castle for the glamorous evening reception PA 52/75 Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor Castle for the glamorous evening reception PA 53/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex head back down the Mall to Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 9, 2018 Getty Images 54/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex talk to members of OneWave, an awareness group for mental health and wellbeing at South Bondi Beach on October 19, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images 55/75 Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex are seen during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Sydney, Australia, 27 October 2018 EPA 56/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how funds raised by the 'Together: Our Community' Cookbook are making a difference at Al Manaar, North Kensington on November 21, 2018 in London Getty Images 57/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Britain's Prince Harry unveil a plaque to officially open Number 7, a 'Feeding Birkenhead' citizens supermarket and community cafe, at Pyramids Shopping Centre, as part of a visit to Birkenhead, northwest England, Monday Jan. 14, 2019 AP 58/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the National theatre in central London on January 30, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 59/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a visit to the Bristol Old Vic theatre, which is undergoing a multimillion-pound restoration PA 60/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (L) and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, reacts as they visit Bristol Old Vic theatre in Bristol, south-west England on February 1, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 61/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (R) and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (C) help volunteers in the kitchen as they pack food parcels to go in the charity outreach van during a visit to One25 charity in Bristol, south west England on February 1, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 62/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards at Drapers Hall in London on February 7, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 63/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex try some food during a cooking school demonstration at Villa des Ambassadors in Rabat on the third day of their tour of Morocco PA 64/75 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duke & Duchess of Sussex, pet a horse at the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equestrian Sports in Rabat on February 25, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 65/75 Meghan Markle wearing a short Reiss dress on International Women's Day AFP/Getty Images 66/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House, where they meet young people who demonstrate a Canadian spring tradition of making maple taffy (maple syrup cooled on snow to make sweets) on March 11, 2019 in London Getty Images 67/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave following a Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London PA 68/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex attend a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House on March 11, 2019 in London WireImage 69/75 Members of Britain's Royal family leave after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey AP 70/75 The Duchess of Cambridge (left) talks with the Duchess of Sussex (right) as they attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, Richard Pohle/The Times/PA 71/75 Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex hold their baby son in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, Berkshire on 8 May 2019 REUTERS 72/75 Archbishop Desmond Tutu kisses the forehead of baby Archie as his mother smiles on warmly Reuters 73/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a visit to the Auwal Mosque, the oldest mosque in South Africa, on day two of their tour of Africa. PA 74/75 Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Jeremy Selwyn 75/75 Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex at The Fields of Remembrance in Westminster Abbey Jeremy Selwyn

Spokeswoman Jessica Bridge told the Standard: “All bets are off when it comes to Harry and Meghan walking down the aisle next year.”

Last week, the Queen and Prince Philip celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in Windsor.

More than 100 guests gathered in the State Apartments to toast the royal couple, who wed 70 years ago in Westminster Abbey.

