Editor's Pick

Queen Elizabeth II on a Royal Tour of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) with her husband Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip.

In India from 21 January to 2 March 1961, the couple packed into their schedule as many things as five weeks would allow. Their travels around India ranged from elephant rides in Benaras to a visit to Durgapur steel plant, the other major stops being the Taj Mahal, the Maharaja of Jaipur’s palace, the village of Bhakrota and the gardens of Srinagar.

This June, Queen Elizabeth II, who was conferred the crown at a coronation ceremony on 2 June 1953, will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60 years on the royal throne. She is the longest serving monarch after her great grandmother Queen Victoria.

In this 1961 photograph, the Queen (centre) is seen surrounded by (from left) Indira Gandhi, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Rajendra Prasad and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit during a garden party reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan.