Yesterday saw the Queen celebrate her 95th birthday, the first without her husband Prince Philip who sadly passed away almost a fortnight ago. In previous years, it's said that the Duke of Edinburgh had a very sweet tradition that he carried out each year for his wife's birthday – placing a flower on her breakfast tray in the morning.
The gesture was first written about over forty years ago, in a 1976 issue of the Montreal Gazette. Royal correspondent Victoria Arbiter shared a snippet of the original article on Twitter yesterday, on the Queen's special day, along with her own thoughts.
"According to an article published in the Montreal Gazette in 1976, Prince Philip always used to put a flower on the Queen's birthday breakfast tray," said Arbiter. "Amazing that even on her 50th questions over whether or not she'd abdicate were raised. The answer remains the same - no."
The snapshot of the article reads: "Birthday morning the Queen will find a flower on her breakfast tray – a token her husband never forgets. There will be gifts from members of the family – her sons, Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and Prince Andrew as well as Edward, her daughter, Princess Anne, wife of Capt. Mark Phillips, Queen Mother Elizabeth and others. There will be a family lunch."
The article also added, "Among those expected at lunch is Princess Margaret, recently separated from the Earl of Snowdon. The 50th milestone is bound to revive speculation that the Queen may abdicate someday so Prince Charles can wear the crown while still a comparatively young man."
On her birthday this year, the Queen released a touching statement thanking the public for their messages of condolence and for sharing their happy memories about Prince Philip.
"I have, on the occasion of my 95th birthday today, received many messages of good wishes, which I very much appreciate," it reads. "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."
Our thoughts continue to be with the Queen during this sad time.
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
