Proud scouts meet the Queen at Windsor Castle

The Queen proved that at 86 she is still unfazed by wet and windy weather as she welcomed more than 600 scouts to Windsor Castle yesterday.

The scouts from around the United Kingdom and as far afield as Uganda, Belize and St Lucia were led by famous television explorer Bear Grylls, who has been chief scout since 2009.

The Queen looked relaxed and comfortable, protected against the weather by a pale green coat and hat, and was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, 90. On arrival the Queen was presented with a bouquet of flowers from youngsters.

The young visitors had all earned their royal review in the Quadrangle because they were recipients of their Queen's Scout Award, the highest honour a scout can achieve. 

Brendan Goswell, 26, a scout leader in Colnbrook, said: "It was the biggest event in my scouting life. I started off as a beaver and I have aspired to be a Queen's Scout ever since.

"To be able to parade in front of the Queen is a real honour. I am quite speechless."

To become a Queen's scout Brendan had to tick off a long list of tasks which included leading a team of six explorer scouts on a 50-mile canoe trek along the River Thames in August last year.

As well as the 600 Queen Scouts, the Queen met 50 youngsters who received gallantry awards for demonstrating outstanding bravery in saving the lives of others.

Other Queen's Scout Award winners had completed a range of tasks including expeditions into the wilder reaches of the country, while spending at least five days working on community projects.