Britain - Quiet Anniversary for Queen Elizabeth II - NYTimes.com Queen Elizabeth II broke with her custom of performing no public duties on the anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952, leaving her Sandringham estate in rural Norfolk on Monday to make brief appearances at a neighboring town hall and a village nursery school. The day marked the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne, an accomplishment matched by only one other British monarch in more than 1,000 years. Her great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria, celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Renewing a pledge she first made as heir to the throne at age 21, Queen Elizabeth, 85, told the nation, "I dedicate myself anew to your service." Her diamond jubilee will be formally celebrated in June, the anniversary of her 1953 coronation, and will include a 1,000-vessel, 22-mile pageant that will carry her through the heart of London on the River Thames, and the lighting of fiery beacons on hilltops throughout the country.