Photos: Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee

For the first time in history, a British monarch is celebrating 70 years on the throne.

Queen Elizabeth II was 25 years old when her reign began on February 6, 1952.

To mark the unprecedented anniversary, there are Platinum Jubilee celebrations taking place across the country. This four-day holiday weekend will include a variety of public events and community activities.

The festivities began Thursday with the Queen’s birthday parade, also known as Trooping the Colour. The Queen and members of the royal family made their customary balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace before the event ended with a flypast by the Royal Air Force.

On Friday, members of the royal family attended a thanksgiving service for the Queen at the famed St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. But the Queen stayed home after experiencing “discomfort” on Thursday. Buckingham Palace said in a statement Thursday night that the Queen had made the decision to miss Friday’s service “with great reluctance” after “taking into account the journey and activity required to participate.”

The Queen also did not attend Saturday’s Epsom Derby horse race. She was represented by her daughter, Princess Anne, who waved to cheering crowds from the royal box.

This is the Queen’s first jubilee without her husband, Prince Philip, who died last year. The festivities will also include a concert at the palace on Saturday and a pageant on Sunday.