Queen Elizabeth II marks 90th birthday

Celebrations were underway in England Thursday as Queen Elizabeth II turned 90-years-old.

Princess Elizabeth was never supposed to be queen. However, in 1952, her uncle abdicated the throne and her father died, making the princess next in line. At the age of 25 she began her reign as Elizabeth II.

Her coronation was one year later and was the first to be televised in England, launching a reign full of firsts.

Queen Elizabeth was the first British monarch to visit China, the first to send an email and likely the first to have had over 30 Corgis.

Aron Spidle collects royal family memorabilia and he's also the chair of the Monarchist League in Halifax and south west Nova Scotia. He's met the Queen twice during her visits to the Maritimes and says her extensive charity work has inspired his own.

“The awe inspiring reality is that this five foot four woman embodies all of our democratic rights and principles,” says Spidle.

In Canada, the Queen is our head of state and every bill passed requires her royal assent.

“I like the Queen, I like her being the head of Canada, even though she doesn’t play an integral role in our politics, but she’s there,” says Bill Gard, veteran.

Gard met the Queen on her 2010 visit to Halifax to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy.

“She was very friendly, very easy to talk to, she said it was a pleasure to meet us,” says Gard.

On one Maritime visit, she asked for Canadian grown flowers with an English garden feel.

“I did get to make flowers for Queen Elizabeth II, her majesty, an absolute thrill and what an honour,” says Neville MacKay, florist.

The Queen spent her 90th birthday walking and driving the streets of Windsor and of course, cutting cake.

“She’s just been there for the people. Through wars and traumas and fires and deaths,” says MacKay. “She’s been one of the people and is a great representation of what a person should can and will be.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelly Linehan