No gun salute, no party; Queen Elizabeth spends 94th birthday without fanfare amid COVID

Amid the wrath of the deadly Coronavirus that has gripped the world, Queen Elizabeth's annual gun salute in honor of Her Majesty's birthday was canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic and she marked her 94th birthday in silence this Tuesday.

The British royal queen turned 94 on April 21. Apparently, it was the first time in her 68-year reign when the gun salute honor did not take place. The royal family took to social media to share images of Elizabeth as she marks the occasion — while adhering to norms of social distancing and there were no visits. 

Previously, it was announced that the Queen's annual birthday parade known as the 'Trooping of Colour event', which was planned on June 13 has also been canceled due to the health crisis. The event has happened annually for more than 260 years, with more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians normally coming together to mark the celebration.

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'Challenging time'

The United Kingdom has reported over 130,000 coronavirus cases and around 15,464 deaths with 17,378 death as on April 22. Earlier this month, Queen Elizabeth had addressed the nation calling for unity while acknowledging the “increasingly challenging time”. The Queen said that the disruption due to the pandemic has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of all.

“I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any,” she said.

During the 4 minutes 15 seconds long address, Queen Elizabeth took the opportunity to thank everyone at the National Health Service (NHS) frontline and other health care workers. She also appreciated those providing essential services and continuing day-to-day duties outside their home to support others.

“I am sure the nation will join me in assuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times,” said the Queen.

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