But back in Ghana, she stands out as a gold crown-wearing, scepter-holding king who lives in a refurbished palace.

CNN: February 1, 2013 -- Updated 0959 GMT (1759 HKT)

Mr. Samson later cemented the role by placing a gold crown on his own head during a celebration of Napoleon's 1804 coronation.

WSJ: Complex Napoleon Rivalry Heads for Its Waterloo

Even the horses got in on the act, with Best Mate retaining his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown, High Chaparral winning the Breeders' Cup Turf again - and Persian Punch continuing to duck retirement and keep on winning.

BBC: SPORT | Other Sport | Horse Racing | Racing: Stars repeat success

In January 1973, undisputed world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier defended his crown against largely untested Olympic gold medalist George Foreman in Kingston Jamaica.

FORBES: Nancy Pelosi As Joe Frazier, John Boehner As George Foreman

He won the World Open crown in 1998 as well as winning gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

BBC: SPORT | Other Sport... | Squash | Canada's Power retires at the top

Udomporn won the women's 53kg weightlifting crown and Asian superpower China clinched its fifth gold courtesy of Xian Dongmei's victory in the women's 52kg judo.

CNN: Thai gold as Asian athletes excel

Topped with a crown made entirely from sugar, the cake reflects the Silver, Gold and Diamond Jubilees, the Royal Navy, the Army and Royal Air Force.

BBC: Diamond Jubilee cake baked for Queen

But if the gold price falls a lot, he can always melt down the bars to make a really big crown.

FORBES: Connect

He won the World Cup crown three times in four years from 1997-98 to 2000-01 and claimed two gold medals at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

BBC: The Herminator is back

At grassroots level, the queen may have her hands full during visits to rural sites, including Ballarat, a gold rush town near Melbourne that was the scene of Australia's only armed uprising against the British crown, in 1854.

BBC: Low-key Australian welcome for Queen