The Queen and Prince Philip - In pictures 70 show all The Queen and Prince Philip - In pictures 1/70 1947 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Westminster Abbey after their wedding ceremony PA 2/70 1948 Princess Elizabeth cradles Charles after his christening at Buckingham Palace, joined by her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth alongside Philip PA 3/70 1949 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh looking across Valletta from the roof of the Villa Guardamangia, Malta PA 4/70 1950 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with their daughter Princess Anne after her christening at Buckingham Palace PA 5/70 1951 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Riverdale Park, Toronto, during their tour of Canada PA 6/70 1952 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace after her first State Opening of Parliament PA 7/70 1953 The Queen wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Duke of Edinburgh, in the uniform of Admiral of the Fleet, waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Queen's Coronation PA 8/70 1954 The Royal couple at Prince's Pier in Hobart, Tasmania PA 9/70 1955 The Duke pushes Prince Charles and Princess Anne on a swing at Balmoral, watched by the Queen PA 10/70 1956 The Queen, with one of her Corgis in tow, chats with the Duke as he plays polo at Smith's Lawn, Windsor Great Park PA 11/70 1957 Jersey Royals: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh tour Springfield, the showground of the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society PA 12/70 1958 The Queen delivers her speech from the throne in the House of Lords chamber at the State Opening of Parliament PA 13/70 1959 Thousands gather to welcome the Royal couple as the Royal Yacht Britannia arrives in Canada PA 14/70 1960 President Charles de Gaulle of France and Madame de Gaulle visit Buckingham Palace PA 15/70 1961 President John F Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline at Buckingham Palace PA 16/70 1962 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are greeted by a group of youngsters during a visit to Hove Stadium, East Sussex PA 17/70 1963 The Queen presents the Royal Windsor Horse Show Cup to the winning captain, the Duke of Edinburgh at Smith's Lawn, Windsor Great Park PA 18/70 1964 The Queen, accompanied by the Duke, takes the salute outside Buckingham Palace at the conclusion of the Trooping the Colour ceremony PA 19/70 1965 The Queen surrounded by her family as she celebrates her 39th birthday, with Prince Edward in her arms. PA 20/70 1966 The Queen and Duke visit Aberfan in South Wales, after a coal-tip avalanche killed 144 people PA 21/70 1967 The Royal couple leave Heathrow for a four-day visit to Malta PA 22/70 1968 The Duke of Edinburgh climbs onto the roof of a Land Rover to get a better view of the Horse Trials at Badminton, accompanied by the Queen PA 23/70 1969 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh with the Prince of Wales during his investiture at Caernarfon Castle PA 24/70 1970 The Queen and the Duke arrive in Sydney during the royal tour of Australasia PA 25/70 1971 The Queen and Duke of arrive back at Heathrow PA 26/70 1972 The Royal couple celebrating their Silver Wedding Anniversary in the Belgian suite in Buckingham Palace PA 27/70 1973 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the procession to St George's Chapel, Windsor, for the Service of Thanksgiving for the Most Noble Order of the Garter PA 28/70 1974 Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark are welcomed at Windsor Castle PA 29/70 1975 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh parade in an open top car during their State visit to Japan PA 30/70 1976 The Royal couple during their traditional summer break at Balmoral PA 31/70 1977 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh kneeling in St Paul's Cathedral during the special thanksgiving service to mark her Silver Jubilee PA 32/70 1978 The Queen and Duke on the jetty at Maseline harbour during their visit to the Channel Island of Sark PA 33/70 1979 Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Edinburgh, The Queen and Prince Andrew PA 34/70 1980 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh seated in a haulage truck to go down to the lower level of the Geevor tin mine at Pendeen, Cornwall PA 35/70 1981 Duke of Edinburgh watching The Queen and their son-in-law Captain Mark Phillips at the presentation ceremony, after Phillips won the Badminton Horse Trials for the fourth time PA 36/70 1982 The Queen taking a photograph when she and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the South Sea Islands of Tuvalu PA 37/70 1983 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during the Remembrance Day ceremony at Nairobi's Commonwealth Cemeter PA 38/70 1984 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visiting Prince Edward at Jesus College, during an official visit to Cambridge PA 39/70 1985 The Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen with three of their grandchildren (left to right) Zara Phillips, Prince William and Peter Phillips, on board Britannia at Southampton docks PA 40/70 1986 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on the Great Wall of China at the Bedaling Pass, 50 miles north-west of Beijing, on the third day of their State Visit to the country PA 41/70 1987 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Belgian suite at Buckingham Palace, with messages of congratulations on their Silver Wedding anniversary PA 42/70 1988 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Port Sunlight in Wirral, opening the £12m Lever Brothers soap-making plant PA 43/70 1989 US President George Bush, his wife Barbara, the Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen , in the Picture Room at Buckingham Palace PA 44/70 1990 Duke of Edinburgh, Peter Phillips, Viscount David Linley, the Princess Royal, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, The Queen, Prince Edward, Diana, Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret at Clarence House for the Queen Mother's 90th birthday PA 45/70 1991 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with the Duke and Duchess of York on board HMS Campbeltown at Portsmouth Harbour PA 46/70 1992 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of her accession to the thron PA 47/70 1993 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh share an umbrella whilst enjoying a horse-drawn carriage ride at Bugacs, on the Hungarian Plain during a State Visit to Hungary PA 48/70 1994 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travelling on the new Eurostar train PA 49/70 1995 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh riding down the course at Ascot PA 50/70 1996 The Queen accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, laying a wreath on the newly-unveiled memorial to all innocent civilian victims across the world, sited near to the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, during a ceremony PA 51/70 1997 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh viewing the floral tributes to Diana, Princess of Wales, at Buckingham