With her pet dog Candy keeping her company in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle, Her Majesty was shown a display of mementos from her past jubilees, including cards and "a recipe for a perfect queen" written by a schoolboy.

Clearly bored with waiting, Candy, who is a dorgi - a cross between a corgi and a dachshund - made a lap of the room, inspecting the small group of media who were there to take pictures.

Spotting the dog, the Queen gave it a stroke and said: "And where did you come from?" - before adding: "I know what you want", suggesting the dog was waiting for a treat.

The monarch, who has owned more than 30 corgis during her reign, currently has three dogs: Candy, who is now quite elderly; a young corgi called Muick; and another corgi puppy which replaced Fergus the dorgi puppy, who died unexpectedly in May last year.

The viewing took place at Windsor Castle two weeks ago.

Queen gives cards and letters rave reviews

Looking through cards from past jubilees, one celebrating the 2002 Golden Jubilee caught the Queen's eye.

It was made from eight bottle tops including milk, Coca-Cola and Schweppes bottles, and had the handwritten words "Ma'am You're The Tops".

"That's good… simple but ingenious," said the Queen to Dr Stella Panayotova, librarian and assistant keeper of the royal archives.

The display also included a Golden Jubilee letter from a nine-year-old boy called Chris, titled "A Recipe For A Perfect Queen".

It's list of ingredients, which included "500ml of royal blood", a "dab of jewels and posh gowns" and "a dash of loyalty", making the Queen laugh as she said: "That's quite fun, isn't it?"

In June, huge celebrations and events are expected to mark the occasion, including a competition to create a Platinum Jubilee pudding.

Another royal aide told the Queen: "We've had a number of Platinum Pudding competition entries that have been coming in recent weeks. People have been very creative."

Looking through some entries, the monarch said: "Looks like they're all going to end with crowns on them."

In a reminder of other Jubilees, not just her own, she also studied a fan presented to Queen Victoria to mark her Golden Jubilee in 1887 by the then-Prince and Princess of Wales, later Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

It was signed by members of her family including her eldest child, the Princess Royal, known as Vicky to her relatives, and granddaughter Princess Alix, later the Tsarina of Russia, and the then-prime minister the Marquess of Salisbury.

The Queen opened the fan and remarked how easily it could have been damaged: "Extraordinary isn't it, and it still shuts."

Commenting on the signatures, she said: "Well, that's very interesting to see, quite a gathering."

Anniversary of Accession day

The viewing of the memorabilia was in recognition of the significant weekend ahead.

On Sunday, the Queen is expected to privately mark Accession Day - the day that her father King George VI died in 1952, and she became Queen.

It will officially begin her Platinum Jubilee year, marking 70 years on the throne, making her the first monarch to ever reach that milestone.

The Queen is currently in Sandringham, where she has traditionally spent the anniversary of her accession.