Happy Birthday Ma’am (again)

It’s been a day of celebration for the Windsor clan as Her Majesty The Queen marked her official birthday today, several weeks after her actual birthday in April. The 83 year old monarch was treated to the stunning pageantry of the Trooping the Colour, an annual ceremony first performed in the reign of King Charles II. This year was the turn of the Irish guards who proudly displayed their new colour presented to them by the Queen last month. Also present was the regiment’s mascot, Comnal, an Irish wolfhound who looked just as fabulous as his fellow troopers in a crimson coat.

The Royal Family were out in force with the Waleses, Wessexes, Gloucesters and Kents making appearances both in the parade and on the balcony after the ceremony. The traditional fly-past was as popular as ever with everyone’s favourites, the Red Arrows, turning the sky red, white and blue with their coloured smoke. Unusually, the BBC chose not to broadcast the fly-past, however they have released archive footage of a young Princess Elizabeth taking the salute on behalf of her father King George VI.

Of course with the Queen’s Birthday comes the respective honours list which features the usual crop of celebrities and lolly-pop ladies getting gongs. Notable by her absence from the list is Joanna Lumley who was widely expected to become a Dame after her intervention in the Gurkha row earlier this year. Recipients this year include legendary actor and vampire impersonator Christopher Lee who gets a Knighthood, Royle Family actress Sue Johnstone who picks up an OBE, and TV cook Delia Smith who gets a CBE for services to showing us how to boil an egg. You heat the water first apparently.

All in all, a glittering birthday, but sadly (and as per usual) local celebrations have seen little more than the customary flag flying over Government buildings.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Birthday, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Honours List, Orders, Trooping the Colour.

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