Queen Elizabeth's annual birthday parade, called Trooping the Colour, will once again be a more modest affair this year after discussing the possibility of holding the event with the U.K. government in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.
The coronavirus forced the royals to scale back the grand occasion last year with hopes of a return to normal in 2021 to celebrate the Queen's 95th birthday. But after speaking with government officials, it was called off for a second time. Buckingham Palace announced in a statement on Friday: "Following consultation with Government and other relevant parties it has been agreed that The Queen’s Official Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, will not go ahead this year in its traditional form in central London."
However, the royals are leaving open the option that the event could be hosted at a different location, adding, "Options for an alternative Parade, in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle, are being considered." The annual Garter service, typically held in June, has also been cancelled.
Last year, a much smaller version of the festivities were held in the Windsor Castle quadrangle where the Queen has been living since March after leaving London early on in the pandemic. The cancellation of the Trooping the Colour has also raised questions about whether or not some of the royals' other big summer events will continued as planned, which could see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returning to the U.K. for the first time since stepping down as senior royals. Those events include the unveiling of a statue in honor of Princess Diana on what would've been her 60th birthday in the garden at Kensington Palace on July 1, and a birthday party to commemorate Prince Philip turning 100. Although, it seems like Philip probably wouldn't mind too much if that particular festivity were to be called off.
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