LONDON – A few days after the funeral of her 73-year-old husband, Queen Elizabeth II turned 95 on Wednesday, marking an important birthday without Prince Philip by her side.
While in a normal year there could have been plans for a private, discreet event to mark the occasion, the death of the Duke of Edinburgh on April 9 and his funeral on Saturday, along with ongoing coronavirus restrictions, meant that this year there is no public plan to mark her birthday.
In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace, the Queen said: “While we are in a time of great sadness as a family, it has been a comfort to all of us to see and hear the tributes paid to my husband from those in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world.
“My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness you have shown us over the last few days. We were deeply moved and continue to remember that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life “.
The Queen will spend the day at Windsor Castle in a period of royal mourning after Philip’s death, said the palace.
“Now her birthday every year will be tinged with this sadness,” said Victoria Howard, editor of The Crown Chronicles, a royal news blog.
“So many people have had to have birthdays and funerals closed that in a strange way it is almost comforting that the royal family is going through it too.”
The queen usually spends her birthday in April privately, without too many public holidays, and this is the second consecutive birthday that takes place under coronavirus restrictions. Last year, there was no holiday greeting, which the queen considered inappropriate in the midst of the pandemic.
There are still strict limits on public gatherings in the UK due to concerns about the spread of Covid-19. Groups of only six people or less are allowed to meet outside, only 15 people are allowed at weddings and 30 people can attend funerals.
The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year, the actual day of her birth in April, and an official birthday in June, when the traditional Trooping the Color parade takes place, with soldiers in ceremonial uniforms, a tradition dating back to the 18th century. . This year’s parade was canceled in March due to Covid-19.
The Queen marked her last big birthday, the 90th, on the official day in June 2016, with a big street party near Buckingham Palace for guests from charities whose patrons are. That birthday also coincided with Philip’s birthday.
This year’s important birthday falls as her long reign enters a new era. Next year the queen will mark 70 years on the throne, known in Britain as the “Platinum Jubilee”. She is the longest-lived monarch in Britain, as well as the oldest, a strange twist in the story of a princess who grew up without expecting to become queen. Her father, George VI, became king only when his older brother Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry the divorced American Wallis Simpson.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics
Planning has already begun for a four-day celebration in June 2022, including an additional national holiday, events across the Commonwealth, as well as “events that blend the best of British ceremonial splendor and performance with state-of-the-art arts and technology. ”.
While the Queen has continued with a busy schedule so far, she has in recent years handed over several roles and responsibilities to her son, Prince Charles and his son, Prince William. Philip retired from public office in 2017.
“The changes have taken place in the way the royal family has functioned since the queen stopped traveling,” said royal expert Tim Ewart, a former royal editor for ITV, a British radio station.
“The queen did not let her age stop her from doing those events she can. There is no evidence that it will not continue, but events are becoming more and more modest. “
At 72, Charles is now at a retirement age. Until last year, Harry was supposed to share royal responsibilities with his brother, but the palace announced in February that he and his wife Meghan would not return to their roles as superior kings. The couple moved to the US last year.
As the queen ages, the way the royal family continues to operate will continue to evolve.
“Once Charles intensifies and helps dictate how things will be conducted, more than potentially than the queen, will this be a change of direction, will they do things differently?” said Howard. “It’s about a crossroads.”