How Queen Elizabeth II Will Celebrate Her Birthday

According to a long-standing British tradition, Elizabeth II celebrates her birthday twice a year. April 21 - the day Her Majesty was born - she spends in a narrow circle of relatives and friends. And in the summer, for all subjects of the kingdom, they arrange the so-called official birthday with the obligatory Trooping the Color parade (which the whole royal family watches from the balcony of Buckingham Palace).

But this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, both celebrations have been canceled. Buckingham Palace said the Queen's birthday will not be celebrated in any special way this Tuesday, and any phone or video calls she makes with the family will remain confidential.

In addition, for the first time in many years, the queen abandoned the traditional gun salute.

According to a statement from Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II is concerned about the current situation with the coronavirus, which threatens Britain and the world. In this regard, she decided to abandon the magnificent festivities.

“There will be no fireworks. Her Majesty expressed her wish that there were no special events that would allow for fireworks, as she considers it inappropriate in the current circumstances,”the message says.

Elizabeth II, who now lives at Windsor Castle, said she believed the fireworks would be inappropriate amid the crisis that killed more than 15,000 people in the country.

There will be no summer events either. “In accordance with government recommendations, it was decided that the Queen's Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Color, would not be held in its traditional form. A number of other options are under consideration with appropriate guidelines,”the palace said in a statement.

The British media write that this will be the most humble birthday of the reigning monarch in 260 years.