Grieving Queen Elizabeth II Of England Turns 95

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st April, 2021) UK Queen Elizabeth II will mark her 95th birthday on Wednesday without any public celebration due to the recent passing of Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

According to UK newspapers and broadcasters, the monarch is expected to spend time with a small group of royal family members in Windsor Castle, which is located some 30 miles west of London and where Philip was buried on Saturday.

The customary new birthday portrait of the queen is not expected to be released either by the Buckingham Palace, as her official two-week mourning period continues until Friday, while the traditional gun salute from Hyde Park and the Tower of London has also been canceled.

Prince Philip died on April 9, nine weeks away from his 100th birthday, and was buried at Windsor Castle's St.

George's Chapel in a COVID-19-secured funeral attended only by 30 members of the royal family.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who did not attend Philip's funeral to make room for another member of the family, took to Twitter to congratulate the queen on her birthday.

"I would like to send my warm wishes to Her Majesty The Queen on her 95th birthday. I have always had the highest admiration for Her Majesty and her service to this country and the Commonwealth. I am proud to serve as her Prime Minister," Johnson wrote.

The monarch's official birthday is celebrated in June, as part of a tradition that dates back to 1748, and is marked by a parade which has also been canceled for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 restrictions.