How Queen is celebrating 95th birthday

The monarch and her family chose a low-key celebration at Windsor Castle to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 95th birthday on Wednesday. The Queen's birthday falls just days after the funeral of her husband, Prince Philip.

The queen thanked the public for their assistance after the death of Prince Philip.

In a statement signed “Elizabeth R,” she said, “My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days.” (The initial stands for regina, which means “queen” in Latin.)

The British monarch celebrated her second low-key birthday since the coronavirus pandemic began.

The UK's longest-reigning monarch, who was born in London on April 21, 1926, normally marks her birthday privately, but the day is commemorated publicly with gun salutes in Hyde Park, Windsor Great Park, and the Tower of London.

This year's celebrations will be more muted, with no usual gun salutes, since the Queen will be in mourning for two weeks after the death of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the age of 99.

Except for last year's, this queen's birthday this year is unlike any other. It's a low-key affair, in stark contrast of the ostentatious public spectacles to which the British public has been accustomed.

Family members are supposed to pay the Queen a visit today, but Prince Harry, the Queen's grandson, will not be among them. He arrived in California from London just two days after his grandfather's funeral and left 24 hours before his grandmother's birthday.

The Queen will spend the day quietly, maybe going for a stroll with her pets, who have been a great source of relief in the days after Prince Philip's passing.

The palace cancelled plans to display a new photo of the Queen to mark her birthday, as is traditional, and instead unveiled one from a previous royal engagement.

On Twitter, the royal family posted an official photograph of the Queen, accompanied by the message, “HM was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in London, the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York.”

This year The Queen remains at Windsor Castle during a period of Royal Mourning following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh.”

Today is The Queen's 95th birthday.

HM was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in London, the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York.

This year The Queen remains at Windsor Castle during a period of Royal Mourning following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh. pic.twitter.com/kOeH399Ndp

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 21, 2021

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the queen has been isolated at Windsor Castle with a small team.

She shared her appreciation for the many birthday greetings she had received.

“I have, on the occasion of my 95th birthday today, received many messages of good wishes, which I very much appreciate,” she said.

Adding, “While as a family we are in a period of great sadness, it has been a comfort to us all to see and to hear the tributes paid to my husband, from those within the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world.”

“My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days. We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life.”

In order to keep Her Majesty company, the family has settled on a rota of visits to ensure that she is not left alone in the coming days.

The Queen's first guests are said to be Princess Anne and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

‘The Queen will not be alone. She will have others who care about her deeply and want to be there to support her in her most pressing hour,' a source told The Mirror

‘In typical fashion the Queen has insisted she is coping and despite the suggestion she had prepared herself for this day to come, everyone is well aware there is nothing like the experience when it comes.'

Huge crowds normally assemble outside the palace gates to witness the spectacle. Buckingham Palace announced last month that the formal birthday parade in London will not take place. It was also cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has wreaked havoc in the United Kingdom.

However, a smaller, more low-key event in Windsor Castle's quadrangle is being considered for this summer. A scaled-down event, called “mini Trooping,” was held at the castle last year and broadcast on the BBC.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted his “warm wishes” to the queen, saying he was “proud” to be her prime minister. Johnson is the 14th prime minister to lead during her almost 70-year tenure.

The Commonwealth's official Twitter account, as well as London Mayor Sadiq Khan, paid tribute to Elizabeth.

“We honour her decades of service devoted to our worldwide family, and offer our heartfelt condolences during this difficult time,” the association wrote.