Queen salutes the Beatles

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll saluted the Beatles on Sunday with a special personal message commemorating the 50th anniversary of the legendary band's beginnings. She noted the anniversary "with much pleasure" and sent "my best wishes to all concerned for a most enjoyable and successful occasion."

The historic moment that led to the formation of the Beatles occurred on Saturday when a 16-year-old John Lennon met a just- turned-15 Paul MCCartney at a church garden fete in Liverpool. The message from Her Majesty the Queen was sent to the people of Liverpool who gathered at the site for a re-creation of the original event. Beatles scholar Martin Lewis, who received the message from Her Majesty, said, "This anniversary marks a momentous occasion in popular culture that literally changed the world. Without Lennon meeting MCCartney we would not have had the Beatles as we know them.