Her Majesty The Queen isn’t the only one celebrating a milestone birthday this year. Her husband, Prince Philip, celebrates his 95th birthday on 10 June.
On his birthday, The Duke of Edinburgh will be seated beside the Queen at a service of thanksgiving for her birthday in St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Queen this year will celebrate her official birthday on 11 June.
Her Majesty was born on 21 April 1926; however she always celebrates her official birthday on the second Saturday every June with the Trooping the Colour Parade.
But in stark contrast to the multi-day celebrations planned for the Queen, Prince Philip has specifically asked that his birthday be low-key, and not a detraction from the weekend-long celebration for his wife.
This non-celebration is par for the course with the Prince. When he celebrated his 90th birthday in 2011, he hosted a reception for Action on Hearing Loss at Buckingham Palace – but couldn’t stop the impromptu rendition of “Happy Birthday” performed by the guests.
In contrast, the Queen’s 90th birthday will be celebrated many times. In April, Her Majesty and Prince Philip will undertake a week of engagements during the week of her birthday. On the day of her 90th birthday, she will officially unveil a plaque commemorating a 63-point walkway called The Queen’s Walkway that recognizes significant places in Windsor.
From 12 to 15 May on the grounds of Windsor Castle a special tribute will take place in honour of the Queen, and will especially commemorate her love of horses, while also focusing on her life and service, her dedication to the Commonwealth, and her involvement with the Army, Navy and Air Force. Tickets for the events sold out quickly.
Then in June, the Queen will celebrate her birthday over the weekend of 10 June to 12 June. On 10 June, the aforementioned service of thanksgiving will take place, while Saturday will be marked by the Trooping the Colours Parade. On 12 June, a “Patrons Lunch” will take place along the Mall will recognize and celebrate the over 600 organisations in the United Kingdom and around the Commonwealth that the Queen acts as patron of.
Another milestone will take place on November 20th next year, namely their platinum wedding anniversary (70 years).
What an amazing couple they are!