Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Queen's 60th Anniversary

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Monday with a service of thanksgiving at London's Westminster Abbey.

The Queen and Prince Philip were joined by members of their own family, including Prince Charles and his sons William and Harry, at the abbey, the scene of their original wedding ceremony.

The 2,000 invited guests for the service -- which took place a day before the actual anniversary -- also included British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former British leaders Margaret Thatcher and John Major, past and present royal household staff, and some of Prince Philip's German relatives.

Ten couples who married on the same day as the queen were also invited. The diamond wedding anniversary makes the queen the longest-married monarch in British history.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who conducted the service, praised the couple for enduring the pressures of a marriage lived in "the full light of publicity." He said the couple's commitment has been inspiring for the nation.

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