Queen Elizabeth II at 94: a look back at the life span of the world's longest reigning monarch
21 April, 2020
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 94th birthday today, on April 21, 2020. Typically, the Queen has two birthday celebrations, one on her behalf actual April 21 birthday, another official birthday on the next Saturday in June. However, this season the celebrations will be more discreet.
Traditionally, any British royal birthdays or anniversaries are marked with ceremonial gun salutes of honour. However, this season the display has been cancelled, as the monarch considers it "inappropriate" in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to a more subdued private birthday, it has additionally been announced that the Trooping of the color parade, which marks the Queen's official birthday, won't just do it amid the pandemic.
At 94, Queen Elizabeth II may be the world's oldest and longest-reigning monarch. Born on April 21, 1926, she ascended to the throne in 1952 at age 25, following a death of her father, King George VI. She was coronated on June 2, 1953, and will mark the 67th anniversary of her coronation this June.
At birth, it had been not expected that Princess Elizabeth would become queen. Her father, George VI, took the throne when his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorcee from America.
Source: www.thenational.ae