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Queen’s birthday feted with blaze of royal pomp

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives to inspect the troops at London's Horse Guards on Saturday before the annual Trooping the Colour parade marking her official birthday. About 1,220 troops took part in a spectacular display of precision marching and horsemanship choreographed to military band music. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Emily Winter Associated Press
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives to inspect the troops at London's Horse Guards on Saturday before the annual Trooping the Colour parade marking her official birthday. About 1,220 troops took part in a spectacular display of precision marching and horsemanship choreographed to military band music. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

LONDON – Britain put on one of its grandest annual shows of royal pageantry Saturday to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s official 79th birthday.

In a spectacular display of precision marching and horsemanship choreographed to the music of a military band, about 1,220 soldiers in ceremonial red dress and black bearskin caps saluted the monarch in the ceremony near Buckingham Palace.

The queen turned 79 on April 21, but public celebrations of the British monarch’s birthday are always held on a Saturday in June, when there is a better chance of good weather.

Thousands of people filled sidewalks around the palace on a cloudy day, hoping to glimpse the queen.

“I’ve got goose bumps. It’s wonderful. I’ve got to see the queen,” said Beryl Sixsmith, 64, who came to London from Manchester in the north.

The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, rode in an open carriage from Buckingham Palace to the parade ground.

Prince William, 22, elder son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, rode in a separate carriage with his stepmother, the Duchess of Cornwall. The former Camilla Parker Bowles, married Prince Charles on April 9.

After the hour-long ceremony, the queen and her family gathered on the palace balcony to watch Royal Air Force jets fly overhead in her honor.

Earlier Saturday, the queen released her annual list of birthday honors to a diverse list of 894 Britons, including veteran rockers Brian May and Jimmy Page.

May, the guitarist for Queen, was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for service to the music industry. He played a large role three years ago in marking the 50th anniversary of the queen’s coronation, playing “God Save the Queen” from the Buckingham Palace roof.

Page, a founding member of Led Zeppelin, was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for helping disadvantaged children in Brazil.

Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench, who has played everybody from Queen Victoria to James Bond’s boss, M, was made a Companion of Honor – a select group limited to 65 people at any one time.