Becoming our longest reigning monarch, the Queen showed no signs of slowing down as she approached her tenth decade, continuing to uphold tradition whilst welcoming modernity.

In the 1970s we saw the Queen go 'walkabout', and celebrate her silver jubilee and her daughter's marriage. But the decade was also marked by political upheaval and economic unrest.

In the 1980s the Queen, like other mothers, watched as her country and her son went to war. Celebrities share their memories about a time of radical social and political change.

The 1990s was the decade that proved the most challenging of The Queen’s reign as Britain was transformed by technology and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The first decade of the 21st century Queen Elizabeth provided her nation with some much needed stability, and the Royal Family’s popularity went from strength to strength.

In the 1960s the Queen saw her nation transformed, from technology to popular culture. But she kept pace, balancing our enthusiasm for modernity with the reassurance of tradition.

Famous Britons recall the first decade of the Queen’s reign, and how her coronation represented both the certainty of the past and the promise of a brighter future. Show more