Queen Elizabeth celebrates 82nd birthday

Published: June 14, 2008 at 12:24 PM
UPI Pictures of the Year 2007

LONDON, June 14 (UPI) -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth marked her 82nd birthday Saturday, though her actual birthday is April 21, Buckingham Palace said.

Palace officials said while the queen's birthday is in April, she celebrates the annual event on a Saturday in June to take advantage of the month's traditionally good weather, CNN reported.

The royal matriarch's birthday was honored with a ceremony known as "Trooping the Color," which involves the queen inspecting several military troops before a fly-over by the Royal Air Force.

Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph said the queen's birthday honors list was unveiled to reveal who will receive a knighthood for their accomplishments.

This year's recipients include TV hosts Des O'Connor and Paul O'Grady, along with comedian Victoria Wood.

O'Grady, who celebrated his own birthday Friday, told the Telegraph he was surprised to receive a Most Excellent Order of the British Empire from the queen.

"I'm the last person, I'd have thought, who would be given an MBE," the 53-year-old said.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
COL FB: Miami (Fla.) 31, South Florida 10 (11 min)
Roethlisberger to miss Ravens game (52 min)
Brain study points to jet lag help
Masseuse reaches out and touches someone
COL FB: Virginia Tech 42, Virginia 13
Hotels hope cyber-shoppers will check in
Sheep shoppers caught on camera
fark
Vancouver (Nanny State Jr.) considers altering law to order all residents to clear their own sidewalks...
Drunk drivers eclipsed as greatest threat on roads by iPod zombie cyclists
Every year parents struggle with which toys to buy their kids for Christmas. Well, here's fifteen...
Old & busted: Bloggers steal from MSM. New hotness: Bloggers report actual news while MSM covers...
The Teflon Son: John Gotti Jr. not convicted again
New England's last military air base shuts down. In case anyone from the Soviet Union is reading...