Queen Elizabeth's Birthday: UK Marks Official Celebration Of Queen's Birthday

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II marked her official birthday Saturday with her family by her side _ and hundreds of soldiers parading in front of her.

The queen turned 83 in April, but tradition holds that "Trooping the Colour" _ the public party for the monarch's birthday _ is held in June when the weather is better. The custom dates from 1748, and this year's parade was held in bright sunshine.

The parade featured more than 1,100 soldiers, including the famous Foot Guards, who wear bright red coats and bearskin hats.

Wearing a peacock blue coat and matching hat, the queen traveled in an open carriage down The Mall through central London. She was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles and Princess Anne rode on horseback behind her. Princes William and Harry also attended the ceremony, accompanying their stepmother Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

After the parade, the family gathered on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for a Royal Air Force fly-by.

Comments

[joceeco]

08:06 AM on 06/15/2009

Why are some people so mean? The fact that this woman has lived is enough to warrant our respect!!!

[DonJM]

08:12 AM on 06/14/2009

Happy Birthday, Your Majesty! You have reigned for 57 years with style, grace, and dignity.

[We-Are-The-Ones]

07:51 AM on 06/14/2009

She looks so lovely.

Happy Birthday!

[Bluejay00234]

03:31 AM on 06/14/2009

Ah yes the welfare granny turns a year older.

[jazzblues]

06:24 AM on 06/14/2009

love the comment...

[NevaforLeadership]

07:25 AM on 06/14/2009

Behind your "welfare" granny are the following:

- approximately 1,200 people jobs in the areas of catering, housekeeping, accountancy, secretarial, media relations, human resources, art curatorship and strategic planning, not counting all the jobs in the tourist and hotel industries because of the royal family.

- over 600 charity patronages for Queen Elizabeth at 83 years old; over 700 for the Duke of Edinburgh at 88 years old. A member of the royal family is the president or patron of over 3,000 charitable organizations.

- the head of state of the UK and 15 other Commonwealth countries.

- public duties, such as ceremonies, receptions and visits within the United Kingdom or abroad.

- daily activities including reading official papers and briefing notes, letters from the public; audiences with political ministers or ambassadors; and meetings with her private secretaries to discuss daily business and her future diary plans.

- official duties, including audiences with ministers, Investitures, overseas visits and ceremonies such as the State opening of Parliament.

Pray that you can fulfill even a quarter of the work she does every day at the age of 83.

[frozenfeathers]

05:38 PM on 06/14/2009

Indeed. Whatever one could say about her, she's shown up and done her job for 50 years. I have enornous respect for at least her stalwartness and am envious of her energy. Lovely picture.

[Bluejay00234]

01:46 AM on 06/15/2009

Woooo ok so not that we have established that you know how to cut and paste, I think there is a difference between actual "work" and ordering someone else to do it, but then again I know signing papers, shaking hands, and ordering common folk around without blinking can be quite the daunting task.

[loudspeaker]

03:20 AM on 06/14/2009

You are not completely free and equal as long as somebody is king or queen over you.

[deluk]

07:06 AM on 06/14/2009

You're not completely "free and equal" if you live in a society where a far higher percentage of the black population than the white live in penitentiaries, where you have to raise tens of millions of dollars in order to be elected head of state, where everyone isn't entitled to universal health care.

No systems perfect.

[NevaforLeadership]

07:39 AM on 06/14/2009

You are totally free to choose whether to live a life in which you will end up in the penitentiary, or whether to live a life in which you raise the money to be elected head of state.

President Obama is half black/half white, grew up in poorer circumstances than many if not most people, and raised the tens of millions of dollars to be elected head of state.

Health care is a privilege; not a right to be paid for by others; however, that poor African American from Hawaii, who acted instead of complaining, is in the process of initiating a healthcare system under which the poor will receive healthcare on the basis of the healthcare benefit taxes that are about to be imposed on everyone else.

[NevaforLeadership]

07:32 AM on 06/14/2009

Your "free" comment is not worth a response. Obviously, you know nothing about democracy and the form of parliamentary government in Britain where, believe it or not, people are free.

We are all born equal in that we all arrive on this earth as human beings, not necessarily in equal circumstances, but with the freedom, in a democracy, to do whatever we want to do, BUT people will never all be equal. There will always be a group that is smarter: able to create, invent, rise above others and lead, while the rest follow.

Are you a leader or a follower?

[Rog49Thomas]

09:18 AM on 06/14/2009

There is more true democracy in two sittings of the Parliament than in an entire year of the Congress and Senate.

For those who haven't, watch the Prime Minister's Question Time.

And also note how folks from the PM's party get up and challenge him.

Sometimes enough of them even vote against him and there's an election.

