Queen Devastation: Queen Elizabeth II Forced To Cancel Special Royal Event!
As the U.K grapples to combat the alarming cases of COVID-19, Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Queen Elizabeth II's birthday will not be publicly celebrated this year.
Moreover, in her 68 years as the head of the monarchy, this will be the first time that Her Majesty the Queen won't be able to mark her special day with the traditional royal gun salute.
Per Harper's Bazaar UK, as Queen Elizabeth II turns 94 on April 21, it would be inappropriate to push through with the festivity in the middle of a health crisis -- during which thousands of people are suffering..
"The [gun] salute usually takes place at Hyde Park and the Tower of London... A Buckingham Palace official confirmed that the monarch had decided it would not be appropriate at this time," a source told the publication.
While the whole nation is still under the government-mandated stay-at-home order, The Firm is expected to commemorate the Queen's birthday on social media. However, all family-related affairs such as video calls will remain private.
No More Birthday Parade For Queen Elizabeth II
Furthermore, it was earlier reported that the longest-reigning monarch's birthday parade -- known as the Trooping the Colour which takes place in mid-June -- has also been canceled amid the coronavirus.
"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 mentioned in its official statement.
Started by King George in 1758, the occasion is said to be the much-awaited event in the royals' calendar since the entire family gather on the Buckingham Palace balcony all together to witness the tradition.
Last year, members of the royal family attended the event except for the Duke of Edinburgh, who "operates on a 'wake up and see how I feel' basis" as cited by The Telegraph.
More than 1,400 soldiers, 300 horses and 400 musicians from the Household Division and the Household Cavalry took part in the parade.
Princess Beatrice's Royal Wedding, Officially Canceled
Aside from the Trooping of Color, other royal events were also postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis, including Princess Beatrice and property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's royal wedding.
The Princess of York was set to marry her 37-year-old Italian aristocrat fiance at St. James' Palace in London, with the reception following at Queen Elizabeth II's Buckingham Palace gardens.
As the pandemic escalates across the world, the couple's spokesperson mentioned that as of now, "there are no plans to switch venues or hold bigger weddings."
"They aren't even thinking about their wedding at this time. There will come a time to rearrange, but that's not yet," the rep added.
Currently, COVID-19 in the U.K. have soared to more than 121,000 confirmed cases while fatalities have peaked to nearly 16,000.
According to world-leading disease data analysts, Britain will become the worst-hit country by the coronavirus in Europe.
