Queen's official birthday to be marked in first major royal event since lockdown
A small military ceremony is to take place in honour of the Queen‘s official birthday, it has been confirmed.
Every year, Queen Elizabeth II‘s birthday is marked on two separate occasions. First on 21 April, the date on which she was born, and then later in June, as part of an official celebration.
The tradition of the British monarch having two birthdays stems back to 1748, during the reign of King George II. The Queen’s second birthday, also known as her official birthday, usually takes place on the second Saturday of June, which this year falls on the 13th.
The main event that traditionally takes place on the Queen’s official birthday is her Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour. However, this year the parade has been cancelled in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
On 27 March, Buckingham Palace released a statement outlining that “in line with Government advice, it has been agreed that the Queen’s Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, will not go ahead in its traditional form”.
The Palace has now confirmed that a small military service will go ahead to mark the occasion.
“There will be a small brief military ceremony at Windsor Castle to mark the Queen’s official birthday,” a Palace spokesperson said.
It has not been stated whether the Queen will make an appearance during the event, although it may be expected considering she and the Duke of Edinburgh have been self-isolating at Windsor Castle.
The monarch was last seen at a major event on 9 March, when she and other members of the royal family attended the Westminster Abbey Commonwealth Day service.
The event marked the last time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made an appearance as working members of the royal family before they stepped down from their senior roles at the end of the month.
On Sunday 31 May, the Queen made her first public appearance since lockdown began when she was photographed riding a horse in the grounds of Winsor Castle.
The horse the 94-year-old rode was a 14-year-old Fell Pony called Balmoral Fern, one of the monarch’s favourites.
The Queen regularly rides horses in the grounds of Windsor Castle and has bred thoroughbred racehorses for years.
During her recent excursion, she was joined by her daughter Anne, Princess Royal.
The last public photograph taken of the Queen was captured on 19 March, when she was driven away from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle.
When the Queen celebrated her actual birthday on 21 April, it was not marked with a traditional gun salute.
It is believed it was the first time a gun salute had not taken place for the monarch’s birthday.
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