This Is The Man Who Will Accompany Queen Elizabeth At Her 95th Birthday Parade!

BuzzJune 14, 2021

For a long time, Queen Elizabeth has been celebrating her birthday twice a year. Once on April 21, which is her actual birthday, and once in June. Known as “Trooping the Colour,” the second celebration is a huge event held at Buckingham Place. Thousands of soldiers, horses, and musicians come together for a procession in honor of the Queen’s official birthday.

Countless people usually take to the streets to watch the parade, which moves from Buckingham Palace down to The Mall and to Horse Guards Parade.

WPA Pool/Getty Images | As the Queen turns 95, speculations are rife as to who will accompany her to the “Trooping of the Colour” after her husband, Prince Philip’s demise

However, since last year due to the pandemic, the event has been scaled down. This year’s parade, too, is expected to be quite low-key, and of course, Prince Philip’s passing in April 2021 will naturally have its own effect on the celebrations.

Considering that June 12 (the day of the event) is right around the corner, the one question that’s been rattling everyone’s mind is who will stand by the Queen as she turns 95. Traditionally, the spot was reserved for the Queen’s husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh, but it looks like this year it’s going to be her cousin, Prince Edward.

Planning for 2021’s “Trooping the Colour”

This year, when the Queen will watch the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle parade, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, will be standing next to her. As per plans, when the two arrive they’ll be greeted with a royal salute, followed by the national anthem of the United Kingdom.

Thereafter, the Household Division will demonstrate a military parade under the leadership of the Foot Guards. The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery groups will also join in their course. As for the music, a massed band of the Household Division consisting of the First Battalion Scots Guards Pipes and Drums will take care of it.

Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images | The Queen standing next to her cousin, Prince Edward (the Duke of Kent), at another royal ceremony. Apparently, Prince Edward will stand next to the Queen at the ceremony

The ceremony will begin with a 41-gun royal salute from the East Lawn in Windsor Castle. Since Prince Philip’s death, it’ll be the first “Trooping the Colour” who officially retired from royal duties in 2017.

A glimpse into last year’s ceremony

On June 13, 2020, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 94th birthday. She saw a mesmerizing ceremony put on by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, who at that time were guarding Windsor Castle. When the Queen arrived with Lieutenant Colonel Mike Vernon and Vice Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt, the soldiers gave her a royal salute. They performed the military drills for her as she watched them from a podium outside of her residence.

WPA Pool/Getty Images | The Queen arrives at last year’s ceremony with Lieutenant Colonel Mike Vernon and Vice Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt

The story behind two birthday celebrations

Since 1748, when King George II ruled over Great Britain and Ireland, it has been a royal tradition for the monarchs to have two birthday celebrations. Once on their original birth date and the next in early summer of the second weekend in June. The idea behind this was to have a summer birthday celebration surrounded by pleasant weather.