Queen Elizabeth is, reportedly, not going to have a big celebration to mark her 94th birthday. The monarch is turning a year older on April 21 but she will likely not have any fanfare as a safety precaution against the coronavirus.
According to reports, the Queen is going to mark her birthday within the confines of Windsor Castle. She and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, have been staying in this historical palace since March 12. The royals won't likely return to London even beyond Easter as the COVID-19 threat in the U.K. is still present.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are vulnerable to the coronavirus because of their age and their medical conditions. Thus, the staff count at Windsor Castle had to be reduced as the government said crowds and large gatherings may put the vulnerable sector at risk.
However, it's not just the Queen's birthday on April 21 which will be scaled down. Her annual birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, will also not be done the traditional way because of the coronavirus.
The Queen celebrates her birthday twice a year. Her real birthday on April is usually commemorated among family members but there is a gun salute in London during the midday.
Her official royal birthday, on the other hand, is the annual national event that's celebrated every second Saturday of June. But because Trooping the Colour attracts thousands of public spectators and participants from the military, Buckingham Palace decided not to push through with the normal celebration in observance of the directives from the government.
Details are still unclear but the crowd won't likely see the royal family gathering at the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave at the people. Thus, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son, Archie Harrison's anticipated debut at the Trooping the Colour parade won't likely take place. There may also be no Horse Guards Parade as this requires hundreds of participants.
The Trooping the Colour tradition has been observed in the British royal family since the time of King Charles II in the 1600s. King George II, however, moved the celebration in June because the weather would be more favorable for parades in the summer season.
Hence, all British sovereigns observe the tradition of having an actual birthday and then an "official" birthday parade during Trooping the Colour. Queen Elizabeth followed her father, King George VI's choice to hold the parade on the second week of the June.
