Beacons across Britain have been lit to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday on a day the country celebrates the monarch’s milestone.
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The Queen spent the morning of her birthday in private at her much-loved Berkshire castle – the family home of the nation’s sovereigns for more than 1,000 years.
To mark the queen’s birthday, there were two military gun salutes at London’s Hyde Park and the Tower of London, and parliament will be lit up in the red, white and blue of the British flag.
He said: “It took about a week to make, I make them for fun”.
In one photograph, the monarch is pictured with four of her beloved dogs outside the mediaeval castle west of London, and in another she is surrounded by some of the youngest members of her family, including a great-granddaughter clutching one of the queen’s trademark handbags.
Born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of York on April 21 1926 – the year of the General Strike – she was never expected to be Queen.
The Queen was dressed in what was described by Buckingham Palace as a “spring grass green” wool and silk weave coat and dress with hat to match adorned with flowers by her dressmaker Angela Kelly for her birthday appearance.
Like any proud grandmother and great-grandmother, the Queen chose to sit with her offspring’s offspring’s offspring for an official photo, taken by American photographer, Annie Leibovitz.
She said: “Just a year ago, we were fortunate enough to be able to celebrate with Her Majesty as she became the UK’s longest serving monarch on the day she also opened the new Borders Railway”.
The day also saw political leaders extend warm wishes to the monarch as she enters her tenth decade.
The Queen holding Prince Andrew in March 1960.
“She’s remarkable for her age, and her dedication to duty, day in and day out – just a wonderful, wonderful lady”.
Obama is expected to meet with Prime Minister David Cameron to discuss issues including the multinational campaign against the Islamic State, the global economy, Russia’s stance toward Ukraine, Britain’s possible exit from the European Union, and the US presidential campaign, the AP said.
She is the world’s oldest monarch since the death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah a year ago.
She said: “I went for a classic, coffee and walnut cake with marble chocolate disks on the top”. Every time I tried to ignore the fact I was doing it for the Queen, my husband would very conveniently remind me – “hey, hey you’re slacking”.
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“I’ve had one or two birthday parties over the years but this is one of the best”.
