Queen elizabeth ii
Queen Elizabeth to miss family Christmas over virus fears
The 94-year-old monarch and her husband Prince Philip normally spend the festive season at her Sandringham estate in eastern England with other members of the...
The portrait depicts Elizabeth wearing a blue knee-length dress, pearls and low-heeled black shoes, seated on a chair covered in gold leaf in an ornately furnished room.
It was the first time the castle, west of London, has staged an event to mark a sovereign's official birthday since 1895.
The Queen has been living at Windsor Castle, west of London, during the lockdown with her 98-year-old husband Prince Philip.
Royal birthdays and anniversaries are traditionally marked by ceremonial gun salutes, in which blank rounds are fired from various locations across London, but the queen felt it would be inappropriate to allow this to go ahead given the circumstances.
The queen’s words were shown on a video released by the royal family’s Twitter account, which featured images of the queen and other members of her family visiting hospitals and meeting healthcare workers.
The virus has infected virtually every corner of the planet, confining nearly half of humanity to their homes and turning life upside down for billions on a deadly march that has claimed nearly 70,000 victims.
'Clarence House has confirmed today that, having consulted with his doctor, the Prince of Wales is now out of self-isolation,' it said in a statement.
Several large public events due to have been attended by the queen and other royals in the coming months will also be postponed or cancelled.
The 93-year-old monarch had been due to visit Cheshire in northwest England, and Camden, in north London, from next week, while her son, 71, was set to tour Bosnia, Cyprus and Jordan.
The Queen is believed to be very upset by Harry and Meghan's decision to leave, but talks over the weekend are said to have "cleared the air" between them.
Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday formally approved the landmark law facilitating Britain's departure from the European Union at the end of this month.
According to Trudeau, Canadians are "very supportive" of having the royal couple live in Canada, but there are still "lots of discussions to have."
Queen Elizabeth II on Monday said Prince Harry and his wife Meghan would be allowed to split their time between Britain and Canada while their future is finalised.
Harry's father Prince Charles and brother Prince William, with whom he has strained relations, will join the monarch at her private Sandringham estate in eastern England, according to British media.
The couple said they would now 'balance' their time between Britain and North America and rip up long-established relations with the press, in a surprise statement Wednesday that appeared to catch Buckingham Palace off guard.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from their duties as senior members of the British royal family to escape the spotlight and to pursue a more independent life.
The British royal family traditionally attends church service at Sandringham, their central England country estate, and the list of those attending is closely watched for signs of Buckingham Palace politics.
The family's year to forget may encourage Prince Charles in his purported belief that the centuries-old institution needs reform, according to royal experts.