Queen's birthday marked with 21 gun salute in Windsor

The Queen's birthday celebrations went off with a bang as 21 mini-cannons were fired off at the Long Walk in Windsor to mark the occasion.

Hoards of onlookers gathered to watch Queen Elizabeth II's 88th birthday salute this afternoon as children chosen from the crowd took turns to light the cannons, which went off with a deafening boom.

Mayor of Windsor and Maidenhead, Cllr Andrew Jenner, and town crier Chris Brown made sure the celebrations went off without any hitches.

"It's brilliant," said Cllr Jenner. "There are hundreds of people here in good spirits and it's great to get the children involved.

"Seeing the look on their faces makes it worthwhile.

"I've come down a few times and it's the most people I have ever seen. It's great fun."

He added that it was even more fitting to do the traditional salute in front of the castle when the Queen was in residence ahead of her attendance at the Easter Day Service at Windsor Castle tomorrow.

The Queen will celebrate her actual birthday on Monday.

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