WINDSOR, England — It’s not a problem one faces every day: What kind of present do you give a nonagenarian who lives in castles and is arguably the world’s most famous royal?
The thick crowds that lined the streets in Windsor on Thursday, where Queen Elizabeth II was celebrating her 90th birthday, opted for flowers (lots of carnations, said to be the monarch’s favorite), cakes (one shaped like a corgi), cards (many homemade) and a giant stuffed bulldog.
Windsor, a city about 20 miles west of London, was the focal point for the queen’s many birthday celebrations taking place across the country.
Wearing a bright, lime-green coat dress and hat – she likes to be spotted in a crowd – the queen mingled with thousands of well-wishers during a 30-minute walkabout. She cheerfully accepted dozens of cards and flowers – which were passed to her lady-in-waiting – and unveiled a plaque marking “The Queen’s Walkway,” a 6.3-kilometer walking trail.
“At 90, she is still doing this. I think she’s just wonderful,” said Jeanette Standee, 64, a self-described royalist who made the queen a birthday card and wears a watch whose face sports a picture of the monarch.
There is a much more festive mood in the air than there was in September, when Elizabeth II became Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. At the time, royal-watchers said she was reluctant to mark that milestone, in part because her reign began with the death of her beloved father.
But there was an undeniable lightness on this sunny spring day while throngs sang “Happy Birthday” and snapped pictures on their smartphones.
At one point, she stopped to talk to “The Great British Bake Off” winner Nadiya Hussain, who showed her the orange drizzle cake she whipped up for the occasion.
Elizabeth II has spent nearly two-thirds of her life as head of state, and she’s still carrying out royal duties. This week, she marked the 500th anniversary of the postal service. On Friday, she and her husband, Prince Philip, will host a lunch for President and Michelle Obama.
“Most people at 90 would want to kick back, I think,” said Mary Laturner, 32, an Australian living in London who was sharing a royal-themed birthday cake – retailers are keen to cash in on the occasion – with others in a dense crowd outside Windsor Castle. “She’s an ambassador for what it means to work hard regardless of your age.”
Back in London, British Prime Minister David Cameron led tributes in the House of Commons, praising the monarch as a symbol of continuity.
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