The Reason The Queen Canceled Her Traditional Birthday Events

Queen Elizabeth II turns 94 years old on April 21, but her royal tradition was put to a halt for the first time in the 68 years since she ascended the throne. The long-standing monarch typically has two major celebrations to commemorate her birthday. The first celebration is a traditional gun salute which takes place at Hyde Park and the Tower of London. Her second celebration is known as The Trooping of the Colour, which is a parade near Buckingham Palace. According to according to the official British royal website, "The Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for over 260 years."

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the queen canceled both birthday activities. A Buckingham Palace official told Harper's Bazaar that the royal monarch thought the gun salute was inappropriate given the pandemic. According to People, the U.K. has officially been on lockdown since March 23, and the earliest the lockdown could lift is in May.

Despite having her traditional birthday events canceled, the queen is expected to have private phone and video calls with her family members (via Harper's Bazaar). The queen is currently in isolation with her husband, Prince Philip, in Windsor Castle. Her son Prince Charles is in isolation in Scotland, Prince William is in Norfolk, and Prince Harry recently moved to Los Angeles.

The queen gave a rare televised appearance in March alongside Prince Philip, where she expressed her sympathy to healthcare workers and admitted she's also missing her family. "Many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones, but ... we know deep down that it is the right thing to do," she said (via People). She added, "We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again."