Queen Elizabeth's annual birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, will be different this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Buckingham Palace confirmed that there could be significant changes to the traditional parade in accordance with the guidance of the government if this public health crisis continues by June.
The Trooping the Colour is supposed to be underway on June 13 this year in the streets of London. As with the previous parades which have gone on for the last 260 years, the event usually attracts thousands of spectators as thousands of soldiers and hundreds of musicians participate to mark the monarch's birthday.
The royal family gathers in full force at the balcony of Buckingham Palace as they watch the Royal Air Force do a fly-by for Queen Elizabeth. At Green Park and the Tower of London, soldiers fire a 41-gun salute in honor of Her Majesty.
However, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement that the upcoming parade "will not go ahead in its traditional form." The news comes as the royal family also changed their engagement schedules as of mid-March while Queen Elizabeth canceled all garden parties and events in her official residence until May.
Queen Elizabeth is currently isolating in Windsor Castle with Prince Philip. Her Majesty is, so far, in good health even as her eldest son, Prince Charles, and her prime minister, Boris Johnson, tested positive for COVID-19.
Buckingham Palace posted on Facebook on March 26 that the Queen held her weekly audience with Johnson over the phone. Royal aides said that the Queen last saw the prime minister in person on March 11. She also last saw her son on March 12 during an investiture ceremony at the palace.
It's unclear if Her Majesty has been tested for COVID-19. Buckingham Palace said that the royal aides are following all expert and appropriate advice to keep her healthy and safe.
Meanwhile, the Queen will be turning 94 years old on her actual birthday on April 21. The palace hasn't stated if there are plans for the royal family to get together and celebrate Her Majesty's big day. Sources said that the Queen plans to stay isolated in Windsor with her husband even after the Easter observance in mid-April. Prince Charles is also expected to stay isolated in Scotland, while Prince William and his family are staying in Norfolk.
Trooping the Colour is also a birthday celebration for the Queen. However, the parade is usually done in June, instead of April, because it's the summertime and the weather is ideal for a public gathering.
