It’s 60 years to the day since the Queen — then Princess Elizabeth — and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh married in Westminster Abbey.

The Queen at her Anniversary Service yesterday

The Queen and Philip on postage stamps over the years

The Queen and Philip opening Parliament

Royal Anecdotes wishes them both a happy anniversary and looks forward to their 70th.

With the Royal focus firmly on the Queen and Prince Harry’s former girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, Kate Middleton has been off centre-stage for some time.

William and Kate Middleton arriving at the party

She reappeared last week, together with Prince William, at the 30th birthday party for Peter Phillips at the Cocoon restaurant at Soho. The group later moved on for drinks at nearby Volstead, described as an exclusive members’ club and “an oasis of elegance in London’s Mayfair [which] rekindles the atmosphere of our most socially hedonistic times”.

Present at the party were Peter and Autumn Kelly — the newest addition to the Royal Family — Princess Beatrice and her sister Eugenie and Zara Phillips.

As a prelude to the Queen’s Diamond anniversary long weekend, it seems to have gone off well. Although Beatrice left early for a distinctly downmarket bash involving the Kate Moss crowd. Let’s hope she’s not giving Peaches Geldof a run for her money.

The Queen and Prince Philip’s Diamond Wedding celebrations kick off this evening when the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall host a private dinner party for them, and 20 members of the family, at Clarence House.

The Queen and Prince Philip after 60 years of marriage

Marking 60 years of marriage, the event will undoubtedly provoke the Queen’s children and grandchildren to reassess their own often unhappy experiences. Prince Andrew has already stated publicly that he believes he “let his parents down” with the failure of his own alliance with Sarah Ferguson.

Under normal circumstances, any major party at Clarence House or Highgrove would be organized by Prince Charles’s former factotum, Michael Fawcett. In deference to the Queen, who allegedly dislike Fawcett, the arrangements have been made by the Prince’s own staff.

It’s believed the guest list is unlikely to include Kate Middleton as the occasion is a family one. Kate will not be too downhearted though, as it is being reported that Prince William is set to whisk her off to the Indian Ocean island of Rodrigues for a post-Christmas holiday in the sun. This love match is as strong as ever.

On a sidenote, a glittering bash at The Ritz has had to be postponed until May because of a clash of dates — an oversight at the Palace “forgot” the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda which the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth, and Charles and Camilla, are set to attend.

Recreating the famous honeymoon picture at Broadlands

A service to commemorate the anniversary will take place tomorrow morning at Westminster Abbey. Broadcast by the BBC at 11am (around 6am Eastern) it will feature a reading by William and a specially commissioned poem by the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, read by Judi Dench.

As we were off-air for nearly three days at the start of the week, I thought we might do a quick catchup on Royal news we may have missed.

Prince William laid a wreath at the Cenotaph on Sunday in memory of British servicemen and women lost in active service for their country.

He certainly looked the part and performed his duty well. On the balconies, Kate Middleton was absent, although many Royal ladies were there. While we think she may well be at the Prince of Wales’s Clarence House party for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh on Monday, it now seems unlikely she will accompany William to the Diamond Wedding service at Westminster Abbey.

We’re also hearing that Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly will be married at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in May. Prince William will be Peter’s supporter (best man). The Queen is said to have offered the blushing bridegroom a title, but he refused. We haven’t been able to confirm this story, but it sounds authentic.

The Chelsy / Harry saga continues, with go-betweens enlisted to achieve a reconciliation. A “senior Clarence House source”, however, suggested that “it’s over”. Maybe the fat lady has already sung for this one.

Princess Elizabeth and Philip on honeymoon at Broadlands

With the big Diamond Wedding celebrations due next week, it should be a busy one. The longstandingly happy couple will spend the actual anniversary on the island of Malta where the then Princess Elizabeth lived as a Naval wife in the early days of her marriage. She is said to have enjoyed the normality of life away from the Buckingham Palace spotlight.

Sixty years on, the Queen and Prince Philip at Royal Ascot

Let’s hope Her Majesty’s anniversary is equally relaxed, before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda, which immediately follows it.