Queen Elizabeth is to spend her 75th birthday at home alone in Windsor Castle without many of her immediate family. Princess Anne and Prince Andrew are on official business in central America and South Korea, respectively; Prince Charles has elected to stay at Balmoral; and her grandson William is still away in Africa, where he is spending part of his gap year.
With attention being focused on the celebrations for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee next year and republican feeling still running high following the Sophie tapes scandal, the powers-that-be appear to have decided to take a low-key approach to the milestone birthday, which marks the age of retirement for judges and bishops. Royal aides have questioned the decision, however, with one admitting: “Perhaps we could be accused of taking our eyes off the ball. I suppose it does not give a good impression of a united royal family.”
Although pressure from left-wing republicans for the monarch to stand down has been growing, some leading backbenchers are keen for her to stay on, citing the alternative as worse. “Of course it is ridiculous that we have a 75-year-old head of state, but at the moment it is better than her standing aside for Prince Charles, which would be even worse and lead to the perpetuation of an out-of-date system,” said one.
The Queen will be joined for a private celebration at the castle by her mother and her sister Margaret, who is still recovering from a stroke. The only one of her children to deliver his birthday wishes in person is Prince Edward, who is expected to pay a visit with his wife Sophie.
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Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
