On Thursday, April 21 2016, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, celebrates her 90th birthday.

Born in 1926, Princess Elizabeth was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, followed four years later by her sister Margaret.

The abdication of her uncle Edward VIII, in 1936, meant the Princess, aged 10, found herself in the position of heir assumptive.

In November 1947, after an engagement of five months, she married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, now the Duke of Edinburgh.

Her royal duties began during the Second World War and following the premature death of her father, King George VI, in 1952, she became Queen.

Just five years into her reign, in 1957, the young royal made her first official visit to Chester to open the new County Hall, now the University of Chester’s Riverside Campus.

The Queen visits Chester County Hall in 1957

She also visited the Chester Infirmary on City Walls Road, chatting to staff and patients on the wards.

Queen Elizabeth II visit to Chester Royal Infirmary, July 12 1957

Nine years later, the Queen was back in the city to enjoy a day at the races, where her love of horses shone out as she witnessed her horse Garter Lady go out for the Cheshire Oaks.

Queen Elizabeth II visits Chester Races in May 1966

In 1979, The Queen signed the visitors’ book at Ellesmere Port Civic Hall and visited the boat museum before coming back to the town in 1988 to open the Blue Planet Aquarium.

Resplendent in yellow on that visit, she also visited the Cheshire Oaks shopping centre and spoke to crowds who had waited outside the railway station to catch a glimpse of their monarch.

The Queen arrives at Ellesmere Port Station

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In November 2004, The Queen and her husband The Duke of Edinburgh were back in Chester for a private occasion - the wedding of the Duke of Westminster’s daughter Lady Tamara Grosvenor to Edward van Cutsem.

The Queen at Chester Cathedral in 2004

Her Majesty, dressed in a purple coat and hat, beamed to a crowd who had waited outside Chester Cathedral in the rain to catch a glimpse of the bridal party, which included Princes William and Harry, who had walked to the church up St Werburgh Street.

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In June 2010, The Queen was back at the racecourse but not for a day of horseracing. This time Her Majesty was in the city to present medals to soldiers of the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh to mark their return from operations in Afghanistan.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II presents a Campaign Medal to Shaun Stocker of 1st Battalion Royal Welsh

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In 2012 Her Majesty The Queen celebrated her diamond jubilee with a tour of the country, which included a stop at Chester Zoo, to open the new Diamond Jubilee Quarter.

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Accompanied by Prince Philip, the couple visited the rhino enclosure and took a trip on the Union Jack-clad monorail.

Happy Birthday Ma’am!