The Queen beams as she makes first public visit of 2021 - best photos

The Queen revealed her delight as she carried out her first in-person outing of 2021 on Wednesday and the first since her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, was discharged from hospital on 16 March after a four-week stay.

The monarch, 94, travelled to Runnymede in Surrey to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force at the CWGC Air Forces Memorial.

The Queen, wearing a lime green coat and the Wattle brooch presented to her on first tour of Australia in 1954, attended a service to mark the anniversary and Her Majesty's Equerry laid a wreath on her behalf.

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WATCH: The Queen reveals delight on first public outing of 2021

Following the service, the monarch viewed panels bearing the names of Australian war dead and a display of fallen airmen and women in the memorial cloister, before meeting serving RAAF personnel.

The last time the Queen made an in-person appearance was in December when senior members of the royal family gathered at Windsor Castle to thank key workers. 

The monarch was reunited publicly with the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and the Princess Royal. 

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The Queen was given the promise of a present, to be delivered later when they have been made: two RAAF dog jackets for her new corgis.

"That's very kind," she said. "I look forward to it."

Prince Philip, 99, underwent successful heart surgery at St Bartholomew's hospital in London earlier this month.

A few days after the heart procedure, he was transferred back to King Edward's to recuperate and to continue his treatment.

The Duke, who turns 100 in June, was reunited with the Queen at Windsor Castle on 16 March and thanked medical staff for their care.  

The couple have spent much of the past year at Windsor Castle with a small team of staff, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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