In the message to her subjects, the queen said she and Philip had been "deeply moved" at all the kind messages marking her 60 years on the throne.

She reflected on the importance of family and friendship, and urged her subjects "to look forward to the future with a clear head and a warm heart".

One member of the royal family absent from the early stages of the celebrations is Prince William, who has started a six-week mission as a Royal Air Force search and rescue pilot in the Falkland Islands.