In the wake of the death of her younger sister and then that of her mother, there has been little for the Queen to celebrate over the past few months. However, Queen Elizabeth sported a broad smile to match her broad rimmed hat as she marked her 76th birthday on Sunday, signalling that her sense of loss may be beginning to heal.
The British monarch was looking very relaxed and laughed as she reviewed a scout parade in her honour at Windsor Castle. The annual St George’s Day event was her first engagement since the official mourning period for the Queen Mother ended on Friday. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth reviewed 550 scouts who have gained the movement’s top award for personal achievement. She and the Duke chatted to many of the scouts in the sun-drenched castle quadrangle.
At the end of the parade, several thousand well-wishers broke into spontaneous applause when the Band of the Irish Guards played Happy Birthday. Among the guests were 60 Venture Scouts who carried out ceremonial duties at Westminster Abbey during the Queen Mother’s funeral. Venture Scout Edmund Bing, 20, from Greenwich spoke to the Queen. He said: “She said it was so nice to see so many young people here.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Wearing a royal blue coat and matching hat, Queen Elizabeth appeared very relaxed as she reviewed a scout parade in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle, and said she was cheered by the sight of so many young faces
