The annual military parade in central London for Great Britain’s ruler, Queen Elizabeth II’s official birthday has been cancelled for a second year owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Buckingham Palace said Friday.
The “Trooping the Colour” event, which holds in June, normally features hundreds of personnel from Britain’s most prestigious regiments for a traditional spectacle of pageantry in front of thousands of spectators.
However, last year, because of the health crisis, it was switched to a smaller scale celebration on the grounds of Windsor Castle west of London. The palace has now said the same is likely again.
“Following consultation with government and other relevant parties it has been agreed that the Queen’s official birthday parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, will not go ahead this year in its traditional form in central London,” a statement read.
“Options for an alternative parade, in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle, are being considered.”
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Queen Elizabeth, 94, and her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip have for the past year been isolating at Windsor, due to their age putting them in a high-risk category for coronavirus.
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Philip, who turns 100 in June, this week returned to the castle after four weeks of treatment in two central London hospitals, including a heart procedure. This was his longest visit to the hospital to date.
Last year Windsor has staged the event to mark a sovereign’s official birthday for the first time since 1895 when a ceremony was held in honour of Queen Victoria.
It marked Elizabeth’s first official public appearance since Britain went into lockdown in March.
The Ruler of 15 commonwealth realms celebrated her actual 94th birthday on April 21 without the traditional gun salute, due to the lockdown.
The double birthday tradition was started by King George II in 1748, who wanted to have a summer celebration as his own birthday was October 30. Normally, the monarch’s official birthday occurs on the second Saturday in June.
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