Queen Elizabeth II Honors Birthday With Smaller Ceremony Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

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Queen Elizabeth II Honors Birthday With Smaller Ceremony Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

The party must go on! Queen Elizabeth II was honored with a smaller birthday celebration than usual on Saturday, June 13, amid the COVID-19 crisis. A small group of soldiers and military musicians paid tribute to the 94-year-old, who wore a green Stewart Parvin outfit, in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle while following social-distancing guidelines. She received a royal salute and watched the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards march on castle grounds. While the monarch’s traditional Trooping the Colour birthday parade was previously canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic, the palace announced earlier this month that the queen’s aides were reworking their plans after U.K. eased up on the stay-at-home order. "The Queen will view a military ceremony in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle to mark Her Majesty's Official Birthday on Saturday 13th June, 2020," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in a statement on June 3. ”The ceremony will be executed by soldiers from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, who are currently on Guard at Windsor Castle, and feature music performed by a Band of the Household Division." Days before the celebration, Elizabeth participated in her first public video chat with care workers from the Carers Trust to mark Carers Week 2020. “It’s interesting listening to all your tales and stories,” she said in the clip shared by the royal family on Thursday, June 11. “I’m very impressed by what you have achieved already. I’m very glad to have been able to join you today.” [jwplayer lHx2oPRX-l3ahXupL] The queen also recently celebrated Prince Philip’s 99th birthday. The palace marked the occasion by releasing a new portrait of the couple. Back in April, on the queen’s actual birthday, Us confirmed that she was in touch with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle via a video call. The monarch hasn’t seen the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in person in recent months. While Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, were set to return to London from Los Angeles for their son Archie’s 1st birthday in May, they were forced to cancel their trip amid the pandemic. Prince Charles was among the 290,000 people in the U.K. who tested positive for COVID-19 in recent months. While the 71-year-old prince has since recovered, there are more than 40,000 reported COVID-19 deaths in the U.K. See more photos below!

Credit: Shutterstock

Queen Elizabeth II Honors Birthday With Smaller Ceremony Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

The party must go on! Queen Elizabeth II was honored with a smaller birthday celebration than usual on Saturday, June 13, amid the COVID-19 crisis. A small group of soldiers and military musicians paid tribute to the 94-year-old, who wore a green Stewart Parvin outfit, in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle while following social-distancing guidelines. She received a royal salute and watched the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards march on castle grounds. While the monarch’s traditional Trooping the Colour birthday parade was previously canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic, the palace announced earlier this month that the queen’s aides were reworking their plans after U.K. eased up on the stay-at-home order. "The Queen will view a military ceremony in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle to mark Her Majesty's Official Birthday on Saturday 13th June, 2020," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in a statement on June 3. ”The ceremony will be executed by soldiers from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, who are currently on Guard at Windsor Castle, and feature music performed by a Band of the Household Division." Days before the celebration, Elizabeth participated in her first public video chat with care workers from the Carers Trust to mark Carers Week 2020. “It’s interesting listening to all your tales and stories,” she said in the clip shared by the royal family on Thursday, June 11. “I’m very impressed by what you have achieved already. I’m very glad to have been able to join you today.” [jwplayer lHx2oPRX-l3ahXupL] The queen also recently celebrated Prince Philip’s 99th birthday. The palace marked the occasion by releasing a new portrait of the couple. Back in April, on the queen’s actual birthday, Us confirmed that she was in touch with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle via a video call. The monarch hasn’t seen the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in person in recent months. While Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, were set to return to London from Los Angeles for their son Archie’s 1st birthday in May, they were forced to cancel their trip amid the pandemic. Prince Charles was among the 290,000 people in the U.K. who tested positive for COVID-19 in recent months. While the 71-year-old prince has since recovered, there are more than 40,000 reported COVID-19 deaths in the U.K. See more photos below!

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A Happy Day

The queen was all smiles during her scaled-down celebration on Saturday.

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Stylish as Ever

Elizabeth matched her outfit with a hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan.

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Following the Rules

The sovereign stayed at least six feet apart from the soldiers who performed for her.

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A Rare Sighting

It was Elizabeth’s first official public appearance since the U.K.'s lockdown was imposed in March.

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Royal History

The annual Trooping the Colour parade has only been canceled once before — during a national rail strike in 1955.

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Going the Distance

Soldiers typically stand shoulder-to-shoulder during the parade, but they stood six feet apart on the castle grounds on Saturday.