Since Prince Philip died, people have been looking to Queen Elizabeth II to see how the monarch is coping without her husband. The two were married for over 70 years, making theirs the longest marriage in British royal history. After his death, the queen went into an official period of mourning. Though Prince Philip’s funeral is over, there are still traditions that the queen must follow, even while mourning the loss of her husband. Now, she is breaking one of those traditions.
Prince Philip’s death
On April 9, the royal family notified the public of Prince Philip’s death.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the royal family’s social media accounts announced.
“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle,” the post continued. “The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course.”
Queen Elizabeth is breaking tradition for Prince Philip
The queen is doing things her own way when it comes to some aspects of the mourning process. Other royals and the monarchs before her have used black-edged stationery during the official mourning period. Sources have confirmed to People that the queen will not be doing this. Instead, she will use her personalized stationary, which will have her crest changed to black instead of its normal red.
Despite the queen’s break in tradition, Clarence House, the office of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Kensington Palace, the office of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, will use the customary black-edged stationary.
According to the outlet, the tradition goes all the way back to when Prince Albert died in 1861 and Queen Victoria used paper outlined in black to express that she was still in mourning.
Queen Elizabeth’s birthday broke traditions
Queen Elizabeth’s birthday also looked quite different this year. This year, the queen decided to change a few things as it was hard to celebrate while grieving.
“I have, on the occasion of my 95th birthday today, received many messages of good wishes, which I very much appreciate,” she wrote in a statement. “While 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.
“My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days,” she continued. “We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life.”
Queen Elizabeth II didn’t release a birthday photo this year as she typically does. In addition, the usual gun salutes in Hyde Park and the Tower of London to mark the occasion were canceled. They were also canceled last year during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Source: Read Full Article