Cameron to lead tributes to Britain's longest reigning monarch

Prime Minister David Cameron will lead an hour-long tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in the parliament tomorrow when she officially becomes Britain's longest reigning monarch.
Cameron will be joined by leaders of other political parties in thanking the Queen for her 63 years of service, as the 89-year-old monarch overtakes the record of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria on September 9.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma paid an early tribute to the Queen, describing her as "all that is best in the Commonwealth".
"The Queen's personal commitment as Head of the Commonwealth is exemplary, and her devotion to advancing cooperation and understanding continues to inspire people of all ages Commonwealth-wide," he said in a statement.

"As a symbol of continuity during decades of unprecedented change, and by drawing our people together in their rich diversity, Her Majesty has embodied all that is best in the Commonwealth.
"In congratulating Her Majesty on this historic occasion the Commonwealth joins with a fresh sense of common purpose, committed to advancing in practical ways the shared values and principles now set out in the Commonwealth Charter," he said.

National leaders from Commonwealth realms around the world are also expected to add their own words of thanks, on a day of celebration that will begin on the Pacific island of Tuvalu and in Canada.

Tuvalu, the easternmost Commonwealth realm, which is a three-hour flight from Australia and 12 hours ahead of London, is expected to be the first country to pay tribute to the Queen, followed by New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Australia and Papua New Guinea.
After Cameron's message from the House of Commons, attention will turn to Jamaica, Belize and the Caribbean island nations that have the Queen as their head of state, and to Canada, which has organised a half-hour musical tribute.
The pieces will include music from the year of the Queen's birth through to the present day.
The Queen is herself expected to make a rare speech when she opens a new railway line in the Borders area of Scotland tomorrow afternoon.

Its been over 63 years since Queen Elizabeth II's accession to Britain's throne on February 6, 1952.
Buckingham Palace has calculated her total number of days on the throne until September 9 as 23,226 and 12 prime ministers who have served under her, the first being Winston Churchill and the latest being Cameron.
Born on April 21, 1926 in London, the Queen was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York and was known as young "Lilibet" to her family.
It seemed at the time unlikely that she would become Queen until her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

Elizabeth's father reluctantly became King George VI, and she was the heir when he died in 1952.