Guests at the British Community Garden Party held at the Ambassador's Residence in Beijing in 2015 Photo: Courtesy of the British Embassy in Beijing

 

The British Ambassador to China Barbara Woodward (center) touches the horse from the British stage play The War Horse during the British Embassy Open Day in 2015. Photo: Courtesy of the British Embassy in Beijing

 

The British Community Garden Party's flyer Photo: Courtesy of the British Embassy in Beijing

British flags adorn tasty treats and scenes during the Queen's birthday every year. Photo: Courtesy of VisitBritain

British flags adorn tasty treats and scenes during the Queen's birthday every year. Photo: Courtesy of VisitBritain

Two Chinese girls at last year's British Embassy Open Day Photo: Courtesy of the British Embassy in Beijing

To mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday, the British Embassy in Beijing invited people to join them in a series of celebratory events that emulated those taking place across the UK.

Queen Elizabeth II recently became Britain's longest reigning monarch; she has been on the throne for 63 years.

On April 21, she passed yet another remarkable milestone, when she turned 90 years old. Celebrations took place all over the UK, culminating on the weekend of June 11 and 12 - the Queen's official birthday weekend.

The Queen started the celebrations by attending the annual service of Thanksgiving at London's St Paul's Cathedral on June 10. The traditional Trooping the Colour parade took place on June 11, during which Her Majesty inspected 1,000 members of her Horse Guards with 200 horses and military bands. The grand finale of the weekend was on June 12 when a giant street party was held for members of the public on The Mall, the street to Buckingham Palace. More than 10,000 well-wishers watched a special carnival parade, and right across the country, millions of people held similar events to celebrate the occasion.

But this is not just a momentous year for the UK's monarchy. 2016 is also the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, one of the world's greatest playwrights. The UK has launched Shakespeare Lives, an invitation to the world to join in the celebrations by experiencing the work of Shakespeare and its continuing vibrancy and relevancy directly on stage, through film, exhibitions, and in schools.

In China, upcoming events include the launch of the British Film Institute's Shakespeare Season at the Shanghai International Film Festival, the China tour of the Hallé Orchestra's The Music of Shakespeare in July and Shakespeare Globe's tour of the Merchant of Venice in September.

"This is a very special moment in British history and for UK-China relations. The year of 2016 is the Queen's 90th birthday and the 30th anniversary of Her Majesty's 1986 state visit to China," said Barbara Woodward, the British Ambassador to China. "British people will be celebrating across the country, in streets, pubs, parks, and homes. I will be inviting friends in Beijing to join our celebrations here too."

The Ambassador is inviting the British community in Beijing, and their friends and family, to a garden party at her home on June 19. Guests can bring a picnic basket and enjoy the atmosphere with live music, a GREAT Royal Bake-Off competition, as well as other family activities. Registration is compulsory via yoopay.cn/event/UKGardenParty before June 15.

The second event will be the British Embassy Open Day on June 25. The event will see 1,000 Chinese nationals and their families visiting the embassy to learn more about the UK.

Over 25 British companies and British Embassy departments will be showcasing the very best of British culture, education, tourism and business. There will also be a series of activities on offer, including a special photography exhibition marking the Queen's relationship with China, talks from experts, and a very exciting Shakespeare-themed competition in the garden.

A total of 1,000 tickets will be available. Those wishing to participate should follow the embassy's Sina Weibo and stay tuned for more details. The Ambassador will be hosting other events by invitation only.

This article was provided by the British Embassy in Beijing