Quiet day for Queen as she turns 79

Last updated at 08:22 21 April 2005


The Queen is spending a quiet day at Windsor today as she celebrates her 79th birthday.

As usual her birthday celebrations are private but it is unlikely that she will see many of her immediate family.

The Duke of York is currently on official business in Japan and the Princess Royal is visiting Germany, while the Prince of Wales and the Queen's new daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Cornwall, are at Birkhall on the royal Balmoral estate in Scotland.

Longevity runs in the female line of the Windsor dynasty and the Queen appears to be in robust health.

However, as she enters her 80th year, there are signs of her slowing down and reducing what was once a busy schedule.

Royal insiders have always indicated that as the Queen grew older, her son and heir Charles would take over more of her official duties.

But for a 79-year-old, the Queen remains remarkably active.

As well as the public engagements she fulfils, there are private meetings and audiences at Buckingham Palace and a stream of Government documents for the Head of State to read.

Added to this is the considerable workload involved in the Queen's role as Head of the Commonwealth, a worldwide organisation encompassing 53 countries and 30 per cent of the world's population (1.7 billion people).

And do not forget that she is also Queen in several other states - Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, Belize, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, and the Solomon Islands.

Retirement is not on the agenda. At the age of 21, she pledged to devote her "whole life" to the service of her people and will continue to reign until death.

• The Queen's birthday is known as a Flag Day when the Union Flag is flown above government buildings from 8am until sunset.

Royal gun salutes are also fired in the Queen's honour.

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