On Sunday, the 95-year-old will be the first British monarch to celebrate 70 years on the throne.
One day before she reached the landmark milestone, the Queen welcomed members of communities and volunteer groups to her private residence in Norfolk, about 100 miles north of London.
The event saw her chat with former cooking student Angela Wood, who helped develop a recipe that was inextricably linked to the beginning of her reign – Coronation Chicken.
The dish of cold chicken in a curry cream sauce with a salad of rice, green peas and mixed herbs was invented to serve foreign dignitaries at the coronation feast.
Other guests invited to the monarch’s home included members of the local Women’s Institute, of which she has chaired since 2003, as well as Sandringham Estate retirees and their families and representatives of local charities, Little Discoverers and West Norfolk Befriending.
The queen, wearing an Angela Kelly wedgewood blue crepe with white brocade dress, appeared to be in a good mood during the engagement, according to British PA Media news agency. She held a wooden walking stick and carried her black handbag while happily walking around the guests.
After greeting guests, the Queen cut a cake with the Platinum Jubilee emblem, which had been prepared especially for the occasion.
Upon her departure, the monarch received a posy of flowers that formed part of her coronation bouquet back in 1953, such as lily of the valley.
It was the largest gathering the sovereign has attended since October, when she hosted a reception to mark the global investment summit at Windsor Castle.
Days later, concerns about her health were raised after she abruptly canceled a trip to Northern Ireland and spent a night in hospital for what a spokesman at the time described as “preliminary investigations”.
A series of celebrations will take place throughout the year, culminating in a magnificent four-day holiday in June, where the nation can participate in the anniversary-themed festivities.
Over the long weekend, beacons will be lit across the UK, Buckingham Palace will host a music concert, street parties will be encouraged, and a party will bring together more than 5,000 staff, artists, key staff and volunteers from the UK and Commonwealth.