Losing a loved one can be incredibly difficult, especially when it happens so close to another event in your life.
Queen Elizabeth II tragically lost her husband, Prince Phillip, at the age of 99 on April 9th. The funeral was held on April 17th. Just four days after the funeral will be the Queen's 95th birthday, and understandably she will not be celebrating it as usual.
The Royal Family shared a quote from the Queen in 1997 to Instagram following the news of his passing that emphasized the strength of their relationship, sharing, "He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know."
The Queen already returned to performing her royal duties just four days after the passing of her husband, although the standard grieving period is 8 days.
"Her family will step up and be by her side, but she will carry on," a former senior aide told People, "She understands that she has a job to do, and [Philip] would have wanted her to crack on."
While it's tradition for members of the family to release new portraits on their birthdays, that will not be happening this year, according to People. The festivities known as Trooping The Colour which are usually held in June to celebrate the Queen's birthday will also be cancelled, this year for the second year in a row due to the pandemic.
We're glad to hear that the Queen is surrounded by family and loved ones during this no doubt incredibly difficult time!
