Just How Does the Queen Celebrate Her Birthday?

2016

This year was a biggie — on the day the queen turned 90, her presents included a chocolate model of Buckingham Palace from Cadbury, and her name written on a corgi hair by scientists from the University of Nottingham. Her Majesty went on a walkabout through Windsor and received a birthday cake from Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain. In the evening, Prince Charles hosted a sumptuous black tie dinner of salmon, beef in port, and tropical fruit gateau at Windsor Castle that was attended by William, Kate and Harry.

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2011

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One of the queen's royal traditions is to attend the Royal Maundy service every year — where the monarch dispenses small purses of symbolic silver coins to the elderly members of the congregation. Six years ago for the first time in her reign Maundy Thursday fell on the queen's birthday — her 85th. Her Majesty is usually based at Windsor Castle at that time of year, but ahead of William and Kate's wedding she was at Buckingham Palace, and attended the service at Westminster Abbey. Because the queen was in the capital for her birthday, she would have heard the 41 gun salute in her honour in Hyde Park. The salute is made every year and is made up of 21 shots for royalty and 20 for it taking place in a royal park.

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2006

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On the occasion of her 80th birthday it was revealed that the queen had received over 20,000 cards and 17,000 emails. She went for a walkabout through Windsor, and in the evening attended a black tie dinner of smoked salmon, venison and chocolate cake in Kew Palace, that was hosted by Prince Charles and attended by her family. They were later all photographed outside, enjoying a special fireworks display.

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1999

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During a royal tour of Korea, the queen's 73rd birthday fell on the day of a trip to the ancient, remote walled village of Hayhoe. Her Majesty watched kimchi being prepared alongside village chief Ryu Yong-Ha, and a dance called Important Intangible Cultural Property Number 69 was performed. She then enjoyed 47 dishes traditionally served to royalty, and soprano Lesley Garrett sang happy birthday. When the audience joined in, it was one of the only occasions in public that the Queen had been seen to visibly fight back tears.

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1996

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For her 70th birthday the queen celebrated at her Norfolk home Sandringham with her family. It fell on a Sunday, so in the morning she attended a service at local St. Mary's Church, and in the evening there was a black tie dinner. The event was cosiderably more low-key than her later, more recent landmark birthdays as the family's popularity was low following the recent divorces of Charles and Diana, and Andrew and Sarah.

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1989

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On her 63rd birthday the queen was in Wales for official engagements, and her birthday fell on the 300th anniversary celebrations of the ancient military regiment the Royal Welch Fusiliers. She attended the celebrations at Powis Castle where she watched an historic battle re-enactment, listened to poetry, planted a tree, had lunch with members of the regiment, and was presented with a cake.

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1986

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On her 60th birthday the queen awoke at Windsor Castle and attended a church service, before being driven to London for a balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace with husband Prince Philip, son Prince Andrew and his fiancee Sarah Ferguson. They listened to six thousand daffodil-waving children singing a song which had been specially written for the monarch. In the evening the queen attended a ballet at the Royal Opera House with Prince Philip, her sister Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, which depicted her and Margaret as young girls.

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1976

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The queen may have been at home in her own garden in Windsor Castle, but her handbag goes everywhere with her! On her 50th birthday, the queen posed for pictures with Prince Philip and their youngest child Prince Edward.

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1965

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At home at Windsor Castle for her 39th birthday, the queen posed for pictures with her husband and four children, including new addition Prince Edward who had been born six weeks earlier.

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1960

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Did she buy any gloves?? The queen browsing the stalls at Badminton Horse Trials on her 34th birthday.

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1953

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A carefree queen at Badminton Horse Trials with her sister Margaret on her 27th birthday — her last birthday before her coronation.

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1952

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Her first birthday as queen! Her Majesty's 26th was a somber-looking and poignant day, as she reviewed the Grenadier Guards, as her father King George VI had passed away just two months earlier. She was accompanied by her husband, while The Queen Mother watched from a window with the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

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1947

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Princess Elizabeth turned 21 when she was in Natal, South Africa on tour with her family. She gave a live speech over the radio where she famously vowed, 'I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.' She was also harbouring a secret — she was very recently engaged. This was not made public knowledge until after the family had returned from South Africa.

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1944

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On her 18th birthday Princess Elizabeth attended a parade of the Grenadier Guards, watched the changing of the guard and took a salute.

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1940

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At Windsor Castle on Princess Elizabeth's 14th birthday. It was her first birthday since the country had gone to war, and the family portrait would likely to have been to remind the British public that there was a stable and reassuring family unit at the head of the country.

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1939

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Riding with her father King George VI and her sister Princess Margaret at Windsor Castle, before theirs and the whole country's lives were turned upside down. World War II broke out five months later.

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