UK鈥檚 Queen Elizabeth turns 95, mourns Philip
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Britain鈥檚 Queen Elizabeth said she had been deeply touched by the tributes paid to her husband Prince Philip, in her first public remarks since his death this month and as she marks her first birthday without him in 73 years.
Prince Philip, whom Elizabeth married in 1947, died on April 9 aged 99 and the royals paid their final respects to the family鈥檚 patriarch at a funeral on Saturday at Windsor Castle.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the queen sat alone during the somber service for Philip, whom she had previously described as her 鈥渟trength and stay鈥 during her long reign.
鈥淲hile 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,鈥 Elizabeth, the world鈥檚 oldest monarch who turned 95 yesterday, said in a statement.
鈥淢y 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.鈥
The queen, who is also the world鈥檚 longest-reigning monarch, will be at Windsor Castle for her birthday, which traditionally passes off with little or no ceremony.
As the royals are marking two weeks of mourning, it will be even more low key, with no gun salutes at the Tower of London or the capital鈥檚 Hyde Park. The queen also has an official birthday which is usually celebrated with greater pomp on the second Saturday in June.
鈥淚 have, on the occasion of my 95th birthday today, received many messages of good wishes, which I very much appreciate,鈥 she said in her statement.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was one of those to send his best wishes on Twitter. 鈥淚 am proud to serve as her prime minister,鈥 he said.
Philip鈥檚 death has robbed Queen Elizabeth of her closest and most trusted confidant, who had been beside her throughout her 69-year reign.
It also came as she grappled with one of the biggest crises to hit the royal family in decades 鈥 allegations of racism and neglect against it from her grandson Prince Harry and Meghan, his American wife.
Newspapers have suggested that family members would be visiting the queen over the coming days to ensure she would not be left alone while mourning her husband.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson declined to comment, saying all family matters after the funeral would be private.
Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926. She ascended to the throne in 1952, and surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as Britain鈥檚 longest-reigning monarch in September 2015.
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