AP
Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth II marks the 50th anniversary of her accession to the British throne Wednesday with a visit to a new cancer hospital.

Her visit to the MacMillan Center in eastern England is a poignant reminder of her father's death 50 years ago today - in 1952, after months of treatment for cancer.

A 62 gun cannon salute rang out in London to mark the occasion.

In a written message, the British monarch thanked those who congratulated her on the occasion. She acknowledged the contribution of those active in voluntary service to assist those in need in their local communities.

News of King George VI's death, and her immediate accession to the throne, reached the 25-year-old Elizabeth in Kenya, where she and her husband were on an official visit.

She was crowned Queen Elizabeth II, in London's Westminster Abbey on June second, 1953.

Some information for this report provided by DPA and AP.

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