Britain is marking Queen Elizabeth II’s 91st birthday with gun salutes, as the monarch celebrates quietly at home.

The post Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II turns 91 appeared first on PM NEWS Nigeria. </s> Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 91st birthday on Friday, April 21. The Queen has ruled longer than any other monarch in British history. Known for her sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service, she has been an important figurehead for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth during periods of enormous social and historical change.

As a young girl, Elizabeth never expected to be Queen. She was born in London on April 21, 1926, the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York. Her father became King George VI after his brother Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry divorced socialite Wallis Simpson. Upon her father's death in 1953, she became Queen Elizabeth II. On February 6, 2017 she became the first British monarch to commemorate a Sapphire Jubilee marking sixty-five years on the throne. </s> Britain Celebrates Queen Elizabeth's 90th Birthday Queen Elizabeth and her family marked the monarch's official 90th birthday with a parade, a colorful military ceremony and an appearance at Buckingham Palace in London, United Kingdom, on Saturday. (Published Saturday, June 11, 2016)

Princess Elizabeth was never meant to become queen, let alone the longest-serving monarch in the storied history of British royalty.

Her father, in fact, was never meant to become king.

But on Monday, after nearly a lifetime of service to country and crown, Elizabeth II will commemorate her 65th anniversary as queen. She will become the only British monarch ever to celebrate her Sapphire Jubilee, NBC News reported.

It is a role that most Britons — whether royalist or republican — would agree that she has fulfilled with caution, dignity and an unending sense of duty. </s> Queen Elizabeth II is set to celebrate her 91st birthday at Hyde Park and Tower Bridge (File Photo) </s> LONDON (CBSNewYork) — Today, Queen Elizabeth turns 91 years old, and while it’s a big birthday, you won’t see the big celebrations until June when she marks her “official birthday.”

As far as her actual birthday, she likes to keep it pretty low-key.

Of course for Royalty, low key celebrations include firing cannons.

We saw the Queen in bright green, leaving Easter Mass last Sunday, but today, she’s probably out riding her horses in Windsor Great Park, CBS Royal Commentator Victoria Arbiter reported.

“She loves to be out and about with the dogs — all her favorite things,” Arbiter said.

To mark the Queens Birthday, Buckingham Palace shared a christening photo of the future monarch from 1926, and the royal family shared a 1952 photo of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles.

Last year, when the Queen turned 90, the country celebrated all year. But this year, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch will mark her “official birthday” on June 17th with a parade in London known as the “Trooping the Colour” ceremony — a tradition from 1748, where the public can take part in honoring their King or Queen.

“The queen is so remarkable, she’s still incredibly fit, agile, energetic,” Arbiter said.

Some took to Twitter to pay tribute to the Queen.

“Very Happy Birthday, Your Majesty — you are an inspiration to us all,” former British prime minister David Cameron tweeted.

If you’d like to send the queen a personal birthday message, just use the hashtag #HappyBirthdayHerMajesty.

The Queen Elizabeth II Garden at Hanover Square in Manhattan will honor the Queen on England Day on Saturday. </s> Britain's Queen Elizabeth, the world's oldest and longest-reigning monarch, celebrated her 91st birthday on Friday, April 21 as the Band of the Irish Guards play 'Happy Birthday' for her.

LONDON—Britain is marking Queen Elizabeth II’s 91st birthday with gun salutes, as the monarch celebrates quietly at home.

A troop of the Royal Horse Artillery will ride horse-and-gun carriages past Buckingham Palace before staging a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park at noon local time. There will also be a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London an hour later.

The queen is Britain’s oldest and longest-reigning monarch, having become queen on Feb. 6, 1952. She is also the world’s longest-reigning living monarch since the death of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej last year.

The queen usually spends her birthday privately. She also has an official birthday, marked in June — when the weather is better — with the “Trooping the Colour” military parade. </s> LONDON — Britain marked Queen Elizabeth II's 91st birthday on Friday with gun salutes, as the monarch celebrated quietly at home.

A troop of the Royal Horse Artillery rode horse-and-gun carriages past Buckingham Palace before staging a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park at noon.

