On her accession to the throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II became Head of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 independent countries which fosters international cooperation and global trade links. The Queen's reign began with what was her longest-ever Commonwealth tour, which took place from November 1953 until May 1954 and encompassed the Caribbean, Australasia, Africa and Asia. These photographs show moments captured in Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Aden and Uganda, some of the territories visited by Her Majesty over the course of the tour.