Queen Elizabeth holds the record for the Oldest British monarch in history, exceeding the reign of King George III (1760-1820), who was King until the age of 82
LONDON (United Kingdom) – One of the world’s most famous monarchs, Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 90th birthday today. The Duke of Cambridge has paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on her 90th birthday for helping him cope with the loss of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Gun salutes take place around the UK starting from noon, while the prime minister is expected to lead tributes to Britain’s longest serving monarch in the Commons.
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain was crowned in 1953. Her 60 years on the throne was celebrated in June 2012 with the Diamond Jubilee.
Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the queen as “a rock of strength for our nation” and her son and heir Prince Charles marked the occasion by reading Shakespeare verses in a special broadcast on the BBC radio.
The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, paid tribute to his grandmother in TV interviews and spoke of the support she has given him as he described his own sense of destiny and duty.
During her birthday week, the queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will open a new bandstand near Windsor Castle and visit Windsor’s Royal Mail delivery office, where she will meet the Royal Mail choir.
On June 10, her birthday will be marked with a televised Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. June 10 is also Prince Philip’s birthday.
On the occasion of Queen’s birthday, queen photographed with youngest royals shot by Ainne Leibovitz, in which queen surrounded by her five great – grandchildren and two youngest grandchildren.
Two other official pictures are released today, one showing the Queen on the stone terrace of Windsor Castle with her four dogs, corgis Willow and Holly, and dorgis Vulcan and Candy, and another of her sitting with her only daughter, the Princess Royal.
Last year, the Queen gained the title of Britain’s longest-ever reigning monarch. On Thursday, she achieved another milestone as the nation’s first sovereign to celebrate her 90th birthday.
The Queen’s lengthy reign gives rise to another Guinness World Records title, longest heir apparent. Now, at the age of 90, she holds the record for the Oldest British monarch in history, exceeding the reign of King George III (1760-1820), who was King until the age of 82.
Elizabeth is not the world’s only queen—Margrethe II has reigned over nearby Denmark for almost 45 years —but for Britons and foreigners alike, she is simply the Queen, an immutable presence in a mercurial world. Most of her subjects have known no other monarchs. Among the major European monarchies, only Louis XIV’s 72-year reign surpasses hers. Her 64-year reign has seen eight popes, 12 British prime ministers and U.S. presidents, and 15 Summer Olympic Games, two of which she opened.
