Queen Elizabeth will be clocking 94 years on Tuesday, April 21, and she has requested that there be no gun salutes to mark her birthday, which is happening for the first time since her 68-year reign amid the coronavirus pandemic.
According to BBC, the Queen said she did not feel gun salutes would be appropriate in the present circumstances. A Buckingham Palace source said her birthday will not be marked in any special way, adding that any phone or video calls she has with the family will be kept private.
Gun salutes, used by the Royal Family, are fired across the UK to mark special occasions such as anniversaries and birthdays. The idea of looking at an alternative Trooping the Colour event to mark her official birthday in June has also been dropped as the UK continues in lockdown.