The Real Reason Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Parade Was Just Canceled
For over 260 years, fans have looked forward to the Trooping of the Colour — aka, the event that marks and celebrates the British monarch's official birthday. According to the official royal website, the event is a huge spectacle, with "over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians" who all "come together each June in a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark The Queen's official birthday."
Queen Elizabeth's birthday is on April 21, though the parade always takes place in June. In 2020, for the first time in decades, the event was canceled due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. According to USA Today, 2020 was one of just two years that Trooping the Colour was canceled during Queen Elizabeth's reign — the first time was during a national rail strike back in 1995.
Unfortunately for the royal family and fans of the event, the 2021 Trooping the Colour has been canceled for the second year in a row. Keep reading to learn more details about the cancellation and why this year's parade would've been particularly special.
This is the second year in a row that the Trooping the Colour has been cancelled
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the annual Trooping the Colour parade has been cancelled for the second year in the row. In a statement (via People), Buckingham Palace confirmed the news: "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. Options for an alternative Parade, in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle, are being considered."
This year's parade would've been special for a couple of reasons. While the 2021 parade would commemorate Queen Elizabeth's 95th birthday, the timing would also celebrate a milestone birthday for Prince Philip as well. The queen's husband, who recently returned home from the hospital after a month-long stay, is turning 100 years old this year, and his birthday falls just two days before the event's scheduled date, June 12.
Despite ongoing vaccination efforts in the UK, COVID-19 remains an ongoing crisis, so it's no surprise that the Trooping the Colour was canceled. Hopefully, things will look a little different in 2022, and Queen Elizabeth will be able to celebrate her birthday with full festivities once again.