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Music: ABBA, Jubilee parties and Oklahoma! The music the queen loved

Queen guitarist Brian May on the roof of Buckingham Palace, London, ahead of performing the national anthem at the Golden Jubilee concert
Queen guitarist Brian May on the roof of Buckingham Palace, London, ahead of performing the national anthem at the Golden Jubilee concert

Following the monarch's death aged 96, we look at the sounds that played an important role in her life.

The Queen inspired a catalogue of popular music, from Her Majesty by The Beatles to Dreaming Of The Queen by Pet Shop Boys and the Sex Pistols' God Save The Queen.

Her impact was also evident in the number and variety of tributes she received from music industry stars upon her death - from veterans such as Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Mick Jagger to contemporary figures such as Mel B of the Spice Girls and X Factor mogul Simon Cowell.

But less is known about her personal taste.

A rare look was offered in the 2016 BBC documentary, Our Queen: 90 Musical Years.

The Queen's late cousin Lady Elizabeth Shakerley suggested she enjoyed classic musicals such as Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun and Oklahoma!

"These were the tunes that remained in one's head and were very danceable to," she said.

"The Queen is a fantastic dancer. She's got great rhythm.

"We did a lot of singing at Kensington Palace.

"Nobody thought it was odd after dinner if we put on a record and all sang Doing The Lambeth Walk, so music has always been part of her life."

Indeed, when Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! made its West End debut in April 1947 it became the first of a post-war wave of Broadway productions to reach London.

And sitting in the audience was King George VI, the Queen Mother and Princess Royal - along with the Queen.

The tune People Will Say We're In Love, originally sung by Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts, was said to have later played an important role in her courtship with the Duke of Edinburgh.

It was also said she enjoyed Leaning On A Lamp-post by George Formby, originally from the 1937 film Feather Your Nest, and Cheek To Cheek by Fred Astaire.

Deeply religious, the Queen was also a fan of hymns.

Praise, My Soul, The King Of Heaven and The Lord Is My Shepherd were sung at her wedding to Philip in 1947.

And in February this year, soprano Alexandra Stevenson performed both at The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy to mark the Platinum Jubilee.

Sing by Take That star Gary Barlow with the Commonwealth Band featuring the Military Wives was also thought to be among those she enjoyed.

The track was written with composer and impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

The Queen had asked Barlow to organise a pop concert marking the occasion, that would use Buckingham Palace as a backdrop, and the track was among those played during the show.

She watched on as a variety of stars, from Kylie Minogue, Dame Shirley Bassey and Jessie J to Sir Cliff Richard, Ed Sheeran and Robbie Williams, took to the stage, alongside comedians Lee Mack, Rob Brydon and Sir Lenny Henry in speaking parts.

The late monarch was also in attendance at other pop-leaning events held in her honour.

During 2002's Party at the Palace, Queen guitarist Brian May created a classic moment when he performed God Save The Queen on Buckingham Palace's roof.

And this year's Platinum Party at the Palace was closed by Motown legend Diana Ross.

Although the Queen did not appear in person, she featured in a memorable sketch sharing a marmalade sandwich with Paddington Bear.

The show also saw Ed Sheeran perform his love song Perfect to images of the Queen and her late husband Philip, who had died the previous year, creating a poignant moment.

There was also the Prom at the Palace in 2002 - featuring the HM Royal Marines Portsmouth orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Chorus.

There have also been suggestions she enjoys disco.

In 2008, DJ Chris Evans claimed on his BBC Radio 2 show that an unnamed friend saw the Queen get up to dance when the fittingly titled and upbeat Abba track Dancing Queen came on.

Although it is said her true musical interests lay in popular music, the Queen was also a long-standing and generous benefactor of the classical world.

She was patron of numerous institutions including the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Academy of Music and Royal Choral Society.

Scottish music also played a role in her life, as she spent much time at Balmoral, the Aberdeenshire holiday home to the royal family.

Scots fiddler Paul Anderson performed for her and noted she had a keen ear, while Pipe Major Scott Methven, who was the Queen's Piper until 2019, also described her interest.

The Queen was also exposed to a range of popular musical styles through the annual Royal Variety Performance, which she first attended in 1952.

Held in aid of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund, of which the Queen was patron, the fundraiser offered the late monarch a glimpse at the day's best comedy, dance and music.

The annual bash dates back to 1912 when King George V and Queen Mary agreed to attend a Royal Command Performance at the Palace Theatre in London in aid of the fund.

In the intervening years, the Queen watched Dame Vera Lynn in 1952, Tony Bennett in 1965 and Paul Anka in 1977.

In recent years, the monarch met stars such as Lady Gaga, who performed in front of her suspended 30ft in the air while wearing a full-length red latex dress with a 20ft train.

In her 70 years on the throne, the Queen revealed only a snapshot of her musical tastes.

But this was enough to create an enticing picture of a monarch whose true interest lay in the tuneful and catchy.