NEW : The Queen is honored with a 41-gun salute in London . She thanks the people for their ' ` wonderful support and encouragement '' Celebrations of her Diamond Jubilee will continue through June . She called on people to `` give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with clear head and warm heart '' in a brief letter that she signed simply `` Elizabeth R. '' Elizabeth became queen in 1953 on the death of her father George VI .
NEW : The Queen is honored with a 41-gun salute in London . She thanks the people for their ' ` wonderful support and encouragement '' Celebrations of her Diamond Jubilee will continue through June . Elizabeth became queen in 1953 on the death of her father George VI .