One royal family member will not be taking part in the Queen’s birthday celebrations this year

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The Queen celebrates her birthday today, with the monarch turning 95, the first of her two birthdays this year.

Yes, the Queen has two birthdays a year, celebrating on the actual day, April 21st, and then also having an official birthday in June to publicly mark the occasion, commemorated with the annual Trooping the Colour parade.

The Queen usually celebrates her actual birthday privately, so it is her official birthday in June that is already making the most news.

This is mainly due to a report that one royal family member will be absent from the official celebrations taking place on 12 June.

The royal in question? Prince Andrew.

According to a report by The Sunday Times, Prince Andrew, 61, will not be taking part in the annual parade as he usually does, with his role set to be filled instead by former Afghanistan soldier Major General Roland Walker.

This is due to the fact that Prince Andrew is no longer a working royal, stepping down last year after the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

It is not yet known whether Prince Andrew will appear on Buckingham Palace balcony with other members of the royal family to watch the parade.

The Queen will not be celebrating her personal birthday this year, spending the day in a period of mourning for her late husband, Prince Philip, at Windsor Castle.

Jenny Proudfoot
Contributing Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.