Queen Turns 96: Royal Birthday Celebrations To Be Muted This Year

As Queen Elizabeth II turns 96 on Thursday, the gun salutes will ring out from the Tower of London and Hyde Park in the U.K.'s capital, along with the military band playing "Happy Birthday" to mark the special day of the longest-reigning monarch.

However, this birthday will be a low-key event for the queen amid rising concerns about her health.

What Happened: According to The Guardian, Buckingham Palace is not planning any public engagement. 

Since the death of Prince Philip last year, it has been a troublesome year for Britain's Royal Family. The monarch has massively cut down on public appearances and been withdrawing from several royal engagements in recent months, including the Maundy Day church service, where Prince Charles represented her. 

Due to her deteriorating health, she also pulled out of the traditional royal Easter dinner.

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No Frills Birthday: The queen was last seen in public at Westminster Abbey in London at a memorial service for Prince Philip on March 29.

She is expected to spend her birthday at the Wood Farm cottage, where her husband spent his days after he retired from public life in 2017.

Since the 18th-century, royal tradition has also observed a second official birthday for the monarch, typically celebrated in warmer weather in June. For Queen Elizabeth, that will coincide with the four days of public events from June 2 to 5 to mark her record-breaking 70th year on the throne.

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