Queen Elizabeth turns 96: a new photo and yet another tribute to her beloved Philip

“Queen? Exactly what the Colosseum means to the Romans: you don’t notice it. I guess when you drive around it you are not there admiring it and saying “what a beauty”, are you? Here, for us Elizabeth II is a bit like that. A piece of our life, of our history, but with great naturalness », Olivia Colman a few years ago responded to what it meant for a British woman to play The Queen. With 70 years of reign (she celebrates them next June), 96 of life on April 21, 2022, Elizabeth II it is, in fact, now a (great) piece of history, an icon, one of the house. It is the Colosseum.

And the new – beautiful – portrait celebrating his birthday is in the midst of two of his beloved ponies. Taken in the grounds of Windsor Castle last month, the photo shows the Queen standing among her own Bybeck Nightingale and Bybeck Katie, in front of a huge magnolia tree in full bloom in early spring. The image was released by the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which the Queen has participated in every year since 1943, and was taken by Henry Dallal, who was also commissioned an official portrait for her 90th birthday.

After all, there is a lot to celebrate. And the queen will do it big at the beginning of June, on the occasion of the Trooping the color, to celebrate the super record. In fact, his reign is the longest in all of British history. Everything has been said, written and shown about her. It has been everywhere: on punk record covers and mugs, on tea towels and t-shirts, on Netflix and on postage stamps. She was portrayed by the greatest artists of the twentieth century, from Andy Warhol to Lucian Freud. Pop stars sang it, from Madonna to the Smiths. You have been through wars, scandals, Brexit and even pandemics. And until recently, in all of this, the queen had Philip next to herher husband, her “rock”.

Elizabeth, 163 centimeters tall, was born under the sign of Taurus. Philip, one meter and 83, below that of the Gemini. An explosive match, their quarrels were furious, as were the periods of crisis. But were married 73 years. “As in the best families, we too have our eccentricities, our quarrels and our impetuous young people,” Majesty once said of her. And now that Prince Philip is gone, who passed away two months from the age of 100 on April 9, 2021, her Majesty finds herself “celebrating” in the place that makes her feel closer to the beloved. For this she left Windsor Castle, where she is currently based, to go to Sandringham, in Norfolk, where her husband retired in 2017 to spend his final years in the countryside. TO Wood Farmlast residence of Filippo, on the weekend, it will be joined by the other family members with which he will blow out the candles “deferred”.

The royal family will do everything to not make her feel alone. The emptiness, of course, is felt. But Elizabeth II had to go on, today as then. Ever since her crown rested on her head at age 26 (“what a strange hat you put on!”, Philip’s joke, one of her favorites), Lilibet has learned: serving the nation is his first duty. Before the happiness of Sister Margaret or any other family member, before the Megxit or other attempts at insubordination, even before (or at least beyond) the pain. “Keep Calm and Carry On “in fact, say the British since the Second World War.

Of abdicate he never wanted to hear about it. Elizabeth will continue to sit on the throne as long as he can, despite the health problems and movement difficulties of the last few months. She has admitted that she is (also) fragile – “no one can live forever” – but she is always that girl who never thought of becoming queen. But when she became one she immediately understood that there are no shortcuts: “Pain is the price we pay for love.”