God Save the Queen

Queen Elizabeth II presides over the official celebrations for her 90th birthday in London, England, within a State protocol structured across three consecutive days in June 2016.

Having acceded to the throne at the age of 25 on 6 February 1952 following the death of her father, George VI, the sovereign holds the record for the longest reign in British history, having guided the country through post-colonial transitions and worked alongside 12 Prime Ministers, while maintaining a public approval rating exceeding 74%.

The official celebrations, distinct from her biological birthday on 21 April and fixed in June since 1748 to ensure favourable weather, open on Friday 10 June with a private religious service at St Paul's Cathedral; the occasion coincides with the 95th birthday of her consort, the Duke of Edinburgh, and is honoured at Hyde Park with a 41-gun salute executed by the Royal Horse Artillery.

On Saturday 11 June, the sovereign travels by carriage along The Mall through lines of spectators to review the troops during Trooping the Colour, a military parade dating back to the 17th century which mobilises 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and over 400 musicians at Horse Guards Parade; the event concludes with the Royal Family's appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and a flypast by the Royal Air Force.

The dense institutional calendar culminates on Sunday 12 June with The Patron's Lunch, a large open-air collective luncheon that transforms The Mall into a street party for delegates from the 628 charitable organisations patronised by the Crown, visually documenting the formal and social bond between the public and the monarchical apparatus.