Queen Elizabeth II is ringing in her 95th birthday on a somber note. On Wednesday, the Royal Family social media accounts shared details of how the reigning British monarch is spending her milestone birthday.
“This year The Queen remains at Windsor Castle during a period of Royal Mourning following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh,” the account shared of Her Royal Highness.
Elizabeth’s birthday comes not long after her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died on April 9 at the age of 99.
On Wednesday, the queen released a personal message to the public, thanking them for their support during a difficult time.
“While as a family we are in a period of great sadness, it has been a comfort to us all to see and to hear the tributes paid to my husband, from those within the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world,” she said in her statement. “My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days. We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life.”
The royal family honored Philip in a touching and intimate funeral service on Saturday in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Due to COVID-19 protocols, only 30 close family members attended the service, though it was televised.
During the funeral, Elizabeth left a handwritten letter on her late husband’s coffin in a touching tribute.
“You actually really couldn’t make out much of the writing but we know it was from the Queen,” royal expert Katie Nicholl told ET of the letter. “We believe that it was signed ‘Lilibet’ which was the duke’s name for the Queen.”