[jazzblues]

02:59 AM on 06/14/2009

Seriously...nearly every other country has given up on their royalty...but England seems to stick and lick the a s s e s of their queen and her idi.otic clan till date. its 2009...seriously...stop wasting money over these people...seriously...

[Lee Andrew]

03:33 AM on 06/14/2009

Do you know howmuch money the country banks in tourism because of the Royals?

You also do know that the ROYALS own ALL the land and jewels and treasures right?

[loudspeaker]

03:53 AM on 06/14/2009

So what? Thailand has a lot of sex tourism. That's not right either. It is still wrong to have royals. That's what our country is all about, remember?

[deluk]

06:31 AM on 06/14/2009

Nearly every other country in the world may have given up on their royalty, but strangely enough it's the most progressive countries in the world ie; Holland, the Scandinavian countries, Britain, Spain which have kept theirs, there must be a lesson there somewhere, and as for "ass licking" the British media is critical (and vicious) towards the royal family in a way in which the American media would never be to a Yank president..

[Rog49Thomas]

09:19 AM on 06/14/2009

Please we're Americans and we don't like facts to get in the way of our delusions.

[Charlota]

01:57 AM on 06/14/2009

I think it's wonderful. Congratulations to Her Majesty. I think a tradition as old as the English monarchy is something to be celebrated, not mocked. I don't understand why there are so many haters on this thread. Tradition is a lovely thing.

[Bluejay00234]

03:34 AM on 06/14/2009

Why are Asians, Hispanics, Blacks never seen anywhere within the gates of the BP other than on offical royal visits? Tradition, that's why.

[Charlota]

05:36 AM on 06/14/2009

You truly don't know what you're talking about. What sort of silly, inane question is that? Prove your point.

[deluk]

06:37 AM on 06/14/2009

How do you know who gets to go behind the gates of Buckingham Palace? Are you a courtier or just another American prone to proclaiming on things they know nothing about?

[loudspeaker]

03:45 AM on 06/14/2009

Actually, tradition is very often a very, very bad thing. Like in holding on to a medieval backwards tradition of having a queen.

[Charlota]

05:37 AM on 06/14/2009

This is not a tradition that does anyone any harm. The royal family is largely symbolic -- they are good for national morale and they do wonderful charity work.

[anyoneoutthere]

01:48 AM on 06/14/2009

It's a chance to wear silly hats.

[Rog49Thomas]

09:20 AM on 06/14/2009

Royal Ascot is better!

[chaunpop]

12:27 AM on 06/14/2009

Blah Blah Blah, who cares?

[NoblesseOblige]

12:55 AM on 06/14/2009

Apparently, plenty of folks do--including you. Protest too much?

[IndyReader]

12:11 AM on 06/14/2009

How nice that QEII can go riding in her open carriage, and have an enormous open-air birthday party, yet our president can't even go grab a burger without having to drag along a phalanx of steely-eyed, armed men on the look-out for that one RW nut ready to blow him away.

[loudspeaker]

03:26 AM on 06/14/2009

All American presidents were murdered in British Empire-concocted plots. Never by random dudes ready "to blow" the president away.

I'm sure the security is tight in the empire as well.

[Rog49Thomas]

09:21 AM on 06/14/2009

It's pretty clear that you should check in with your physician rather quickly.

Only a medical practitioner can say for sure, but I'm guessing you've either got to increase or decrease the dosage on your meds.

[Topknot]

11:48 PM on 06/13/2009

She waves. She smiles. God bless 'er

[CynAnne]

11:28 PM on 06/13/2009

Very best wishes to Her Majesty on her birthday..salutations! =) ...

[andresfusion]

11:09 PM on 06/13/2009

What kind of backward society still has a queen?! Thank God I live in America.

[AJ39]

11:36 PM on 06/13/2009

I think we've crowned Michelle. We once crowned Jackie. Why do you think it's backward to have a Queen. Queen's fufill a need for a symbol. . That's why we recognize our need for a symbol as well. So we gave Michelle that role. I don't consider it backward.

[Bluejay00234]

03:37 AM on 06/14/2009

"We?" Speak for yourself I have not anointed anyone as my Queen, and doubt I ever will.

[loudspeaker]

03:49 AM on 06/14/2009

That's what the Obamas seem to want. They are all over this old little woman. Kissing, brown-nosing.

[daedelus]

12:14 AM on 06/14/2009

You mean the ones with universal health care and a low murder rate?

[NoblesseOblige]

12:52 AM on 06/14/2009

Bingo!

[1088]

10:11 PM on 06/13/2009

The Queen have already started her own Vege Garden, inspired by our First Lady Michelle Obama.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jZtlkBvw8yn6G8Zio931p4t1O6cQ

The Queen is promoting healthy eating too!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8098799.stm

[Ione Dombowsky]

08:49 PM on 06/13/2009

Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth! You are truly a class act.