THE Queen was honoured with a standing ovation as her Platinum Jubilee celebrations kicked off tonight.
The monarch attended the star-studded equestrian extravaganza featuring celebs and leading performers.
The audience rose to their feet cheering and clapping when The Queen arrived at the arena close to Windsor Castle.
She walked along a red carpet despite ongoing mobility issues, with Prince Edward accompanying her.
Queen Elizabeth II was joined by her son the Earl of Wessex for the show that reflected her life-long passion for horses.
The 96-year-old flashed a bright smile before being guided to the royal box to watch the musical and theatrical romp across the centuries called A Gallop through History.
The event was staged by the Royal Windsor Horse Show which has been welcoming spectators for the past three days including the monarch who spent part of her Friday touring the show grounds after earlier missing the State Opening of Parliament.
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The Queen was joined by her son the Earl of Wessex for the show that reflected her life-long passion for horses.
Hollywood actors Tom Cruise and Dame Helen Mirren – once again playing a Queen of England – led the cast of entertainers who appeared in the first major event marking the Queen’s 70-year reign.
Dame Helen, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of the Queen in the film of the same name, played Queen Elizabeth I as the show began by chronicling the events of the first Elizabethan age from the attempted invasion of the Spanish Armada to leading figures of the day like William Shakespeare.
Among other celebrities taking part in the show were Damian Lewis, Omid Djalili and Katherine Jenkins, an all-star cast of British and international talent for Sunday’s performance which was broadcast live by ITV.
Hollywood A-lister Tom said it was “a real honour and privilege” to be a part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Windsor.
The actor, best known for action film franchises Top Gun and Mission Impossible, told presenters Phillip Schofield and Julie Etchingham that the Queen “is a woman I greatly admire”.
He said: “What she has accomplished is historic. She has met presidents, world leaders, people from all walks of life.
“Not just Americans, but the world knows the dignity, devotion and kindness, that is what I have always felt about her.
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“Someone that understands her position and has held it through a history that’s just been extraordinary the past 70 years.”
The actor will be introducing the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery live at an open-air show being staged close to Windsor Castle.
