Every year, London is treated to a magnificent celebration in honor of Queen Elizabeth. Trooping the Colour has become one of the most highly anticipated events on the royal social calendar.
A typical Trooping the Colour celebration would consist of a carriage procession, a military demonstration, and more. It would lead up to everyone's favorite moment. The entire extended royal family would appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the Queen at the center of it all.
This year's celebration looked very different than in years before. Shutdowns have led to the cancellation of public events like Trooping the Colour. Initially, it was believed the event was canceled altogether.
It was a treat when the Queen enjoyed a scaled-down celebration at Windsor Castle on Saturday. The televised event featured socially distanced drills from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. While many enjoyed the broadcast, some couldn't help but feel the grandeur rang unaware in the midst of the economic and social state of the world.
Queen Elizabeth celebrated a scaled-down Trooping the Colour as she and Prince Philip continue to self-isolate at Windsor Castle. Since crowds couldn't take to the streets of London in celebration, the event was televised live for all to enjoy from their homes. For those who look forward to the celebrations each year, there was no denying how different it was from ones before.
The Queen was treated to drills by soldiers from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. The soldiers are currently on guard at Windsor Castle and have also served throughout the health crisis at a number of test centers. The 20 socially distanced soldiers performed their drills while standing 6 feet away from each other.
Among the guards was 21-year-old Rhian Morgan. Rhian is the first female guardsman to ever parade for the Queen's birthday. The Newport, South Wales, native joined the Welsh Guards earlier this year.
The Band of the Household Division performed music for the event. The group was reduced from its usually massive size down to just 42 musicians, conducted by Lieutenant Colonel Simon Hoar. The band played Welsh tunes, including "Men of Harlech" and "The Rising of the Lark."
Despite the fact that the celebration wasn't of its usual grandeur, the Queen looked quite pleased to be celebrating at all. She smiled widely from her dais decorated with pink begonias and bay trees. Joining her were her Master of Household Vice-Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt, her Comptroller Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon, and her equerry Major Nana Twumasi-Ankrah.
Queen Elizabeth wore a turquoise coat by Stewart Parvin and hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan, previously worn in her December 2019 speech to both Houses of Parliament. She completed the look with the diamond leek brooch of the Welsh Guards. She looked to be in good spirits throughout the celebration.
The event still looked extraordinary considering the typical event utilizes 1,400 soldiers to celebrate the Queen's birthday. It was also the first time that the sovereign's birthday parade has been held at Windsor since 1895, during the reign of Queen Victoria. Trooping the Colour has only been canceled once before during Queen Elizabeth's reign, during a rail strike in 1955.
The scene at Windsor Castle was markedly different from what was going on in London, where under any other circumstances Trooping the Colour would take place. Chaos rang out as a group of far-right extremists took to the streets to counter peaceful protests against police brutality and racial injustice, according to the BBC. They violently clashed with police at different points.
Some critics believe that if the Queen could find a way to celebrate Trooping the Colour, she should find a way to speak out more about all the different things going on in the United Kingdom and the world at large right now. She has spoken out about the health crisis in just one televised address. Some feel she should say more about the battle against the virus besides her reassurances about persevering and staying strong.
Queen Elizabeth has not spoken out regarding protests against police brutality and racial injustice, which many are hoping will change. Still, it's a difficult area to navigate. As a monarch, she is supposed to stay neutral on political matters, and the lines of political and social issues are blurred on many of the current events.
The Queen's silence may be perceived as compliance or weakness by some, but it is a testament to her dedication to behaving by the book. While her freedom to speak out seems a bit murky, it will be interesting to note how other members of the royal family handle these delicate issues, if at all.
