A beaming Queen Elizabeth II greeted thousands of flag-waving fans on her 80th birthday Friday, basking in a popularity that has undercut calls to abolish the British monarchy.
The sprightly queen, who still travels throughout Britain and the rest of the world, accepted flowers and gifts as she emerged from Windsor Castle, the centuries-old royal retreat west of London.
Dressed in a fuchsia pink overcoat and matching hat, the queen, smiling and even laughing at times, chatted with well-wishers of all ages who stood behind metal barriers.
The celebrations highlight how her popularity has endured despite the family divorces and scandals that shook the House of Windsor in the 1990s and prompted public speculation about how long the monarchy could survive.
Opinion polls suggest it will certainly last as long as she lives. The queen has received tens of thousands of birthday cards and email messages from across Britain as well as from Canada, Australia and other former colonies in the 53-nation Commonwealth.
Tributes have also poured in from Prime Minister Tony Blair and other British politicians who have called her a pillar of strength as Britain's head of state and the head of the Commonwealth.
Blair and his cabinet sent the queen a china tea set she wanted, estimated to have cost around 1,000 pounds (1,780 dollars, 1,450 euros). "I think she is so important that anything we can do to show her support is wonderful," said Maureen Vaughan, 73, who offered the queen white flowers for her birthday, one she herself shares with the sovereign.
The Union Flag flew from government buildings to mark the royal birthday, while a 21-gun salute - an annual tradition - was fired at 10:30 am (0930 GMT) from Windsor Great Park. Soldiers in London's Hyde Park also sounded a special 41-gun salute and cannons fired over Edinburgh, Scotland.
Queen Elizabeth herself enjoyed the first moments of her ninth decade in private before emerging from the castle, parts of which date back nearly 1,000 years, through the King Henry VIII gate.
The crowd gave her three cheers and joined in as the band of the Irish Guards, wearing the trademark red jackets and bear-skin hats, struck up "Happy Birthday To You".
The queen, who wore a string of pearls, black gloves and a shiny black handbag, chatted with a small group of girl guides who curtseyed before giving her flowers and other small gifts. Accompanied at first by her husband Prince Philip, 84, who wore a beige overcoat, the queen then went on a 45-minute walkabout through Windsor town, chatting to some of the crowd estimated by police at 20,000-strong.
Supporters cheered and took souvenir pictures as she passed.
Born at 2:40 am on April 21, 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary has grown to become one of the best-loved members of the House of Windsor. She was proclaimed queen in February 1952, aged just 25, after the death of her father, King George VI, and was crowned in June 1953.
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