Palace PA 52/70 1998 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh descending the steps of Buckingham Palace at a garden party PA 53/70 1999 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arriving at the Birmingham Hippodrome for the 1999 Royal Variety Performance PA 54/70 2000 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh raising their glasses as midnight strikes during the Opening Celebrations at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich PA 55/70 2001 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive for the Royal Variety Performance, at the Dominion Theatre in Londo PA 56/70 2002 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during a musical performance in the Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds PA 57/70 2003 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle PA 58/70 2005 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh wearing safety glasses during a laser surgery demonstration at the University College Hospital, London PA 59/70 2006 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the unveiling of a garden dedicated to the late Queen Mother at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh PA 60/70 2007 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the grounds of Broadlands on their Diamond wedding anniversary PA 61/70 2008 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attend a lecture during a visit to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), to open the eight-storey New Academic Building PA 62/70 2009 US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, talk with The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during an audience at Buckingham Palace PA 63/70 2010 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh welcoming the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani (left) to Windsor Castle, Berkshire, during his state visit to the UK PA 64/70 2011 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attending the traditional Royal Maundy Service at Westminster Abbey on her 85th birthday PA 65/70 2012 The Queen receives a trophy from the Duke of Edinburgh after her horse Estimate won the Queen's Vase during day four of the 2012 Royal Ascot meeting at Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire PA 66/70 2013 The Queen leaves after delivering her speech at the State Opening of Parliament, in central London, alongside the Duke of Edinburgh PA 67/70 2014 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit the Tower of London's Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation PA 68/70 2015 The Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen during the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering, held a short distance from the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire PA 69/70 2016 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh make their way down The Mall in an open-topped Range Rover, during the Patron's Lunch in central London in honour of the Queen's 90th birthday PA 70/70 2017 Prince of Wales, Princess Eugenie,The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and the Duke of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace PA 1/70 1947 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Westminster Abbey after their wedding ceremony PA 2/70 1948 Princess Elizabeth cradles Charles after his christening at Buckingham Palace, joined by her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth alongside Philip PA 3/70 1949 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh looking across Valletta from the roof of the Villa Guardamangia, Malta PA 4/70 1950 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with their daughter Princess Anne after her christening at Buckingham Palace PA 5/70 1951 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Riverdale Park, Toronto, during their tour of Canada PA 6/70 1952 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace after her first State Opening of Parliament PA 7/70 1953 The Queen wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Duke of Edinburgh, in the uniform of Admiral of the Fleet, waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Queen's Coronation PA 8/70 1954 The Royal couple at Prince's Pier in Hobart, Tasmania PA 9/70 1955 The Duke pushes Prince Charles and Princess Anne on a swing at Balmoral, watched by the Queen PA 10/70 1956 The Queen, with one of her Corgis in tow, chats with the Duke as he plays polo at Smith's Lawn, Windsor Great Park PA 11/70 1957 Jersey Royals: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh tour Springfield, the showground of the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society PA 12/70 1958 The Queen delivers her speech from the throne in the House of Lords chamber at the State Opening of Parliament PA 13/70 1959 Thousands gather to welcome the Royal couple as the Royal Yacht Britannia arrives in Canada PA 14/70 1960 President Charles de Gaulle of France and Madame de Gaulle visit Buckingham Palace PA 15/70 1961 President John F Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline at Buckingham Palace PA 16/70 1962 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are greeted by a group of youngsters during a visit to Hove Stadium, East Sussex PA 17/70 1963 The Queen presents the Royal Windsor Horse Show Cup to the winning captain, the Duke of Edinburgh at Smith's Lawn, Windsor Great Park PA 18/70 1964 The Queen, accompanied by the Duke, takes the salute outside Buckingham Palace at the conclusion of the Trooping the Colour ceremony PA 19/70 1965 The Queen surrounded by her family as she celebrates her 39th birthday, with Prince Edward in her arms. PA 20/70 1966 The Queen and Duke visit Aberfan in South Wales, after a coal-tip avalanche killed 144 people PA 21/70 1967 The Royal couple leave Heathrow for a four-day visit to Malta PA 22/70 1968 The Duke of Edinburgh climbs onto the roof of a Land Rover to get a better view of the Horse Trials at Badminton, accompanied by the Queen PA 23/70 1969 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh with the Prince of Wales during his investiture at Caernarfon Castle PA 24/70 1970 The Queen and the Duke arrive in Sydney during the royal tour of Australasia PA 25/70 1971 The Queen and Duke of arrive back at Heathrow PA 26/70 1972 The Royal couple celebrating their Silver Wedding Anniversary in the Belgian suite in Buckingham Palace PA 27/70 1973 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the procession to St George's Chapel, Windsor, for the Service of Thanksgiving for the Most Noble Order of the Garter PA 28/70 1974 Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark are welcomed at Windsor Castle PA 29/70 1975 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh parade in an open top car during their State visit to Japan PA 30/70 1976 The Royal couple during their traditional summer break at Balmoral PA 31/70 1977 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh kneeling in St Paul's Cathedral during the special thanksgiving service to mark her Silver Jubilee PA 32/70 1978 The Queen and Duke on the jetty at Maseline harbour during their visit to the Channel Island