Source: BBC
The Queen has lit the first of more than 900 beacons lighting up across the UK and overseas as part of her 90th birthday celebrations.
The monarch, accompanied by Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, will also attend a private dinner in Windsor Castle.
Earlier, crowds of cheering people lined the streets in Windsor as the Queen took part in a walkabout.
On Twitter, the Queen thanked senders of “#HappyBirthdayYourMajesty” tweets.
In another tweet, the Queen said: “I send my best wishes to those who are celebrating their 90th birthday… on this shared occasion, I send my warm congratulations to you.”
At the lighting of the beacon in Windsor, the Prince of Wales, referring to his mother, said: “I find it very hard to believe that you’ve reached your 90th year and I suddenly realised the other day that I have known you since you were 22 years old.
“But this, ladies and gentleman, is a very special occasion and this beacon that her majesty is about to light will also represent – as it lights other beacons across the nation – the love and affection with which you are held throughout this country and the Commonwealth.
“So can we wish your majesty a special and the most happiest of birthdays on this occasion.”
Members of the Army cadet force will take beacons to the top of the highest peaks of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Some of the beacons are specially built gas-fuelled structures, while others are traditional bonfires or braziers on top of tall wooden posts.
Earlier, Royal gun salutes were fired from each of the UK’s capital cities as the Queen met crowds of well-wishers in Windsor.
The Queen, who was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, was presented with a birthday cake at the Guildhall by the Great British Bake Off champion Nadiya Hussain, who had created an orange drizzle cake with a butter cream and marmalade filling.
The monarch also unveiled a plaque marking The Queen’s Walkway – a 6.3km trail that links 63 significant points in Windsor.
The trail was designed to recognise the moment on 9 September 2015 that the monarch broke the record held by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, by being on the throne for 63 years and seven months.
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