STORY: The monarch's birthday will also be marked by a gun salute in London's Hyde Park and the release of a photograph showing the queen, dressed in a long dark green coat, standing between two white ponies.

A Barbie doll dressed in an ivory gown with a blue sash was also released to mark the celebration of the queen's Platinum Jubilee this year.

Queen Elizabeth has largely avoided the public spotlight after spending a night in hospital in October for an unspecified ailment and being ordered to rest. She tested positive for COVID in February and has said she was left very tired and exhausted.

While continuing to hold meetings online, she has missed several large events, such as the Remembrance Sunday gathering and Easter service.

She will spend her birthday in Sandringham, Norfolk.