Today is the Queen's 89th birthday, which she is to celebrate privately at home at Windsor Castle.
Her Majesty, who has been staying at the castle for the past month, has no official engagements listed.
In her honour, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will stage a 41-gun royal salute.
The salute will follow a selection of celebratory music from the Band of the Royal Artillery close to the firing position in Hyde Park.
Though Her Majesty's actual birthday is 21 April, her official birthday is 12 June.
The birthday comes as people begin to gather outside St Mary's Hospital in London in anticipation of the birth of the Queen's newest great-grandchild. The baby, which bookies believe will be a blonde girl called Alice, who will be fourth in line to the Throne, is due on Saturday.
The Queen celebrates her 89th birthday
BBC News
21 April
The Queen's official birthday is on 12 June
The Queen will celebrate her 89th birthday privately at Windsor Castle today.
Her Majesty, who has been staying at the castle for the past month, has no official engagements listed.
In her honour, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will stage a 41-gun royal salute.
The salute will follow a selection of celebratory music from the Band of the Royal Artillery close to the firing position in Hyde Park.
The birthday comes as people begin to gather outside St Mary's Hospital in London in anticipation of the birth of the Queen's newest great-grandchild.
The Duchess of Cambridge is expected to give birth to her and Prince William's second child there later this month, with some fans already waiting as long as two weeks outside the hospital.
Kensington Palace said Prince William was now on unpaid leave until June after completing the first phase of his in-work air ambulance helicopter pilot training sooner than expected.
A palace spokesperson said he would return to work after a period of pre-planned official royal engagements in late May.
Prince Harry will also briefly return to the UK this weekend, following the Gallipoli commemorations in Turkey, to attend the London Marathon as patron of the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
The Queen will be given the traditional 41-gun royal salute by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park today
Video: Royal 'superfans' await the birth of the Duchess of Cambridge's second baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NcMksTMbY6E
The King's Troop - in full dress uniform - will ride their horses and gun carriages past Buckingham Palace at midday en route to Hyde Park where they will stage their gun salute using six 13-pounder Field Guns dating from around the time of the First World War.
An hour later, the Honourable Artillery Company will fire a 62-gun royal salute from the river bank at the Tower of London, overlooking HMS Belfast.
Salutes round UK
Three L118 Ceremonial Light Guns, similar to those used in Afghanistan in recent years, will be used to fire the salute across the Thames.
There will also be gun salutes at Edinburgh Castle, Cardiff Castle, and Hillsborough Castle in County Down.
The basic Royal salute is 21 rounds. A further 20 are fired at royal parks and royal palaces and fortresses and another 21 for being in the City of London.
Kensington Palace also said Prince William had completed the first phase of his air ambulance pilot training
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born at 0240 GMT on 21 April, 1926 at the Mayfair home of her mother's parents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore (a restaurant now stands on the site).
Though Her Majesty's actual birthday is 21 April, her official birthday is 12 June.
The tradition of two birthdays dates back to the time when, if monarchs were born in winter, the weather was deemed unsuitable for outdoor events.
In Britain, the Queen's official birthday is traditionally marked by the Trooping the Colour ceremony in Horse Guards Parade, which this year will take place on Saturday 13 June.
A thimble honouring the monarch's 89th birthday today
The Queen celebrates her 89th birthday - BBC News
Her Majesty, who has been staying at the castle for the past month, has no official engagements listed.
In her honour, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will stage a 41-gun royal salute.
The salute will follow a selection of celebratory music from the Band of the Royal Artillery close to the firing position in Hyde Park.
Though Her Majesty's actual birthday is 21 April, her official birthday is 12 June.
The birthday comes as people begin to gather outside St Mary's Hospital in London in anticipation of the birth of the Queen's newest great-grandchild. The baby, which bookies believe will be a blonde girl called Alice, who will be fourth in line to the Throne, is due on Saturday.
The Queen celebrates her 89th birthday
BBC News
21 April
The Queen's official birthday is on 12 June
The Queen will celebrate her 89th birthday privately at Windsor Castle today.
Her Majesty, who has been staying at the castle for the past month, has no official engagements listed.
In her honour, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will stage a 41-gun royal salute.
The salute will follow a selection of celebratory music from the Band of the Royal Artillery close to the firing position in Hyde Park.
The birthday comes as people begin to gather outside St Mary's Hospital in London in anticipation of the birth of the Queen's newest great-grandchild.
The Duchess of Cambridge is expected to give birth to her and Prince William's second child there later this month, with some fans already waiting as long as two weeks outside the hospital.
Kensington Palace said Prince William was now on unpaid leave until June after completing the first phase of his in-work air ambulance helicopter pilot training sooner than expected.
A palace spokesperson said he would return to work after a period of pre-planned official royal engagements in late May.
Prince Harry will also briefly return to the UK this weekend, following the Gallipoli commemorations in Turkey, to attend the London Marathon as patron of the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
The Queen will be given the traditional 41-gun royal salute by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park today
Video: Royal 'superfans' await the birth of the Duchess of Cambridge's second baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NcMksTMbY6E
The King's Troop - in full dress uniform - will ride their horses and gun carriages past Buckingham Palace at midday en route to Hyde Park where they will stage their gun salute using six 13-pounder Field Guns dating from around the time of the First World War.
An hour later, the Honourable Artillery Company will fire a 62-gun royal salute from the river bank at the Tower of London, overlooking HMS Belfast.
Salutes round UK
Three L118 Ceremonial Light Guns, similar to those used in Afghanistan in recent years, will be used to fire the salute across the Thames.
There will also be gun salutes at Edinburgh Castle, Cardiff Castle, and Hillsborough Castle in County Down.
The basic Royal salute is 21 rounds. A further 20 are fired at royal parks and royal palaces and fortresses and another 21 for being in the City of London.
Kensington Palace also said Prince William had completed the first phase of his air ambulance pilot training
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born at 0240 GMT on 21 April, 1926 at the Mayfair home of her mother's parents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore (a restaurant now stands on the site).
Though Her Majesty's actual birthday is 21 April, her official birthday is 12 June.
The tradition of two birthdays dates back to the time when, if monarchs were born in winter, the weather was deemed unsuitable for outdoor events.
In Britain, the Queen's official birthday is traditionally marked by the Trooping the Colour ceremony in Horse Guards Parade, which this year will take place on Saturday 13 June.
A thimble honouring the monarch's 89th birthday today
The Queen celebrates her 89th birthday - BBC News
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