THE QUEEN turns 95 today and for the first time in 73 years does not have husband Prince Philip by her side.
The monarch is still in mourning for her beloved partner and it is understood that many of her usual birthday traditions will not take place.
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The Queen cut a lonely figure on Saturday as she attended his funeral, and her focus is understandably on Philip in the wake of the memorial.
The Duke of Edinburgh sadly passed away at the age of 99 on April 9, 2021, just months before turning 100.
Here are three birthday traditions Her Majesty will not observe this year as she remembers Philip…
1.) An official birthday portrait
Typically, royal birthdays are marked with the release of a new official photo, but this won’t happen for the Queen this year, the Daily Mail reports.
There has been a tribute shared on the royal family’s social media page, which says: “Today is The Queen’s 95th birthday.
“The Queen was born at 2.40am on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
“This year Her Majesty remains at Windsor Castle, during a period of Royal Mourning following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh.”
The Queen’s birthday on Wednesday falls within the two-week period of royal mourning, which is being observed until Friday.
She is currently residing at Windsor Castle, where she spent lockdown with Prince Philip.
Members of the Royal Family have been supporting the Queen throughout the mourning period, with some expected to visit her on her special day.
It comes after news that the Royals have agreed on a rota to visit as the monarch grieves the death of Prince Philip.
Due to Harry’s alleged “tight schedule” he has returned back to the US to see his pregnant wife Meghan Markle.
Princess Anne and Sophie Wessex were reported to be among the Queen’s first visitors ahead of her 95th birthday on Wednesday.
2.) Traditional gun salutes
The Queen’s birthday is traditionally marked with 41-gun and 21-gun salutes in Hyde Park and the Tower of London on April 21.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed these usual celebrations have been cancelled.
This is the second year that the Queen’s gun salutes have been cancelled, with them also being halted last year due to the pandemic.
3.) Trooping the Colour
The Queen’s actual birthday is on April 21, but she does have an official second birthday on the second weekend in June, known as Trooping the Colour.
The pandemic last year meant the Queen’s official birthday celebration was cancelled, and it has been postponed for a second year running.
Last summer, an event dubbed “mini Trooping” was staged at Windsor Castle, and Buckingham Palace has said options for an “alternative parade” were being considered at the Queen’s Berkshire home.
One tradition that may take place could be the Queen’s favourite chocolate cake, which she has every year on her birthday.
Former royal chef Darren McGrady wrote that he made the cake, known by the royals as “THE chocolate cake”, twice a year on each of her birthdays.
He said: “It’s a recipe that I fine tuned for Queen Elizabeth II and made for her twice a year because Her Majesty has an official birthday in June and real birthday in April each year.”
For more royal stories, The Celeb Report pays tribute to our longest-serving monarch with 95 special moments of Majesty.
And the Duke of Sussex is said to have written the Prince of Wales a “deeply personal” note before arriving back in the UK.
