The Queen desires to take a step back and let the spotlight be entirely on the Duke of Edinburgh in six months time, when he reaches his 100th birthday, according to a source. Prince Philip’s birthday falls on June 10, just two days before this year’s Trooping the Colour.
However, the monarch wants the focus throughout the whole month of June to be on her husband of 73 years, it has been claimed.
A source close to the Queen told Vanity Fair: “The Queen wants the Duke to be the centre of attention in June and for the big celebration for herself to be for her Platinum Jubilee in 2022.”
The Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday will mark two royal firsts on top of a personal milestone.
Prince Philip will be the first male member of the Royal Family and first royal consort to turn 100.
The Queen Mother died aged 102 in 2002, decades after her husband King George VI’s untimely death.
While the Queen reportedly wants all eyes on Prince Philip this June rather than sharing the limelight on her official 95th birthday, she is already planning the celebrations for her 70th year on the throne in 2022.
The claim the Queen wants to cast the attention on the Duke comes after Prince Philip was recently described as a “rather reluctant celebrant” by another insider.
READ MORE: Queen’s wedding day marred by Prince Philip’s ‘great disappointment’
A Buckingham Palace aide told the Daily Telegraph last month: “Let’s just say we have a rather reluctant celebrant.
“You can’t do something if someone doesn’t want something doing.”
Prince Philip famously doesn’t want a big fuss on his birthdays and his desire is usually fulfilled.”
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However, this year aides and the Queen will likely overrule his desire to spend the big day privately given the milestone he is to reach.
But the Duke, one aide warned, will likely don’t want to have anything to do with the planning of the celebrations.
The source said: “The one person you can guarantee will not want anything to do with it, is the Duke.
“He’s retired, he’s stepped back, he doesn’t want the fuss. You can’t blame him.”
Prince Philip himself addressed the possibility to turn 100 20 years ago, when he was discussing the Queen Mother’s milestone birthday.
After saying he had “no desire whatsoever” to reach that same age, he added: “I can’t imagine anything worse.
“Bits of me are falling off already.”
The Queen and Prince Philip have been self-isolating at Windsor Castle for the most part of 2020.
On Saturday, the couple got vaccinated against coronavirus at Windsor Castle by a household doctor, as revealed by Buckingham Palace.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have today received Covid-19 vaccinations.”
A source added the decision to break with the palace tradition to keep private the royals’ medical matters came from the Queen.
They said: “To prevent inaccuracies and further speculation, Her Majesty decided that she would let it be known she has had the vaccination.”
