Queen Elizabeth salutes the Beatles

British royal Queen Elizabeth II 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 July 6 1957 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."