The Queen's Birthday: We Look Back Over The Monarch's Life As Her Majesty Turns 91

There were all sorts of events to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday last year from street parties to the lighting of beacons - but this year looks set to be a little quieter.

Royal gun salutes will still echo across the capital later, fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the Honourable Artillery Company though.

In Hyde Park at midday, 41 volleys in honour of her birthday will be fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

Then an hour later the Honourable Artillery Company will fire a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London - an extra 21 for the City of London.

The Queen was born on 21 April, so celebrates on that day, but also has an official birthday.

This is celebrated in June, usually on the second Saturday of the month.

The tradition of a monarch having two birthdays dates back to 1748.

George II was born in November of that year and it was decided that the weather would be too cold around that time for an annual birthday parade.

So instead he celebrated an official one in the warmer month of June - a tradition which has carried on to this day.

Born in 1926 in London to the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the young Elizabeth Windsor was never destined to be Queen.

But when King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, her father acceded to the throne - putting her in line to become the next monarch.

She was crowned Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953, aged 27, and has since gone on to celebrate a number of milestones such as her Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002, and 2012, respectively.

We’ve gathered some of the best images of the Queen’s life, documenting her journey from childhood to the well-loved monarch she is today...