Queen's 90th birthday organisers donate £1.2m surplus to charities
- Published
A £1.2m surplus from the Queen's 90th birthday celebration in Windsor will be donated to charities, organisers have said.
The money was made through ticket sales for the three-day event at the Queen's residence, which took place in May.
The event saw 900 horses and 1,500 people take part in the celebrations.
The money will be divided among 10 organisations that "reflect the Queen's interests", including equine, Commonwealth and service charities.
'Further surplus expected'
The final evening of the Queen's celebrations in Berkshire, which was televised by ITV and attracted an audience seven million people, featured Welsh classical singer Katherine Jenkins, the Royal Horse Artillery and women of the Royal Cavalry of Oman.
The Queen is patron to the 10 charities that will benefit and her love of horses is reflected in many of the recipients.
Charities to benefit from surplus:
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA)
The Queen's Commonwealth Trust
The Royal British Legion
The Animal Health Trust
The British Horse Society
World Horse Welfare
The Highland Pony Society
The Fell Pony Society
The Welsh Pony and Cob Society
The Cleveland Bay Society
Some of the smaller organisations to receive donations include The Fell Pony Society, while larger organisations such as The Queen's Commonwealth Trust are also recipients.
Event committee chairman Sir Mike Rake said: "It is quite incredible that a one-off event should not only give pleasure to millions of people but also raise this significant surplus.
"The Queen's 90th birthday celebration will have long lasting benefit.
"Already the selected charities are telling us what they intend to do with the donation."
He added that he expects a "further surplus" once accounts for the event are finalised.
The Queen's actual birthday - the day she was born - was on 21 April and was celebrated in Windsor with a parade during the day, and the lighting of 900 beacons across the UK in the evening.
Her official birthday, marked by the Trooping the Colour, was on 11 June and the celebrations culminated on 12 June with a 10,000-strong street party on the Royal Mall in London.
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