This was, in many ways, an ordinary working day for the Queen. Unveiling a plaque, meeting flag-waving members of the public on a walkabout, being presented with a bouquet of flowers - these are things she has done thousands of times. But the crowds weren't going to let her forget that this day, her 90th birthday, was something out of the ordinary.
Some had been waiting for hours - some for days - to catch a glimpse of the Queen on the day she became the nation's first-ever nonagenarian monarch.
The crowds were 10 deep in places, with locals from Windsor desperate to see their royal neighbour standing alongside those from Canada, America and Japan. They came wearing Union Jack ties and wigs, and tights embellished with crowns.
As the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh walked the short distance from Windsor Castle, a spontaneous rendition of Happy Birthday rang out - and it wouldn't be the last.
One woman who has lived nearly as long as the Queen summed up the atmosphere. Gwen Tarr, 88, who says she is "Windsor born and bred", said: "It was so lovely. I just wanted to celebrate the day with her and wish her a happy birthday - and many more birthdays to come."
Most of the gun salutes were due to be 21 shots - the standard royal gun salute - at locations including Hillsborough Castle, Cardiff Castle, and Edinburgh Castle.
In London, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery staged a 41-gun salute at midday in Hyde Park. And the Honourable Artillery Company fired a 62-gun salute across the Thames from the Tower of London .
AP
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