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| Queen's 90th birthday: St Paul's service marks Queen's 'faithful devotion' | Queen's 90th birthday: St Paul's service marks Queen's 'faithful devotion' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A national service of thanksgiving to mark the Queen's 90th birthday at St Paul's Cathedral has paid tribute to her "faithful devotion" to the country. | A national service of thanksgiving to mark the Queen's 90th birthday at St Paul's Cathedral has paid tribute to her "faithful devotion" to the country. |
| Dean of St Paul's David Ison thanked the Queen for her "gentle constancy, royal dignity and kindly humanity". | |
| Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said the Queen had reigned through "war and hardship, turmoil and change". | |
| The service was attended by Royal Family members, including the Duke of Edinburgh - on his own 95th birthday. | |
| PM David Cameron read from the Bible, while broadcaster Sir David Attenborough read a passage written by Michael Bond, author of the Paddington Bear books, on "the passing of the years". | |
| Your questions answered on the BBC's Facebook | Your questions answered on the BBC's Facebook |
| How is her birthday being celebrated? | How is her birthday being celebrated? |
| In pictures: Queen's 90th birthday celebrations so far | In pictures: Queen's 90th birthday celebrations so far |
| The service begins three days of events to mark the Queen's official birthday celebrations. | |
| The Queen has two birthdays - the official one is always held on a Saturday in June, while her real birthday on 21 April - in a tradition going back 250 years. It was introduced to try to ensure better weather for the monarch's official celebrations. | |
| Dressed in yellow, the Queen arrived at St Paul's Cathedral to cheers from the gathered crowds, and a fanfare of trumpets. | Dressed in yellow, the Queen arrived at St Paul's Cathedral to cheers from the gathered crowds, and a fanfare of trumpets. |
| Archbishop Welby led the service at St Paul's, attended by more than 2,000 people. | |
| Guests included senior politicians, faith leaders, governors-general - who represent the Queen in Commonwealth countries - and hundreds of members of the public nominated by government departments to recognise their service. | |
| The Very Reverend David Ison opened the service by thanking the Queen for her "faithful devotion, dutiful commitment, loving leadership, gentle constancy, royal dignity and kindly humanity". | |
| "And, as we give thanks for Her Majesty, so also do we give thanks for Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and all the Royal Family: for mutual love and support and for service to this country and to the Commonwealth." | "And, as we give thanks for Her Majesty, so also do we give thanks for Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and all the Royal Family: for mutual love and support and for service to this country and to the Commonwealth." |
| 'Wonder and gratitude' | |
| Archbishop Welby read excerpts from Psalm 139 and told the congregation it explored "fear and wonder, and the connection between them". | |
| He said over the Queen's lifetime, there had been "much to fear at times of personal challenge or national crisis". | |
| "But just as the Psalmist sees through fear to something more stirring and more extraordinary, so we look back on Your Majesty's 90 years in the life of our nation with deep wonder and profound gratitude. | |
| "Through war and hardship, through turmoil and change, we have been fearfully and wonderfully sustained." | |
| More than 50 members of the Royal Family were at the service, including the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry. | More than 50 members of the Royal Family were at the service, including the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry. |
| Among political figures were Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, new Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, as well as several cabinet ministers. | |
| 'Shock of my life' | |
| Broadcaster Clare Balding, who has an association with the Queen as three generations of her family have trained horses for her, was one of six individuals who led specially-written prayers. | |
| Another was read by Hilda Price, a 90-year-old widow from Cardiff who shares her birthday with the Queen. | |
| Great-grandmother Mrs Price, who was born on the same day as the Queen - 21 April 1926 - in a house in Carmarthen, said "it was the shock of my life" to be picked to take part in the service. | Great-grandmother Mrs Price, who was born on the same day as the Queen - 21 April 1926 - in a house in Carmarthen, said "it was the shock of my life" to be picked to take part in the service. |
| After the service, the Queen was hosting the governors-general for lunch at Buckingham Palace. | |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Peter Hunt, BBC royal correspondent | By Peter Hunt, BBC royal correspondent |
| Decades after their contemporaries embraced retirement, the Queen - who was 90 in April - and Prince Philip who turns 95 today - are still active in public life. | Decades after their contemporaries embraced retirement, the Queen - who was 90 in April - and Prince Philip who turns 95 today - are still active in public life. |
| The prince will celebrate his birthday privately. According to the royal biographer, Hugo Vickers, the Queen's husband is still firing on all cylinders. | The prince will celebrate his birthday privately. According to the royal biographer, Hugo Vickers, the Queen's husband is still firing on all cylinders. |
| His wife will be the focus of three days of events being held to mark the passing of yet another milestone - Britain's longest reigning monarch is also Britain's oldest monarch. | His wife will be the focus of three days of events being held to mark the passing of yet another milestone - Britain's longest reigning monarch is also Britain's oldest monarch. |
| At St Paul's this morning, the Queen was joined by other nonagenarians including Sir David Attenborough and the author Michael Bond. Sir David read a reflection on the passing of the years written by the creator of Paddington Bear. | At St Paul's this morning, the Queen was joined by other nonagenarians including Sir David Attenborough and the author Michael Bond. Sir David read a reflection on the passing of the years written by the creator of Paddington Bear. |
| The bear from deepest, darkest Peru has one thing in common with the head of state - they both have two birthdays. When Paddington went to live with the Brown family, they agreed bears had two birthdays every year "just like the Queen". | The bear from deepest, darkest Peru has one thing in common with the head of state - they both have two birthdays. When Paddington went to live with the Brown family, they agreed bears had two birthdays every year "just like the Queen". |
| Read more from Peter Hunt | Read more from Peter Hunt |
| Street party | Street party |
| On Saturday - which is the Queen's official birthday - the annual Trooping the Colour will be held in London's Horse Guards Parade. | On Saturday - which is the Queen's official birthday - the annual Trooping the Colour will be held in London's Horse Guards Parade. |
| The birthday parade will end with members of the Royal Family making their annual appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where they will watch an RAF flypast. | The birthday parade will end with members of the Royal Family making their annual appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where they will watch an RAF flypast. |
| What can you learn about longevity from the Queen? | What can you learn about longevity from the Queen? |
| Queen quiz: Test your royal knowledge | Queen quiz: Test your royal knowledge |
| Duke of Edinburgh: Naval officer, family man and tribal icon | Duke of Edinburgh: Naval officer, family man and tribal icon |
| On Sunday, the Queen will then host a street party for some 10,000 people at the Patron's Lunch - a celebration of her patronage of more than 600 organisations in the UK and around the Commonwealth. | On Sunday, the Queen will then host a street party for some 10,000 people at the Patron's Lunch - a celebration of her patronage of more than 600 organisations in the UK and around the Commonwealth. |
| The Mall, in St James's Park, will be lined with picnic tables for the street party, during which guests will enjoy a hamper-style lunch. | The Mall, in St James's Park, will be lined with picnic tables for the street party, during which guests will enjoy a hamper-style lunch. |
| The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William and Prince Harry are due to attend the party. | The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William and Prince Harry are due to attend the party. |
| Queen Elizabeth II at 90 | Queen Elizabeth II at 90 |
| Find out more about Queen Elizabeth II on BBC iWonder | Find out more about Queen Elizabeth II on BBC iWonder |