To celebrate The Queen’s 90th Birthday, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will invite Her Majesty The Queen to light the Principal Beacon on 21 April at Windsor Castle. This will be followed by the lighting of over 1,000 beacons throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK overseas Territories and a Commonwealth Country.

As well as a number of Trinity House lighthouses, many different organisations will light beacons at a wide variety of locations, including churches, farms, country parks, village greens and country estates.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has written a message to all beacon lighters around the country:

‘I am delighted that so many people throughout the United Kingdom are coming together to light beacons in celebration of my mother, The Queen’s, ninetieth birthday. It is a wonderful gesture which I know has deeply touched Her Majesty.

Beacons are to be lit on mountaintops, on beaches, in farmyards and on church towers, uniting us all in our heartfelt appreciation of The Queen’s lifetime of service to the United Kingdom and other Realms, and to the Commonwealth.

Since time immemorial, the light of beacons has relayed important messages across the land. This message we proclaim with the greatest pride and affection: Your Majesty, we all wish you a very Happy Birthday!’

Trinity House Deputy Master Captain Ian McNaught added the following:

‘Trinity House has a long-standing relationship with, and an enormous amount of respect for the Royal Family, counting HRH The Princess Royal as our Master, and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh as the Immediate Past Master and their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York as Elder Brethren of the Court; as such, we are very proud to be able to mark this momentous birthday by lighting beacons in some of the nation’s most beautiful locations. We at Trinity House wish Her Majesty a very happy birthday!’

For more information about the beacon lighting, visit:

http://www.brunopeek.co.uk/Queens-90th-birthday-beacons-120416.pdf

The Corporation of Trinity House was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1514 to oversee the improvement of pilotage on the River Thames and manage the welfare of distressed seamen and their dependants. Today it is the UK’s largest-endowed maritime charity, wholly funded by its endowments, spending over £4m each year on its charitable activities including the safety, welfare and training of mariners, and the promotion of safety at sea.

It also serves the mariner as the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) for England, Wales and the Channel Islands, with responsibility for nearly 600 aids to navigation, from traditional aids such as lighthouses to the latest satellite navigation technology. As a maritime fraternity with over 400 men and women selected from all aspects of maritime UK it also advises or is involved with a number of other functions and duties that safeguard shipping and the mariner.

Trinity House beacon locations:
Longstone Lighthouse, Northumberland
Flamborough Head Lighthouse, East Yorkshire
North Foreland Lighthouse, Kent
Portland Bill Lighthouse, Dorset
St. Catherine’s Lighthouse, Isle of Wight
Lizard Lighthouse, Cornwall
Lundy South Lighthouse, Devon (pictured above; image copyright Joshua Day)
St. Ann’s Head Lighthouse, Pembrokeshire
Bardsey Lighthouse, Isle of Anglesey
South Stack Lighthouse, Isle of Anglesey
St. Bees Lighthouse, Cumbria
Harwich Pier, Essex