TORONTO -- While she won’t be surrounded with family or hear the traditional gun salute in her honour this year, the Queen is still being showered with well-wishes on the occasion of her 94th birthday.
On Tuesday, Prince William and his wife Kate marked the Queen’s birthday by posting a special photo of the three of them on their Instagram account.
“Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a very happy 94th birthday today!” the couple wrote in the caption, along with a birthday cake and a balloon emoji.
On the Royal Family’s Twitter account, a video with private footage of the Queen as a child playing with her younger sister Princess Margaret was shared in celebration of her birthday.
“Head of the Commonwealth, Head of the Armed Forces, Head of State in 16 countries and the longest reigning Monarch in British History. Wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Happy birthday, Your Majesty!” an earlier post on the account read.
On the Royal Family’s Instagram account, the Royal Pastry Chefs’ recipe for regal-looking chocolate cupcakes was shared with the public in celebration of the Queen’s birthday.
“If you or a loved one are celebrating a special occasion during isolation why not treat yourself to some #RoyalBakes?” the post read, along with an invitation for users to share their creations.
The Queen’s eldest son, Prince Charles, also took the nostalgic route when he shared several photos of him and his mother from the past on the official Clarence House Instagram account on Tuesday.
“Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a very Happy 94th Birthday,” the caption read with a balloon emoji.
Even Captain Tom Moore, the Second World War veteran who raised more than $47 million (27 million pounds) for the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) by walking around his garden, took a moment to wish the monarch a happy birthday.
“Happy Birthday your majesty... With the highest regards, Captain Tom Moore,” he said in a message to the Queen from his home in Bedfordshire.
Moore, himself, is already receiving birthday cards of his own in the lead up to his 100th birthday on April 30.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also took a moment to wish the Queen a happy birthday and to thank her for her condolences regarding the mass killing in Nova Scotia over the weekend.
“Since acceding to the throne in 1952, Her Majesty has stood with Canada in times of change, triumph, transformation, and uncertainty like we are experiencing today with the COVID-19 pandemic. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Her Majesty for her kind words to the people of Nova Scotia and all Canadians following the tragic events that took place last weekend,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Trudeau went on to express his gratitude to the Queen for her leadership and commitment to the Commonwealth.
“Today, we celebrate Her Majesty and recognize her extraordinary service, strength, and enduring grace,” the statement read.
While the Queen is being feted by admirers around the world, she is having a somewhat subdued celebration this year in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
The monarch is currently residing with her 98-year-old husband, Prince Philip, and a reduced household in Windsor Castle for their protection.
On Saturday, a palace source revealed to CNN that a number of traditional ceremonies in honour of the Queen’s birthday had been cancelled because she felt it would be “inappropriate” during the pandemic.
That means, for the first time in 68 years, the Queen’s birthday will not be marked by a traditional gun salute. She will also not be joined by her large family in person this year. Instead, the source said the occasion will be marked on social media and any phone calls or video calls with family members will remain private.
What’s more, the Queen’s second birthday celebration in June, which is held for the public, has also been cancelled as a result of the health crisis.
The official second birthday for the British monarch, a tradition dating back to the 18th century, involves a public celebration with a military parade called Trooping the Colour. During that event, the streets around Buckingham Palace are typically lined with thousands of tourists as hundreds of parading soldiers, horses, and musicians take part. The celebration also includes a flypast by the Royal Air Force as the Royal Family watches from a palace balcony.
There are no plans for an alternative event this year, according to the palace source.
Earlier this month, the Queen addressed her subjects in a rare televised speech, in which she called for unity during the pandemic and declared that the country will succeed in fighting the virus.
With files from CNN
