The armed services will be honoured on Saturday -- the queen's actual official birthday -- and Sunday will celebrate the work of charities. The three-day celebrations have the theme of public service, with members of the NHS, the police and the fire service represented at the thanksgiving service. The queen turned 90 on April 21, but British monarchs also have an official birthday celebration nearer the summer to make the most of the warmer weather in a tradition going back 250 years. To mark the queen's birthday, the royal family released a double portrait taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh who have been married for more than 68 years. The sprightly monarch who still keeps a gruelling calendar of official engagements and events kicked off three days of celebrations with a thanksgiving ceremony at the Baroque-style church.

Source: Standard Digital June 10, 2016 16:36 UTC