The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are to mark their diamond wedding anniversary with a special service of thanksgiving on Monday.
Retracing their footsteps down the aisle, the royal couple will return to Westminster Abbey, where they married 60 years ago.
Some 2,000 people, with more than 30 members of the Royal Family including the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Prince Harry, will gather for the celebration - the day before the couple's actual anniversary.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, as well as former leaders Baroness Thatcher and Sir John Major, are among the invited guests, along with religious leaders, military chiefs of staff and some of the Queen's godchildren.
None of the Royal Family's German relations, nor Philip's sisters, who married Germans, were invited to the historic wedding in 1947 in keeping with the public's strong anti-German feeling in the wake of the Second World War.
But on Monday, in contrast to 60 years ago, some of the Duke's distant German relations will be present - his niece Grand Duchess Princess Margarita of Baden has been invited, as have other family members the Margrave and Margravine of Baden and Prince and Princess Ludwig of Baden.
About 500 members of Royal Household staff - past and present - will attend, including some of the servants who have worked most closely with the monarch and her consort over the years.
Representatives from the former Royal Yacht Britannia, the Royal Train and the Royal Squadron will join the congregation, as will the Aga Khan, Sir David Attenborough and ex-King Constantine of Greece.
There will be about 20 members of the public from across the country who all married on the same day as the Queen and the Duke.
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One of the specially-invited diamond wedding couples, Barbara and Norman Moon, both 78, from Calverton, Nottingham, said they were delighted to be asked to attend.
