The Queen’s official birthday has been marked with a scaled back celebration for a second year due to Covid.

This year’s Trooping the Colour saw a reduced parade in the grounds of Windsor Castle, rather than in central London, led by the Scots Guards.

In 2020 the event was cancelled due to the pandemic with a ceremonial tribute performed at Windsor by Welsh Guardsman and a band of the Household Division.

The monarch’s actual birthday is on 21 April but her official birthday is marked on the second Saturday of June each year.

It is traditionally celebrated with a military parade near Buckingham Palace in which the Household Division marches carrying a regimental flag, known as a colour.

The Duke of Kent – the Queen’s cousin – was also present for the ceremony, which saw the F Company Scots Guards troop the colour of the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards through the ranks of guardsmen on parade.

The celebration was smaller than normal and has been dubbed a “mini” Trooping the Colour.

But the military officer in charge of planning the parade said his aim was to create a “memorable and uplifting day” for the monarch, who has been based at Windsor during the pandemic.

Lt Col Guy Stone said: “Last year we had 85 on parade, this year we’ve got 274, plus 70 horses, so we’re really excited about the event having grown and getting us back to normal for next year we hope.

“It’s been very challenging, but we like a challenge. Covid has got a lot to answer for in so many ways, it’s made this difficult but what we want to do more than anything is give the Queen a memorable and uplifting day.”

Foot tapping along to the music, the Queen took a break from meeting presidents and prime ministers during the G7 summit to attend her birthday parade.

It was a scaled down Trooping the Colour – in the grounds of Windsor Castle rather than in central London.

The soldiers once again had to carry out their manoeuvres in a socially distanced way but, unlike last year, the mounted regiments were there and gun salutes were fired.

Any public hoping to catch a glimpse had been asked to stay away from Windsor town centre – but some of the weekend shoppers, cyclists and tourists did stop outside the castle walls. They were treated to a perfect view of the Red Arrows flying overhead as the parade came to an end.

It has been a difficult few months for the Queen. A number of those taking part in Trooping the Colour were also involved in the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh held here in April.

It was the Queen’s first official birthday without her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died at the age of 99 in April.

The event ended with a 41- gun salute and a flypast by the Red Arrows.

Official celebrations of a sovereign’s birthday have often been held on a day other than their actual birth date, particularly when the actual birthday has not been in the summer, so that there is better weather for a parade.

sources (article and pictures; video): BBC News; Trooping the Colour: Queen celebrates her birthday with scaled-back ceremony at Windsor Castle, The Telegraph, Youtube

The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year: her actual birthday on 21 April and her official birthday on a Saturday in June, when Her Majesty is joined by other members of the Royal Family at the spectacular Trooping the Colour parade which moves between Buckingham Palace, The Mall and Horse Guards Parade. Official celebrations to mark Sovereigns’ birthday have often been held on a day other than the actual birthday, particularly when the actual birthday has not been in the summer. In May or June there’s a better chance of good weather.

This military ceremony dates back to the early 18^th century or earlier, when the colours (flags) of the battalion were carried (or ‘trooped’) down the ranks so that they could be seen and recognised by the soldiers. Since 1748, this parade has also marked the Sovereign’s official birthday. From the reign of Edward VII (1901-1910) onwards, the Sovereign has taken the salute in person at Trooping the Colour. During the ceremony, The Queen is greeted by a Royal salute and carries out an inspection of the troops.

Her Majesty then joins other members of the Royal Family on the palace balcony for a fly-past by the Royal Air Force. The Queen has attended Trooping the Colour every year of her reign, except in 1955 when a national rail strike cancelled the event. In 1981, Queen Elizabeth II was shot at during the ceremony by a seventeen-year-old, who said he had done this to become famous. The Queen was unharmed, as he used blank shots, but Marcus Sarjeant was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

The processions can be seen from the Mall. Events begin at approximately 10am, with the fly-past at 1pm. The parade is also broadcast live on the BBC in the UK.

source: www.royal.gov.uk

official birthday – hivatalos születésnap
Her Majesty – Őfelsége
spectacular – látványos
to mark a birthday – születésnapot megünnepelni
to date back to – visszanyúlni
flag – zászló
battalion – zászlóalj
reign – uralkodás
to take the salute – tisztelgést fogadni
to carry out – elvégezni
inspection – szemle, ellenőrzés
the troops – katonai csapatok
fly-past – légiszemle
to attend – részt venni eseményen
rail strike – vasúti sztrájk
to be shot at – rálőnek
to be unharmed – sértetlen
blank shot – vaktöltény
procession – felvonulás
to broadcast – közvetíteni 

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