Queen Elizabeth II and family mark 90th birthday with parade

Queen Elizabeth II and her family will mark her official 90th birthday with a parade, a colorful military ceremony and an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, will join a parade Saturday from Buckingham Palace to the site of the Trooping the Color ceremony. Large crowds are expected to mark her milestone and to enjoy the parade, featuring more than 1,500 soldiers and officers and several hundred horses.

Later, the royal couple will lead the family onto the palace balcony to wave to the throngs as Royal Air Force jets fly overhead.

The festivities continue Sunday with a massive street party in front of the palace.

The queen's real birthday is in April. The official birthday is timed in hope of fair weather.