The Queen will mark her 95th birthday in a private and low-key way. In contrast to previous years, there will be no public celebrations as the royals continue their two weeks of official mourning in honour of Prince Philip.
The Duke of Edinburgh sadly passed away at Windsor Castle on Friday 9 April, at the age of 99. His death was less than two weeks before the Queen’s birthday, and just nine weeks before his own that would have seen him turn 100.
The Queen became the world’s oldest monarch in 2015, and is England’s longest reigning. She had a 73 year long marriage, and her husband’s funeral was only four days ago. The period of morning will end on Friday.
It is customary for the release of a photograph celebrating the day, but understandably, this is not expected to happen this year.
Although the Queen’s birthday this year was always going to be a more pared-back affair, as the duke’s 100th was going to be the focus of royal celebrations. It is thought the Queen will now be joined on the day with some of her family and around 20 members of staff.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent the Queen “warm wishes” on her birthday, via a Tweet. He added that he has “always had the highest admiration” for her and her service.
Why does the Queen have two birthdays?
The Queen’s official birthday is in June, and is usually marked by the Trooping of the Colour parade. However, it has been cancelled for the second year running due to the coronavirus pandemic. Buckingham Palace are considering other options for a parade at Windsor Castle instead.
Having two birthdays is a tradition that dates back to 1748. It is all about trying to ensure better weather for outdoor celebrations.
The idea came from King George II, who was born in November. He wanted it to be possible to have a big public celebration, so decided to combine it with an annual military parade in the summer. The hope was that there would be nice enough weather in the summer to successfully hold an event.
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