Image copyright PA Image caption One of the Queen's own horses was on the racecard at Newbury, while she looked on from the royal box

The Queen has celebrated her 91st birthday by taking part in one of her favourite activities - watching the races at Newbury Racecourse.

It was a more modest affair than the national festivities for her 90th birthday last year.

But military salutes were held across the UK to mark the occasion - including a 21-gun salute of tiny cannons fired by children at Windsor Castle.

Birthday wishes for the Queen have come from around the world.

No prize for Queen's horse

The Queen, who reached her 65-year Sapphire Jubilee in February, is Britain's longest-reigning monarch.

Her thoroughbred Maths Prize was running at Newbury, and the Queen was seen sharing a joke in the royal box before her horse lined up with six other runners.

But the monarch, joined by her daughter the Princess Royal, was denied a birthday gift from Maths Prize, as it finished fifth.

Image copyright PA Image caption The Queen spoke to jockey Ryan Moore and racing manager John Warren during her visit to Newbury Racecourse

Image copyright PA Image caption The Princess Royal spent the day at the races with her mother

Last year, more than 900 beacons were lit up across the UK and overseas as part of her 90th birthday celebrations. Crowds lined the streets in Windsor, church services were held in her honour, and the Queen took part in a walkabout at Windsor.

While her 91st was a more private affair, there was a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park and 21-gun salute in Windsor Great Park at midday, ahead of a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London at 13:00 BST.

The event at Windsor - where the Queen is believed to be currently staying - was different to most military salutes however, with children chosen to fire the 1ft (0.3m) cannons.

Image caption Four-year-old Zachary was one of the 21 children to be selected to fire a cannon for the Queen's birthday

Gifts fit for a Queen

While it is not known what the Queen has received for her 91st birthday, she is known to favour practical gifts over more extravagant presents.

Her children have given her items including a casserole dish and apron over the years, while the Duchess of Cambridge made her some chutney for Christmas - following her own grandmother's recipe.

Speaking on BBC Radio 1 on Friday, the Duke of Cambridge admitted it was "quite hard to know what to get" his grandmother "that she hasn't already got".

He said now "the great-grandchildren can make stuff", which "goes down really well", adding that three-year-old George is "very good at arts and craft".

Many of her favourite presents over the years have reflected her love of animals.

When she was four, the Queen's grandfather King George V gave her her first horse, a Shetland pony called Peggy.

And when she was 18, she was given a corgi called Susan, sparking a lifelong affection for the dog breed. She has now owned more than 30 corgis.

There was also a 21-gun royal salute fired from Edinburgh Castle.

Bells pealed at Westminster Abbey to mark the occasion and Irish Guards performed a rendition of Happy Birthday to You outside Buckingham Palace.

Many of the thousands of tourists at the landmark also joined in with the song.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Irish Guards mark the Queen's 91st birthday

Buckingham Palace tweeted a picture of the monarch as a baby on her christening day, where she is held by her mother Elizabeth, Duchess of York. They also released a picture of the Queen when she was 21 as she received the Freedom of the City of London - the first significant London ceremony she attended unaccompanied.

Clarence House, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's official residence, shared a picture of the Queen and a young Prince Charles from 1952.

Image copyright PA Image caption The Duke and Duchess of York hold their daughter in a photo dated 1 May 1926

Image copyright PA Image caption Buckingham Palace also released a picture of the Queen receiving the Freedom of the City of London

Well-wishers used the hashtag #HappyBirthdayHerMajesty to tweet their own birthday messages.

The Royal Albert Hall said: "Happy birthday to our patron, Queen Elizabeth!" and a Scout group in Bristol tweeted: "#HappyBirthdayHerMajesty... And wish you a prosperous day!"

Image copyright PA Image caption A picture of the Queen with Prince Charles on his fourth birthday was shared by Clarence House

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted a birthday message, wishing the Queen "a happy 91st birthday and continued health and happiness in the years to come", while Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted: "Hip hip hooray for The Queen and MANY CONGRATS to Her Majesty".

Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born at 2.40am on 21 April 1926, the first child of the then Duke and Duchess of York, at 17 Bruton Street, the Mayfair home of her grandparents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore.

She also celebrates an "official birthday" which falls on the second Saturday in June. Two days ahead of her official birthday this year, the snap election announced for Thursday 8 June will be the 17th general election of the Queen's reign.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption How the Queen spent her 90th birthday

It will be marked with the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London- with this year's taking place the week later, on 17 June.

The tradition of the monarch having two birthdays dates back to Edward VII, who was born in November but celebrated his birthday in May and June as the weather was better during those months.</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>President Pranab Mukherjee wished Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on the eve of her birthday. (File)</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>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>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.</s>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>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 (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.
Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 91st birthday.