London: Britain is marking Queen Elizabeth II's 94th birthday with silence Tuesday, as the nation in lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic forgoes the usual gun salutes and the ringing of bells.
With thousands dead amid the outbreak, the monarch decided that the celebratory display of military firepower would not be appropriate. Nor will there be a celebratory peal of bells at Westminster Abbey, as the church where the queen was married and crowned is currently closed.
The royal family took to social media to share images of Elizabeth as she marks the occasion — but in keeping with social distancing rules, there will be no visits.
The queen will mark the day with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at Windsor Castle in Berkshire.
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It is the latest crisis in the reign of the British monarch and comes after a difficult 12 months which have seen her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle leave their role as senior royals and her son Prince Andrew also withdraw from public duties as he becomes embroiled in the scandal surrounding his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
TIMELINE OF QUEEN:
Queen Elizabeth became heir to the throne when her uncle, Edward Vlll, abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallace Simpson, making her father King.
In 1947, she married Phillip Mountbatten and went on to have four children: His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles; Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal, Princess Anne; HRH The Duke of York, Prince Andrew and HRH The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward.
When her father George VI died suddenly in 1952, she became queen and was crowned the following year.
She has eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
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During her reign, she's witnessed all her children get married, including the ill-fated pairing between Prince Charles and the then Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.
The wedding was held at St Paul's Cathedral before an estimated global TV audience of 750 million.
The Queen later saw the very public breakups between Princess Anne and Mark Phillips; Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York and Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
In 1997, an event happened which shook the world and the royal family: Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris.
During much public debate and speculation about what took place that night and the Queen's perceived failure to respond in public to the death, the royal family's popularity waned.
But an address to the nation, in which the Queen spoke of her admiration for Diana, managed to quell public hostility.
2002 was another difficult year for the Queen.
Her sister, Princess Margaret, died in February and her mother died a month later.
The monarchy received a boost in popularity when the Queen's grandson and second-in-line to the throne Prince William married Catherine Middleton.
Celebrations marking 60 years of the Queen's reign, in 2012, included a massive pageant on the River Thames where the Queen's golden barge led a flotilla of a thousand boats.
For over sixty years the Queen has received flowers from well-wishers, shaken hands with officials, unveiled plaques, met Presidents and been a symbol of the British nation.
(AP)
