Inside Queen Elizabeth's 95th Birthday Celebration
Queen Elizabeth celebrated her first birthday without her husband Philip and had a low-key celebration.
This is Queen Elizabeth's first birthday following the death of her husband, who passed away on April 9. Philip would celebrate his 100th birthday in two months. Queen Elizabeth spent the day with her three corgis, which are part of the royal family.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married for more than 70 years, making them the longest-lasting romance of the British Royal Family.
An insider shared exclusively with the US Weekly how the queen is coping with her husband's loss:
"Prince Philip's passing has hit the queen harder than expected, but she's remaining calm and collected. She's strong, and I'm sure she'll pull through."
An exclusive source tells the US Weekly
Traditionally, the British royal family shares a new portrait to celebrate the day, but this year it didn't happen.
The queen, though, shared a message in 'great sadness' on her birthday.
"I have, on the occasion of my 95th birthday today, received many messages of good wishes, which I very much appreciate. 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,"
Queen Elizabeth
The public celebration is also another royal tradition didn't continue this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Trooping the Colour' is held every June to mark the queen's birthday while the royal family gathers on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Speculation is that another scaled-down ceremony is similar to the last year's commemoration at Windsor Castle.
Following the royal protocol, Queen Elizabeth entered a mourning period of eight days. However, she seems to have broken some protocols and resumed her duties few days after Philip's death.
The event in the occasion was a retirement ceremony in honor of Earl Peel — he stepped down as the Lord Chamberlain just a week before Prince Philip passed away. Earl Peel held the title of Lord Chamberlain for 14 years.