Queen Elizabeth's 83rd Birthday

Happy Birthday, Queen Elizabeth II!

21st April (2009) marks the monarch's 83rd year, though the occasion is celebrated twice a year in England: once privately, on her actual birthday, and again with an official national celebration in June.

Today we offer a look back at some of her most glorious gowns, as well as a few of her more casual moments, and what she wore to meet U.S. presidents, beginning with Truman.

Painting of a 7-year-old Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II, in 1933 by Philip Alexius de Laszlo.

Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, now Prince Philip, at London's Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony on Nov. 20, 1947.

Princess Elizabeth in 1949.


Princess Elizabeth with President Truman in 1951.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 2, 1953 after Elizabeth is crowned Queen at Westminter Abbey in London.

The Queen, far right, receives a kiss on the hand from Prime Minister Winston Churchill as she leaves 10 Downing Street on April 1, 1955.

At the State Opening of Parliament in London, April 1966.

Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with French singer Mireille Mathieu in London, 1969.

WIth Britain's former Prime Minister Edward Heath, President Richard M.Nixon and his wife Pat in 1970.

Shaking hands with Barbara Streisand at the 1975 Royal Film performance in London.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip pose with President Gerald Ford and first lady Betty Ford on their way to dinner aboard the yacht Britannia in 1976.

Looking through her diary of engagements at her desk in Windsor Castle in May 1977.

Meeting former President Reagan and wife Nancy for lunch at Buckingham Palace in 1989.

With President Clinton in 1994.

With the Clintons in 1995.

WIth the Bushes in 2003.

with President Obama and the First Lady.

Driving her Land Rover in 2005.

Meeting the Obamas on April 1st.

Long Live the Queen!!

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Queen Elizabeth II Visits Slovakia

Queen Elizabeth II Visits Slovakia

Queen Elizabeth II visited the Devin castle near Bratislava in Slovakia.

It is the first time a British monarch has visited the former communist country.

The Queen met the Slovenian President Danilo Turk while Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, spoke to Mr Turk’s wife Barbara in Ljubljana.

She arrived in Slovakia after a two-day visit to Slovenia during her European tour.

The Royal couple have embarked on a tour of Central Europe.

She met the Slovakian president Ivan Gasparovic in Bratislava.

The Queen was given a traditional welcome gift of salt and bread before a walkabout in Bratislava.

Sheltering from the rain, she was also treated to a display of traditional Slovak folk dancing.

Royalty at Sea - Tour the Glamorous Queen Ships

Royalty at Sea: Tour the Glamorous Queen Ships

In 1936, the Cunard ship Queen Mary was decommissioned from war service and assigned to express sailings between England and New York, launching an era of crossing the Atlantic in style. This glamour has become synonymous with the entire line of Queen ships, including the newest of Cunard’s cruise boats, the Queen Victoria.

In December 2007, the newest of Cunard’s cruise ships, the Queen Victoria (pictured), set sail from Southampton, England, on its maiden voyage. In 2008, the ship celebrates its European heritage by offering itineraries to iconic ports such as the Mediterranean’s whitewashed seaside villages and northern Europe’s dreamlike fjords.

Fireworks in NY harbor for the 3 Cunard Queens!

Passengers are made most welcome upon entering the lobby of the newest Cunard ocean liner, the Queen Victoria

Of the 990 staterooms onboard the Queen Victoria, the most opulent are the four Grand Suites named for past Cunard liners: Aquitania, Berengaria, Mauretania and Laconia.

Guests on the Queen Victoria are assigned to dine at one of three restaurants: the Britannia Restaurant, the Queens Grill and the Princess Grill (pictured is the al fresco courtyard for the grills). In addition, diners may pull up a chair at several smaller caf?s and lounges, or choose from a private-dining menu for delivery to their stateroom.

This spiral staircase leads to the Queen Victoria’s library. The 6,000-title selection of reading material will come in handy for those who set sail in 2009 on the ship’s inaugural “Full World” cruises, which will take passengers around the globe through famous waters from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean over more than 80 days.

Fencing class is one of the many activities hosted in the Queens Room on the Queen Victoria. At night, this room converts to a ballroom where couples glide across the gleaming dance floor under shimmering chandeliers.

Beginning service in January 2004, the Queen Mary 2 was the largest cruise ship at the time of its completion (a distinction that now belongs to Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas). At 147 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, this regal ship holds up to 2,592 guests.

The Queen Mary 2’s Grand Lobby staircase is just one visual reminder that you are ascending to a new world of luxury onboard. The ship’s varied itineraries escort guests to the ports of cosmopolitan cities such as Sydney and Singapore.

The well-known Canyon Ranch Spa also has a location at sea aboard the Queen Mary 2, where guests can receive treatments such as facials and massages. For those looking for more active pursuits, the ship’s Sports Deck includes two pools, a golf simulator and putting green, basketball and shuffleboard courts and more.

All aboard, Fifi and Fido! The Queen Mary 2 is pet-friendly, offering a kennel program for all crossings between New York and Southampton, England. A full-time kennel master cares for the furry passengers housed in the ship’s 12 kennels. The kennels and adjacent indoor and outdoor walking areas are open throughout the day so passengers can interact with their pets.

Passengers on the Queen Mary 2 can experience cultural treats such as black-tie soirees, West End-caliber theater productions and gourmet wine tastings. Stargazers can catch a glimpse of the heavens in the ship’s planetarium.

In 1967, the Queen Elizabeth 2 was launched by Her Majesty, for whom the ship was named. In the more than 40 years since then, the liner has carried more than 2.5 million passengers and has crossed the Atlantic Ocean more than 800 times.

The historic Queen Elizabeth 2 is being retired in 2008. Its final voyage will set sail on Nov. 11 on an itinerary that will take it from Southampton to Dubai.

Guests onboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 may dine in a variety of settings, including the Queens, Princess and Britannia grills and the Caronia and Mauretania restaurants. Casual options also abound, from the midnight buffet at the Lido to pints in the Gold Lion Pub.

Nothing says British tradition like afternoon tea in the Queens Room aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2. White-gloved waiters serve tea leaves plucked from around the world, accompanied by fresh cucumber sandwiches and jam-smothered scones.

The three queens had a once-in-a-lifetime rendezvous in New York Harbor in January. The Queen Victoria, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 held court in the waters near Manhattan, illuminated by fireworks and witnessed by another famous lady — the Statue of Liberty.


For further reading, please refer to my other blog at:
http://whazzup-malao.blogspot.com/2008/04/thousands-watch-meeting-of-3-queen.html