of Sark PA 33/70 1979 Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Edinburgh, The Queen and Prince Andrew PA 34/70 1980 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh seated in a haulage truck to go down to the lower level of the Geevor tin mine at Pendeen, Cornwall PA 35/70 1981 Duke of Edinburgh watching The Queen and their son-in-law Captain Mark Phillips at the presentation ceremony, after Phillips won the Badminton Horse Trials for the fourth time PA 36/70 1982 The Queen taking a photograph when she and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the South Sea Islands of Tuvalu PA 37/70 1983 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during the Remembrance Day ceremony at Nairobi's Commonwealth Cemeter PA 38/70 1984 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visiting Prince Edward at Jesus College, during an official visit to Cambridge PA 39/70 1985 The Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen with three of their grandchildren (left to right) Zara Phillips, Prince William and Peter Phillips, on board Britannia at Southampton docks PA 40/70 1986 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on the Great Wall of China at the Bedaling Pass, 50 miles north-west of Beijing, on the third day of their State Visit to the country PA 41/70 1987 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Belgian suite at Buckingham Palace, with messages of congratulations on their Silver Wedding anniversary PA 42/70 1988 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Port Sunlight in Wirral, opening the £12m Lever Brothers soap-making plant PA 43/70 1989 US President George Bush, his wife Barbara, the Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen , in the Picture Room at Buckingham Palace PA 44/70 1990 Duke of Edinburgh, Peter Phillips, Viscount David Linley, the Princess Royal, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, The Queen, Prince Edward, Diana, Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret at Clarence House for the Queen Mother's 90th birthday PA 45/70 1991 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with the Duke and Duchess of York on board HMS Campbeltown at Portsmouth Harbour PA 46/70 1992 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of her accession to the thron PA 47/70 1993 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh share an umbrella whilst enjoying a horse-drawn carriage ride at Bugacs, on the Hungarian Plain during a State Visit to Hungary PA 48/70 1994 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travelling on the new Eurostar train PA 49/70 1995 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh riding down the course at Ascot PA 50/70 1996 The Queen accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, laying a wreath on the newly-unveiled memorial to all innocent civilian victims across the world, sited near to the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, during a ceremony PA 51/70 1997 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh viewing the floral tributes to Diana, Princess of Wales, at Buckingham Palace PA 52/70 1998 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh descending the steps of Buckingham Palace at a garden party PA 53/70 1999 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arriving at the Birmingham Hippodrome for the 1999 Royal Variety Performance PA 54/70 2000 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh raising their glasses as midnight strikes during the Opening Celebrations at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich PA 55/70 2001 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive for the Royal Variety Performance, at the Dominion Theatre in Londo PA 56/70 2002 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during a musical performance in the Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds PA 57/70 2003 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle PA 58/70 2005 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh wearing safety glasses during a laser surgery demonstration at the University College Hospital, London PA 59/70 2006 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the unveiling of a garden dedicated to the late Queen Mother at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh PA 60/70 2007 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the grounds of Broadlands on their Diamond wedding anniversary PA 61/70 2008 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attend a lecture during a visit to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), to open the eight-storey New Academic Building PA 62/70 2009 US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, talk with The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during an audience at Buckingham Palace PA 63/70 2010 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh welcoming the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani (left) to Windsor Castle, Berkshire, during his state visit to the UK PA 64/70 2011 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attending the traditional Royal Maundy Service at Westminster Abbey on her 85th birthday PA 65/70 2012 The Queen receives a trophy from the Duke of Edinburgh after her horse Estimate won the Queen's Vase during day four of the 2012 Royal Ascot meeting at Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire PA 66/70 2013 The Queen leaves after delivering her speech at the State Opening of Parliament, in central London, alongside the Duke of Edinburgh PA 67/70 2014 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit the Tower of London's Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation PA 68/70 2015 The Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen during the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering, held a short distance from the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire PA 69/70 2016 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh make their way down The Mall in an open-topped Range Rover, during the Patron's Lunch in central London in honour of the Queen's 90th birthday PA 70/70 2017 Prince of Wales, Princess Eugenie,The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and the Duke of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace PA

The monarch and Philip's eldest son, the Prince of Wales and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall were among those present, as were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are expecting their third child, and Prince Harry.

Pregnant Kate was wearing a black lace dress, and the Queen's Four Row Japanese Pearl Choker, while William and Harry were in smart black tuxedos and bow ties.

The Castle's opulent State Apartments were closed to visitors during the day as preparations were put in place for the special black tie reception and dinner to mark the milestone.

And, in September, Britain celebrated as Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge announced they were expecting their third child.

The pair are already parents to George, born in 2013, and Charlotte, born in 2015.

They are expecting the new arrival in April next year.