Leading the way: The Queen and Prince
Philip wave to the crowd at the head of a 'royal convoy' of Range Rovers
bringing them to the street party in The Mall
Scramble: Thousands of people battled
each other to get into the best position to take a picture of the moment
Her Majesty arrived
Patience: The crowd waited with baited
breath before the Queen, pictured with Prince Philip, took to the stage
to speak to her adoring subject
Proud family: Prince William, right
with Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge, thanked his grandmother,
left, for 'everything she had done for the family'
Doting grandmother: The Queen looks on adoringly at Prince William in the Royal Box at the exclusive event outside the palace
The big moment: The Queen appeared in a pink coat and hat alongside Prince Philip as she waved to the crowd from a car
Happy families: Prince William, left,
told the adoring crowd the Duchess of Cambridge, centre, Prince Harry,
right, and he were 'extremely proud' to be there
Line-up: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, pictured left to right, looked overjoyed to see Her Majesty arrive
In the pink: The Queen told the crowd how much she appreciated all of the birthday cards and messages she had received so far
On the stage: The monarch, centre,
flanked by Prince Philip and Kate, made her speech from a special dais
built in The Mall and had not even been expected to speak at the event
Crowd-pleaser: A cheerful Prince Harry
also went to talk to the punters braving the conditions, carrying an
umbrella just in case
Party planner: The Queen, right, looks over the event with grandson Peter Phillips, left, who has organised the extravaganza
What's been said? The Duke of Edinburgh, right, has clearly tickled Kate's, left, funnybone as they converse in the Royal Box
She
added: 'I much appreciate the kindness of all your birthday messages
and have been delighted and moved by the many cards and messages I have
received. How I will feel if people are still signing happy birthday in
December remains to be seen.'
The Queen also paid tribute to the hundreds of charities she is associated with and said they were 'an example to us all'.
Introducing
his grandmother to the stage, Prince William thanked the monarch on
behalf of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren for 'all she has
done for the family'.
He said: 'Catherine, Harry and I and the rest of our family are extremely proud to be here today.
'My family has had plenty of reason to celebrate since the Queen turned 90 in April.
'She
is the one head of state that world leaders can turn to for a first
hand perspective of the arch of history over the last six decades. At 90
she is the leader of our country who we all look up to in good times
and in challenging moments to guide us ahead.'
He
added: 'I say a personal thank you to the Queen on behalf of all of her
grandchildren and great grandchildren. Thank you for everything you
have done for our family we could not wish you a happier birthday.'
Delight: Kate was all smiles as she
wondered around the fence in The Mall, stopping to chat to the public
and thank them for coming
Walk to remember: Princess Eugenie
(left), Princess Beatrice (centre) and their father Prince Andrew
(right), made their way out of the palace on foot to greet the crowds
Meanwhile: Elsewhere at a street party
in Gloucestershire, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall spent
time talking to thrilled party-goers
Creature comforts: Camilla spent time
talking to children at the event in Brimpsfield and inspected their
costumes, including this 'fox'
Host: The Queen
was pictured earlier in the day popping her head around the curtain to
inspect the weather and keep an eye on the party
Earlier, William praised the crowd for braving the weather and ensuring a good time was had by all.
He
said: 'Thank you so much for showing that the Great British public
doesn’t let an little rain spoil a good day out. It means so much to see
everybody here today.
'I
thank the organisers, especially my cousin Peter for working so hard
over the past year for turning his vision of this celebration into a
reality.'
Ponchos and Pimm's have been handed out with 10,000 revellers celebrating the Queen's birthday beneath storm clouds.
Thundery
showers have hit central London as an army of organisers completed the
final preparations this morning for a street party of epic proportions,
called the Patron's Lunch.
But
with umbrellas banned on site, thousands of plastic macs are have been
handed out alongside the pork pies and cake to cope with the torrential
rain.
Even
the Queen looked apprehensive as she was pictured popping her head
around the curtain to check out what was going on outside the palace.
The
street party in The Mall is the culmination of three days of
celebrations for the Queen's official 90th birthday, following the
Trooping the Colour ceremony yesterday and a special thanksgiving
service at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday.
Party: The parade has been in full swing, with a giant 90 being carried around in the procession to mark the big event
Soaring: Among the colourful creations for the parade is this giant bird of prey, pictured, being hoisted up by schoolchildren
Famous faces: Model Olivia Inge, pictured, attends The Patron's Lunch on behalf of official drinks sponsor Pimm's
Revellers at the Queen's 90th birthday street party flocked to The Mall as the celebrations got under way amid the wet weather.
Some
10,000 people were descending on the famous London thoroughfare, ahead
of a carnival-style parade watched by the monarch, the Duke of
Edinburgh, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
As
the gates opened for ticket holders at 10am, the first party-goers
passed through security checks, ready to collect their wicker basket
hampers.
