Associated Press

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II Wednesday set out the government's legislative plans for the next 12 months, which put the emphasis on economic growth, banking reform and constitutional change to modernize the House of Lords, parliament's second chamber.

King’s Lynn - With a wave, a smile and a few softly-spoken words, Queen Elizabeth II charmed well-wishers who braved the snow to congratulate her on Monday as she marked 60 years on the throne.

Accession Day is always tinged with sadness for the 85-year-old sovereign as it is the anniversary of her beloved father king George VI's premature death, so she usually spends the day in private.

However, this year she undertook two small-scale engagements, allowing the public the chance to catch a glimpse of their sovereign six decades to the day since she became the most famous woman on the planet.

She visited the town hall in King's Lynn in eastern England, before watching a play at a local infant school about the changing times she has witnessed during her reign.

Despite the freezing weather and the intimacy of the engagements, she proved she is still able to connect with crowds.

“There seems a lot of flowers. I'd better go and get them,” the queen told the mayor as she left the 15th-century town hall, crossing the road to greet her subjects, who had waited in freezing temperatures to say three cheers for Her Majesty.

The Queen headed to Adele Caulkett, who handed her a bouquet of tulips, lavender and roses.

“I couldn't believe it when she came straight over,” the 52-year-old civil servant told reporters.

“I was so transfixed I couldn't take a picture!”

The sovereign wore a turquoise, grey and white wool dress, coat and a matching turquoise hat.

Walking slowly along the barricade, the monarch was received with polite applause and given flowers, cards and poems by the 100 or so people lining Queen Street in the historic market town.

She chatted at length with Colin Edwards, a royal regular dressed in a red bobble hat to keep out the cold.

Fiona Burridge and her 11-year-old son Matthew, from outside King's Lynn, were waiting to see the Queen for the first time.

“That's made my entire year!” she said.

“She gave us a beautiful smile. Just to see her was incredible.”

“It's jolly hard work and she's done it really well,” she added.

“Most people at 85 have their fluffy slippers on! I've total admiration and respect for her.”

King's Lynn is close to the monarch's private Sandringham estate where she and her husband Prince Philip spend their winter break.

King George VI died at Sandringham and some of those in the crowd remembered the occasion vividly.

John Harris, a languages expert from Bungay in eastern England, was a nine-year-old boy at the time.

“It was a dull February morning. The news buzzed around the playground,” he said. “It was a mournful atmosphere.”

Having lived throughout the Queen's reign, he said: “She's still the same, remarkable person. She's a neighbour when she's up here and totally unpretentious.

“It's difficult to believe she's perhaps the most famous person in the world.”

The queen then visited the infant and nursery school in the nearby village of Dersingham, less than a mile outside the Sandringham gates.

The play took place on a small stage, with a backdrop of pictures of the queen over the decades, portraits done by the children and a giant 60.

“It's quite special to be the queen. You don't get a diamond jubilee every day. I think she's really good at her job,” said Amy Harmer, seven, who stood outside the school waving an England flag.

“We waved at her and she waved back. It was cool,” added 10-year-old Amelia Dawes.

After greeting the schoolchildren, the monarch waved goodbye as she got back in her vehicle.

The monarch pulled a tartan rug across her knees, and looked content as she was driven back to Sandringham.

The lord lieutenant of Norfolk, the sovereign's representative in the county, escorted the Queen on the visits.

“It's entirely typical of our queen that having done that rather formal duty (at the town hall), she decided that she would come and spend time with young children,” the official, Richard Jewson, told reporters.

“I'm sure she has enjoyed the day. Her face said she enjoyed every minute of it.” - Sapa-AFP