Queen Elizabeth marks 94th birthday in subdued style
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her official birthday on Saturday in subdued style, with a good scaled down edition of the original "Trooping the color" ceremony due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.
The 94-year-old monarch watched a smaller armed service parade in the grounds of Windsor Castle, where she's been staying through the outbreak, in her first official public appearance since the country's virus lockdown commenced in late March.
It was the 1st time the castle, west of London, has staged a meeting to mark a good sovereign's official birthday since 1895, whenever a ceremony was held found in honour of Queen Victoria.
The parade highlighted soldiers from the Welsh Guards, who observed government virus rules to retain at least two metres aside, in a ceremony dubbed "mini-Trooping."
The annual "Trooping" event, which normally features hundreds of servicemen and women from Britain's most prestigious regiments for a centuries-aged spectacle of military pomp and pageantry in front of thousands of spectators, was cancelled because of the health crisis.
Britain has been among the worst-hit countries on the planet by Covid-19, with the amount of suspected and confirmed deaths passing the grim milestone of 50,000 this week.
The Queen observed Saturday's pared back again ceremony in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle from a dais and was given the royal salute by the troops.
Despite isolating at the castle going back three months, older people monarch has tried to stay visible, making a exceptional televised address to the country in April and her debut on an electronic platform this week in a video conference call.
She celebrated her actual 94th birthday in April 21 without the original gun salute, due to the health crisis.
The twice birthday tradition was started by King George II in 1748, who wished to have a summer celebration as his own birthday was Oct 30. - AFP
