101 Candles for the Queen Mum

Queen Mother Elizabeth came through for thousands of fans who showed up outside her home here Saturday to celebrate her 101st birthday, less than a week after a health scare sent her to the hospital.

As Britain’s oldest royal, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II, emerged from her Clarence House residence in a pale turquoise coat and matching wide-brimmed hat, throngs of well-wishers showered her with wild applause and birthday greetings.

The much-anticipated event drew even broader attention last week after the queen mother checked into a central London hospital Wednesday and underwent a blood transfusion to treat anemia.

Asked how she felt Saturday, the queen mother replied, “I’m feeling much better.”

“To be honest,” said devoted fan Terry Hutt, who had camped outside Clarence House since Thursday, “she really looked herself. She was bubbling.”

Thousands of other fans waited for hours in the streets near her home in hopes of catching a glimpse of the diminutive royal with the pale powdered skin and ready smile, which she flashed frequently as her birthday celebration unfolded.

Troops saluted her, a brass band played “Happy Birthday” in her honor and a small group of children presented her with cards, flowers and balloons. She then hopped unaided into a birthday buggy--a golf cart decorated with balloons--and began a slow tour of a long, close-packed crowd that had gathered outside her gates.

One of the most beloved royals, the queen mum has been dubbed “the nation’s favorite grandmother.”

Consequently, her hospitalization last week was a cause for concern, prompting a local newspaper columnist to describe the public’s adoration for her this way Saturday: “As loved as roast beef and Yorkshire pud, strawberries and cream, gin and tonic.”

Family members, including grandson Prince Charles, joined the queen mother for lunch. The prince was fresh out of the hospital himself after falling from a horse during a polo match Friday.

Queen Elizabeth’s sister, Princess Margaret, who has suffered a series of strokes, appeared in a wheelchair.

The queen mother completed her birthday celebration by attending a ballet performance Saturday evening with the queen and Margaret.