With rain falling, many of the ticket holders were decked out in sheer white oversized ponchos handed out by the organisers.
Strike a pose: Prince William strokes
his chin as he chats to children in the crowd as others take pictures on
their camera phones
Some wore union flag hats or carried patriotic flags as they moved down The Mall looking for their seats.
Sat
at a rain-soaked table was Anne Nutt, a member of the Essex Scout
executive, who was at the event as Harlow District Scouts had won the
Queen's Award for Voluntary Services last year.
Looking
around at the large puddles forming in The Mall, Ms Nutt said: 'I think
today is absolutely marvellous and it's when the British people show
their true colours - the true British spirit.
'People have come out from their warm, dry homes for four or five hours in the pouring rain.
'But it's been nice to meet people from other charities and the large number of ex-servicemen that are here.'
Princess Beatrice (left), Prince Andrew (centre) and Princess Eugenie (right) have also been spotted keeping tabs on the party
Chic: Some glamorous guests, pictured,
have arrived dressed to the nines although their ponchos are obscuring
their fashionable clothes
Downpour: Party-goers make their way through heavy rain showers as they walk towards the party at The Mall in London
Tasty: Despite the torrential rain,
revellers are still treating the event like it was any other sunny day
by enjoying ice creams, pictured
Happy: Many have arrived wearing an array of wacky hats and costumes as they throw themselves into the spirit of the occasion
Ms
Nutt said she was making sure her lunch hamper was out of the rain:
'I'm keeping it sealed to the last possible moment, we can all drink tea
but soggy sandwiches is pushing it.'
The
Mall was a sea of ponchos, included in the hampers which the guests had
received, and there were long queues for tents serving free tea.
One guest, who did not want to give her name, exclaimed 'I've paid £150 for this' as she looked around at the sodden conditions.
Audrey Asquith, from Reading, sat at a table in her poncho eating an ice cream.
She said: 'I think this is wonderful, I would have walked through fire (to be here).'
She
and her husband had bought their tickets for the Patron's Lunch and
they had spent last night in London to ensure they would not be late for
the start of the event.
She added: 'We can't be bothering about the weather otherwise we wouldn't go anywhere in England.'
Gloomy: Umbrellas are out as a group of people attending the Patron's Lunch in London today protect themselves against the rain
Cover: There are 10,000 guests expected today and ponchos are being handed out to help people avoid being soaked
Marvellous: Guests said they were enjoying the event and that it was part of being British to overcome the downpour, pictured
Lunchtime: Party-goers, pictured, do not seem to keen to sit down to enjoy their food at wet tables and chairs at The Mall
All smiles: Anita Mead (left) and Lisa
Kilby (right) from Maidstone, Kent, accessorise their ponchos with
British-theme hats as they enjoy their lunch hamper
Souvenir: The hampers contain Lochmuir smoked salmon mousse, Pembrokeshire chicken roulade, assorted cheeses and Pimm's
Lonely lunch: Many tables currently sit abandoned as punters keep their hampers closed to avoid 'soggy sandwiches'
Innovative: These creative revellers managed to create their own picnic shelter by pushing two bins together, pictured
Tradition: People are also watching
the event in Green Park, pictured, and are getting into the spirit of
things with a very British picnic
Dress-up: Enthusiastic fans of the
Queen have dressed up in Britsh-themed costumes, including one man in a
Union Jack suit, pictured
Wet wet wet: But just like at the main
event, people in the park, pictured, are doing whatever they can to
shield themselves against the rain
Spirit: There is no dampening of the mood however, with Union Jack ponchos, pictured, helping revellers stay positive
Mr
Phillips is a director of Sports and Entertainment Ltd, a global events
agency which came up with the idea for the not-for-profit event and
will receive an undisclosed fee for staging it.
The
party will be shown live on big screens in St James's Park and Green
Park in London and will be televised on BBC One from 1.15pm.
The
Queen and members of the family will later make an appearance to watch
part of the colourful parade, before taking to a stage where William and
Harry are expected to pay tribute to their grandmother.
The
parade will have themes for each era of the Queen's reign, kicking off
with nautical-themed props and a giant puppet of the Royal Yacht
Britannia.
A flower power theme will dominate the 1960s, while a 1980s 'neon' vibe will feature Rubik's cubes and leg warmers.
Some
1,600 volunteers from Patron's organisations from across the UK and
Commonwealth will take part and reflect a variety of categories
including animals, the Armed Services, children and young people, arts
and culture.
Typical British summer: Traditional
seasonal favourites such as strawberries and cream and deck chairs have
been let down by the weather
Posh drink: A woman wearing a queen-themed cardigan pours herself a cup of tea from a crown-shaped teapot, pictured
Picnic: Guests at the £150-per-head
event have all received a Marks and Spencer hamper of food including a
can of Pimm's, pictured
Sweet: Guests are also tucking into homemade cakes and biscuits that have been baked into crown shapes in tribute to the Queen