Queen Elizabeth to mark historic occasion this week, but it's not a time for celebration

This weekend will see Queen Elizabeth II mark a very special milestone in her record-breaking reign as monarch.

On Saturday February 6, Queen Elizabeth will enter her 69th year on the British throne.

Usually, Her Majesty passes the occasion quietly at Sandringham House in Norfolk before travelling back to Buckingham Palace in London.

But she will remain at Windsor Castle this year, where she has been for most of 2020 and January.

The anniversary is not one the queen normally celebrates.

Rather, it is a solemn occasion because it also marks the day her beloved father passed away.

The queen succeeded to the throne on February 6, 1952, on the death of King George VI.

She was in Kenya at the time and became the first Sovereign in more than 200 years to accede while abroad.

The following year, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on June 2, in Westminster Abbey.

Next year – 2022 – will also see a 'first' in Queen Elizabeth's reign.

Her Majesty is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, and already plans are underway.

The UK Government has announced an extra public holiday on Friday June 3, for the special event.

They will also move an existing May public holiday to Thursday June 2, turning it into a four-day weekend to allow the nation to celebrate Her Majesty's 70 years on the throne.

The queen is the first British monarch to reach this milestone, making it a historic celebration and one that will reflect her impact across the globe since 1952.

Events are being organised across the UK to coincide with the anniversary, which the royal family says "will be announced in due course".