Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21 April 1926 to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. This means, that in 2022, she will be celebrating her 96th birthday.
The Queen spends her birthday privately, as a more low-key affair, as it’s mostly reserved for private celebrations with her family.
However, the occasion is marked publicly via gun salutes in central London at midday. There is a 21-gun salute in Windsor Great Park, a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park, and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London.
21-gun salutes are an honour reserved for heads of state, stemming from a naval custom. But as Hyde Park is a Royal Park, an extra 20 are fired.
Last year, the Queen’s birthday fell a few days after the death of her husband, Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh. The gun salutes were cancelled and she reportedly shared a quiet lunch with her closest family members at Windsor castle.
Although the Queen has a second ‘official’ state birthday occurring on the second Saturday in June, in 2022, it has been moved to Thursday 2 June to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend.
Queen Elizabeth has left Windsor to spend her 96th birthday in Sandringham, a place that has special meaning to her. She will spend her birthday, April 21, staying at Prince Philip’s former home, Wood Farm, on the Sandringham Estate. It’s unclear whether or not other members of her family will be joining her for her birthday.
Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement that the Queen has travelled to Sandringham for a private break.
When he retired in 2017, Philip spent most of his retirement at Wood Farm, a five-bedroom farmhouse cottage. Per Vanity Fair, “Wood Farm, located on a secluded part of Sandringham that looks out over the sea, is where the queen, Philip, and their children have gone to relax for more than 50 years. When the family is there, servants don’t wear the usual royal uniforms and Philip does not stand on ceremony.” It’s where the royals have typically gone for privacy.
Sandringham is perhaps best known as the home where the Windsors spend their Christmases; Queen Elizabeth spent Christmas 2021 there after being medically cleared to travel. The estate has long been the beloved country home of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
Due to ongoing mobility issues, the Queen has stepped back from public appearances in recent months. She missed Easter Sunday services at Windsor Castle, and Prince Charles represented her at the traditional Royal Maundy service. Buckingham Palace has previously said that the Queen will continue to carry out “light duties,” and conduct virtual audiences from Windsor Castle.
sources (articles; video): National World; Town and Country; Queen Elizabeth II turns 96 today: GB News Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker reports, GBNews, Youtube
Vocabulary
| low-key | visszafogott |
| to reserve | fenntartani |
| to mark the occasion | eseményt megünnepelni |
| to salute | köszönteni |
| to stem from | eredni/származni valahonnan |
| naval custom | tengerészeti/hajózási szokás |
| to cancel | lemondani/törölni |
| reportedly | állítólag |
| to occur | megtörténik |
| former | korábbi/előző |
| to confirm in a statement | megerősíteni egy nyilatkozatban |
| retirement | nyugdíjba vonulás |
| to be secluded | félreeső/védett |
| estate | birtok |
| due to | valami miatt/okán |
| ongoing mobility issues | folyamatban lévő |
| public appearances | nyilvános megjelenések |
| to represent | képviselni |
| Maundy service | nagycsütörtöki mise |
| to carry out duties | kötelezettségeknek eleget tenni |
| to conduct audiences | hivatalos találkozókat levezetni |
