After her whirlwind visit to the Eden Project yesterday to host a banquet for the G7 summit leaders, the Queen celebrated her official 95th birthday at Windsor Castle with the Trooping the Colour ceremony this morning – and is again due to meet US President Joe Biden and wife Dr Jill Biden again at the castle tomorrow.

Meanwhile, tonight the G7 world leaders, including the Bidens, have enjoyed a special very upmarket turf and surf barbecue dinner of steak and lobster on Carbis Bay beach while watching a display by the Red Arrows. It has a busy day for the famous display team as they this morning did a fly-past over Windsor Castle for the Queen at the conclusion of the military parades – their appearance overhead bringing a beaming smile to Her Majesty’s face that was remarked upon by TV commentators covering the pageantry.

Later, while the world leaders were finishing their barbecue by toasting marshmallows over fire pits on Carbis Bay beach, they were due to be serenaded by Cornish sea shanty group Du Hag Owr.

The posh barbecue – apparently designed by the Prime Minister’s new wife, 33-year-old Carrie Johnson - will have been a relaxing end to a day which has seen some tense discussions between Boris Johnson and EU leaders over the Irish Sea customs checks for produce travelling between the UK mainland and Northern Ireland which are part of the Brexit deal. President Biden has also emphasised the importance of this measure ensuring an open border between Ulster and the Irish Republic to ensure peace across the island of Ireland, but Boris Johnson’s Government believes the EU is being too nit-picky with its customs checks and has threatened to extend the ‘grace period’ currently operating.

Yesterday saw the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge all travelling to Cornwall to join the G7 leaders ¬– the others besides the US President and our own Prime Minister Boris Johnson being President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

The Queen travelled from Windsor to St Austell on the Royal Train, which is only used on special occasions authorised by the monarch and is decked out in the same distinctive deep claret livery as aircraft of the Royal Flight. The train has two dedicated locomotives in matching colours, one at each end. The special class 67 locomotives – fittingly named Royal Sovereign and Queen’s Messenger - are very much ‘on message’ for one of the main themes of the G7 summit in that they have been adapted to run on biofuel.

The Queen was met at St Austell railway station by some of her royal cars and a small crowd gathered to watch Her Majesty and her attendants being driven off to the Eden Project.

Earlier, other novel VIP vehicles had been witnessed by people in Cornwall when the Duchess of Cambridge, arriving in a royal Range Rover, was joined by Dr Jill Biden in a cavalcade of no fewer than eight vehicles at Connor Downs Academy in Hayle to join a primary school class where lessons about climate change were high on the agenda – a message also being emphasised at a more advanced level by Prince Charles and Prince William at a G7 reception for politicians and business leaders. The American First Lady was later heard to remark on how well believed the school children had been.

At the Eden Project, the Queen, daughter-in-law the Duchess of Cornwall and granddaughter-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge attended an event celebrating the Big Lunch initiative to build community spirit in neighbourhoods across the UK. When it was time to cut the celebration cake, the Queen was offered the use of his sword by Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall Colonel Edward Bolitho, and after initially expressing doubt whether it would work, she then refused the offer of “a more conventional knife” by replying “this is more unusual.” Camilla then came forward and helped her slice the cake with the sword – with the Queen remarking about the cake: “This looks very good.”

Later the monarch posed for a socially distanced ‘family photograph’ with the G7 leaders, and raised a laugh from the leaders when she responded to a request from Boris Johnson for everyone to smile by quipping: “Are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourself?”, to which Mr Johnson answered: “We have been enjoying ourselves – in spite of appearances.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel then thanked the Queen for joining them all for the photo.

After hosting the Eden Project banquet, at which the main course was turbot caught by Cornish fishermen and roasted on the bone, the Queen and Prince Charles left Cornwall on the Royal Train (with the monarch perhaps having a nap in the bedroom part of her special carriage in readiness for the official birthday events in Windsor this morning), while Prince William and wife Kate were taken to Carlyon Bay golf course to fly home by Royal Flight helicopter.

The Red Arrows are expected to pass over the area of Cornwall between Bodmin and Bude at around 1.20pm tomorrow (Sunday) as they make their way back to their usual base in Lincolnshire.