Hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial dress have marched in London in the annual Trooping the Colour parade to mark the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.
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Since then, her dedication to the Home has grown year-on-year and her volunteering activities now include spreading responsible ownership messages in London’s hard to reach communities, fundraising, campaigning for dog welfare, visiting potential new rescue dog owners and bringing her own Battersea dogs to fly the flag for Battersea at every event and open day she can.
William, Kate and Harry went on a walkabout in The Mall before the Queen arrived and were driven halfway up the thoroughfare, while the Duke of York and his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie walked out of the gates of Buckingham Palace to meet the revellers.
The Queen will join 10,000 people for the Patron’s Lunch – recognising her patronage of more than 600 organisations in the United Kingdom and around the Commonwealth.
The hampers were filled with a range of picnic lunch treats from a can of Pimm’s and a mini pork pie to two cupcakes.
Tickets for the event were priced at £150 with the majority going to organisations or charities that have the Queen as patron and 2,500 sold to the general public.
Pamela Mayne and her husband Stephen from Country Durham made a decision to take their seats despite the heavy downpours.
The Queen and members of the family will later make an appearance to watch part of the colourful parade, before taking to a stage where William and Harry are expected to pay tribute to their grandmother.
The 70-year-old who was joined by his wife Alicia, 64, said about the lack of umbrellas: “We got a little bit wet, everybody was told not to bring an umbrella, in the end we were given a poncho by the police who felt sorry for us”.
The event will also feature a parade themed around the different eras of the queen’s reign, such as “flower power” for the 1960s.
His colleague Jane Crawford added: “Never mind, we’ll make the most of it and are going to have a good lot of fun”.
The monarch, dressed in a primrose yellow coat-dress and matching hat, turned to smile at a crowd of well-wishers singing “Happy Birthday” as she climbed the cathedral steps.
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“Rain won’t spoil the party”, said picnicker Noreen Chisholm. “Yes if it had been sunny”. The lollies were being given out free at stands along The Mall. It’s Chris we immediately think of whenever we have a vulnerable or traumatised dog in need of additional care and nurturing – she really is a life saver for these dogs. “It’ll be okay. It’s the British spirit”.
