Britain’s Queen Mum Turns 95

Queen Mother Elizabeth, wiping away tears and laughing as children wished her a happy 95th birthday, walked through adoring crowds Friday and then took to a golf cart to greet more fans.

The nation’s most popular royal stepped out twice from her Clarence House residence as onlookers cheered and showered her with bouquets of flowers. She joined in the carnival atmosphere, jovially waving a Union Jack, the British flag, on her 45-minute walkabout.

Watching soldiers parade past after firing a 41-gun salute in London’s Hyde Park, she was flanked by her grandson Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and her great-grandsons Princes William and Harry before hosting a family lunch.

Later, flowers were piled high on the back of the cart, bedecked with pink balloons, that took her for a birthday drive in glorious summer sunshine. Fans dubbed it “the Queen Mum Mobile.”

The Queen Mother, recovering from a cataract operation and suffering from a foot injury, was clearly eager to talk to her fans. She wiped tears as a 4-year-old boy wished her a happy birthday.