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Queen Elizabeth to celebrate birthday with unprecedented event© Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth’s 94th birthday plans will be unlike any other year

The monarch’s annual royal-studded Trooping the Colour was canceled in light of the coronavirus pandemic


UPDATED JUNE 4, 2020 10:50 AM EDT

Over two months after the palace canceled the annual grand Trooping the Colour, alternative plans to mark  Queen Elizabeth ’s official birthday have been revealed. As the UK begins to ease lockdown restrictions, the 94-year-old monarch, whose actual birthday is April 21, will celebrate with a miniature version of Trooping the Colour on the originally scheduled date, June 13. “There will be a small, brief, military ceremony at Windsor Castle to mark The Queen‘s official birthday,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed to HOLA! USA’s sister brand HELLO! Online.

The annual Trooping the Colour in London was canceled due to the COVID 19 pandemic© Getty Images
The annual Trooping the Colour in London was canceled due to the COVID 19 pandemic

The unprecedented event is set to take place at Windsor Castle, where the Queen and  Prince Philip , who turns 99 on June 10, have been self-isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to The Daily Mail, the parade will be commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Llewelyn-Usher and will involve a small contingent of men from the Welsh Guards and a reduced group of the Bands of the Household Division. The outlet reports that there will also be a royal salute at 11am, like there would have been at the traditional Trooping the Colour.

Unlike the usual celebration in London, there will be no spectators other than those watching from inside the castle. It’s unknown whether other members of the royal family will attend the small-scale ceremony.  Kate Middleton ,  Prince William  and the Cambridge children, along with  Prince Charles  and the  Duchess of Cornwall  are fixtures at the annual event.

The mini Trooping the Colour will be held at Windsor Castle, where the Queen has been self isolating© Getty Images
The mini Trooping the Colour will be held at Windsor Castle, where the Queen has been self isolating

Back in March, Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen’s birthday parade would not be taking place as planned. “In line with Government advice, it has been agreed that The Queen’s Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, will not go ahead in its traditional form. A number of other options are being considered, in line with relevant guidance,” the palace said. Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of British Sovereigns for over 260 years.