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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her 80th birthday with 3,000 children at a garden party at Buckingham Palace with the theme of children's books, officials said Wednesday.
"We hope this day will encourage children to explore new worlds through the characters and their stories," a palace spokeswoman said.
The June 25 party's theme will be British children's favourite literary characters, such as Noddy, Harry Potter, Paddington Bear and Winnie the Pooh, as well as the role of the family in encouraging children to read.
The palace has called on interested children aged between four and 14 to take part in a lottery for invitations hosted by the BBC website.
The queen traditionally celebrates her birthday twice a year, once with her family on her real birthday, April 21, and on an official day, June 17, that includes public ceremonies.
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AFP 011943 GMT 02 06
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