Unlike her mother, who had been famed for her public birthdays every year, The Queen only celebrated the big numbers with public appearances, and I loved being a part of them.
On Her Majesty's 60th birthday it rained. I remember being in Windsor in the morning to see The Queen being driven through the streets in a carriage from the Royal Mews, and I can still picture the raindrops running down the windows as she passed by, wearing a cheery yellow outfit and waving happily at the gathered crowds. Later in the day I shared a taxi into London with a couple of friends, one of whom worked at Buckingham Palace, in order to see Her Majesty again when she appeared at the palace to greet the procession of children who had arrived down The Mall bearing daffodils by the thousand. But it was the evening that left the most magical memories that still  make me smile today. There was a special gala performance, "Fanfare for Elizabeth", at The Royal Opera House, with the birthday girl as guest of honour, and this was a strictly black tie affair, as befitted the occasion. But rather than be driven directly to the door of the building, as would be usual, Her Majesty, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, alighted from their car on the opposite side of the covered area of Covent Garden and proceeded on foot through the gathered crowds. I had a position on a corner, and I will never forget the moment that The Queen approached to take my tiny bunch of flowers, her tiara sparkling in the evening lighting, and wearing a full length aqua coloured evening dress with a white stole. She looked radiant, her eyes sparkling as brightly as her diamonds. It was truly magical to see her so closely dressed like this, rather than from behind a barrier some distance away, and the atmosphere was unlike any I had encountered before - a mixture of excitement and anticipation as we waited for her to arrive, and then shared joy as she walked through.

For her 80th birthday The Queen undertook a substantial walkabout in the centre of Windsor, appearing at the Henry VIII Gate with The Duke as the band played Happy Birthday. The streets around the castle were packed with people wanting to wish her a Happy Birthday, along with tourists who had just chosen a lucky day to be visiting the town. We had taken a bouquet of paper flowers created by members of my Mum's Brownie pack for The Queen, and Zachary was permitted by the security team to stand in the centre of the road to present these on their behalf before returning to us behind the barrier. I handed over a photobook that I had spent the whole of the previous year creating, attending almost every engagement of Her Majesty during her 80th year as a record. This was very well received and we had a lovely day, but there was more to come from this. In the summer there was a special service of thanksgiving for The Queen's 80th birthday, held at St Paul's Cathedral, and attended by most of the royal family. We waited several hours behind a barrier to see everyone arrive and depart from the service, and it was an excellent opportunity for taking photographs. Following the service Her Majesty undertook a walkabout outside the cathedral, which was a real bonus for those of us there. For me though it was really special. Collecting flowers as she walked along, The Queen stopped to say hello and take our flowers from the garden, moved on slightly, and then suddenly stopped and turned back to me, saying that she wanted to thank me again for the wonderful collection of photos that I had given her on her birthday, and how much she had enjoyed looking through them and remembering all that she had done during the year. I was stunned at this recognition and thanks. If there had ever been any doubt about whether Her Majesty knew exactly who I was, and who had given her what on a very busy day - which there wasn't really - this confirmed it absolutely, and was a very special moment for me.

Ten years later we were back in Windsor on 21st April for Her Majesty's 90th birthday, and again the streets around the castle were packed with well-wishers. Starting immediately outside the castle gates The Queen worked her way slowly down the hill, collecting flowers and gifts, and we had secured our spot right at the start of the walkabout route, which enabled me to then move along the back of the pavement with my steps to take some photos over the heads of the crowd. A new plaque was unveiled opposite the statue of Queen Victoria which overlooks the street, and then the walk continued round the corner to The Guildhall. The royal couple then transferred to the open-topped revue vehicle and drove further through the streets before returning to the castle.

In the early evening there was to be a chain of beacons lit across the country, and we soon relocated to the area just inside the park where the first was to be lit by The Queen. Our position was perfect, and when Her Majesty arrived, accompanied by Prince Philip with The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, we had a perfect view of the proceedings. Still wearing the green outfit that she had had for the walkabout, The Queen had now exchanged her hat for a headscarf, and with a family celebration planned for the evening, if she had been anyone other than The Queen I would have sworn that she had rollers in her hair under the scarf! It was an enjoyable end to a very long day standing behind barriers, but had been worth every minute.