Outside the palace, a band of guardsmen in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats played "Happy Birthday" during the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

There was second salute with 62 guns at the centuries- old Tower of London.

The queen is Britain's oldest and longest-reigning monarch, having become queen on Feb. 6, 1952. She is also the world's longest-reigning living monarch since the death of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej last year.

The queen usually spends her birthday privately. She also has an official birthday, marked in June — when the weather is better — with the "Trooping the Color" military parade. </s> LONDON (AP) — Britain marked Queen Elizabeth II's 91st birthday on Friday with gun salutes, as the monarch herself enjoyed a family day and a trip to the races.

The queen, who owns and breeds racehorses, was spotted smiling broadly and chatting animatedly Friday with jockeys and staff at Newbury Racecourse, not far from her Windsor Castle home.

She visited the racecourse with daughter Princess Anne and sat in the royal box to watch her thoroughbred Maths Prize run; it finished fifth.

There were also official celebrations in London, where a troop of the Royal Horse Artillery rode horse-and-gun carriages past Buckingham Palace before staging a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park at noon.

Outside the palace, a band of guardsmen in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats played "Happy Birthday" during the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

And at the centuries-old Tower of London, there was a second salute with 62 guns.

The queen is Britain's oldest and longest-reigning monarch, having become queen on Feb. 6, 1952. She is also the world's longest-reigning living monarch since the death of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej last year.

Elizabeth also has an official birthday, marked in June — when the British weather is better — with the "Trooping the Color" military parade. </s> Britain's Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 91st birthday on Friday, with the world's longest-reigning monarch taking a step back from royal duties to allow the younger generation to step forward.

[LONDON] Britain's Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 91st birthday on Friday, with the world's longest-reigning monarch taking a step back from royal duties to allow the younger generation to step forward.

A gun salute at London's Tower Bridge and at Hyde Park will mark the Queen's birthday, a notably more low-key affair after a year of festivities to mark her hitting 90.

A thousand beacons were lit around the country on April 21, 2016, and other events last year included street parties and a pageant at her Windsor Castle home.

"I'm still alive," the Queen joked in June during a visit to Northern Ireland, one of the numerous engagements filling the royal calendar.

But the ever-popular monarch has begun handing over duties to other royals, standing down as patron of 25 bodies at the end of last year, including the Wimbledon tennis championships.

While her eldest child Prince Charles is heir to the throne, greater attention has fallen on his two sons William and Harry, who have taken on some of the Queen's duties.

The arrival of Prince William and his wife Kate's two children - Prince George and Princess Charlotte - has cemented the country's positive view of the royal family.

Prince Harry is also admired, receiving widespread acclaim this week for speaking out about seeking counselling years after his mother's death when he was a child.

- Reforming the royals - The Queen was instrumental in bringing the royals into modern times, after ascending to the throne in 1952 as Britain's empire was in sharp decline.

"My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service," she said in a speech to mark her 21st birthday, years before starting her reign.

One of the most testing periods for the monarch came during the 1990s. The Queen dubbed 1992 her "annus horribilis" after the marriages of three of her four children broke down and Windsor Castle was badly damaged in a fire.

Five years later she faced the wrath of the British public when Princess Diana died and the Queen chose to stay at her estate in Scotland rather than return to London.

Buckingham Palace has since been careful to avoid such clashes with the Queen's subjects.

She has remained quiet about political issues including the divisive Brexit referendum and, in January, Prime Minister Theresa May's controversial decision to invite US President Donald Trump for a state visit.

In modernising her family's image and refusing to become political, the Queen has held on to the nation's affection. While generally in good health, she suffered a cold over Christmas and her recovery was watched anxiously.

Despite being followed closely in her public appearances - feeding an elephant at a British zoo this month, for example - she has succeeded in keeping life behind palace doors relatively secret.

While her love of horses and Corgis is well publicised, palace insiders have revealed that the Queen's private pastimes include crossword puzzles and a Dubonnet-and-gin cocktail before lunch.
Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 91st birthday.