The Queen celebrates her 95th birthday on Wednesday, but she will do very little to mark the occasion.
She is still mourning after the death of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, whose funeral was on Saturday.
It will be the second straight year her birthday celebrations have been curtailed, with last year’s traditional events cancelled because of the pandemic.
When is the Queen’s birthday?
The Queen was born on 21 April in 1926 to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Every year, the Queen marks her birthday twice: once on her actual date of birth, and then again on an “official”, ceremonial occasion on the second Saturday in June.
The convention of an official monarch’s birthday has been in place since 1748, during the reign of King George II.
George’s birthday fell in November, but he decided to change it so he could mark the occasion with a large-scale public celebration during the warmer months.
He made the decision to combine his celebration with Trooping the Colour, an annual military parade in the summer.
The Queen initially marked her “official” birthday on the second Thursday of June, the same day as her father, King George VI.
However, she changed it to its current position in 1959, seven years into her reign.
How will it be celebrated this year?
The Queen’s birthday is normally marked by gun salutes at both Hyde Park and the Tower of London.
However, they have been cancelled this year, as she continues to mourn her husband.
It is believed she will just have a quiet lunch with family at Windsor Castle, with little mention of the occasion.
Plans for a new portrait to be painted of her have also reportedly been scrapped.
The Trooping of the Colour, which was due to take place on 12 June, was cancelled last month due to the pandemic, for the second year running.
Buckingham Palace is considering holding a smaller event within the confines of Windsor Castle, as it did last year.
However, Philip was due to turn 100 on 10 June, so focus may instead turn to remembering him.
The Queen spent her last birthday isolating with the Duke at Windsor Castle.
source (article; infographic): inews; Graphic News
Vocabulary
| governess | nevelőnő |
| to abdicate | lemondani (a trónról) |
| to accede | hivatalba lépni |
| to pledge | megígérni |
| decline | hanyatlás |
| reign | uralkodás |
| to gut | belülről teljesen elpusztítani (tűz épületet) |
| amid | közepette |
| to prompt | sarkallni |
| unprecedented tribute | példátlan elismerés/ tisztelet kifejezése |
| to surpass | felülmúlni |
| controversially | nyilvános ellentéteket keltően |
| to mark the occasion | ünnepelni az eseményt |
| to mourn | gyászolni |
| to curtail | csökkenteni (mennyiségben és minőségben) |
| convention | szabály/ egyezmény |
| large-scale | nagyléptékű |
| Trooping the Colour | zászlós díszszemle a királynő tiszteletére |
| current | jelenlegi |
| to scrap | felhagyni valamivel |
| to be due to | esedékes |
| within the confines of |
valaminek a határain belül |
| instead | helyett |
