Official photograph by Annie Leibovitz to mark The Queen’s 90th birthday
While 21 April is the day The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth was born, her 90th birthday will be celebrated several more times across the Commonwealth in next few months.
Canada marks The Queen’s official birthday on Victoria Day, the last Monday before May 25, Queen Victoria’s birthday.
In the United Kingdom, Trooping the Colour, also known as The Queen’s Birthday Parade will take place on Saturday 11th June 2016 on Horse Guards Parade. The monarch’s birthday has been celebrated in the United Kingdom since 1748 however it was moved to the summer date after 1908 – in the hope of good weather for celebrations.
In Australia, it’s celebrated with a public holiday on the second Monday in June – 13 June in 2016. However, Queensland marks the day on the first Monday in October while Western Australia celebrates on Monday 26 September.
St Kitts and Nevis celebrate a different date each year.
In New Zealand, the holiday is the first Monday in June while Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands both celebrate the Queen’s Official Birthday on the second Monday of June.
In September last year, the queen broke Queen Victoria’s record to become Britain’s longest reigning monarch, but played down the achievement, saying it was “not one to which I have ever aspired”.
“Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception,” she said.
Image: The first in a series of official photographs released to mark The Queen’s 90th birthday. They were taken at Windsor Castle just after Easter by renowned portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz.
From left: James, Viscount Severn, Lady Louise, Mia Tindell, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Prince George and Isla Phillips.