British royals news reveals that Prince George will celebrate his seventh birthday on July 22nd. The little prince is growing up quickly, but unfortunately the bells at Westminster Abbey won’t ring on his birthday, as traditionally is the case. The change in protocol is due to the coronavirus pandemic and the temporary shutdown of Westminster Abbey.
As royal watchers know, Prince William and Kate Middleton have three children: Prince George (6), Prince Charlotte (5), and Prince Louis (2). The children have been in lockdown with their parents at their Anmer Hall residence in Norfolk.
Prince George was last seen in June in several photographs published by Kensington Palace showing the children playing with Prince William.
In late March, Westminster Abbey closed to the public, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson put a nationwide lockdown in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Since the Abbey was where the bell-ringing tradition took place for senior members of the royal family, that tradition was suspended for the time being. As a result, the birthdays of several senior royals have not been publicly marked by bell ringing since late March.
Queen Elizabeth did celebrate her birthday in June with the Trooping the Colour event, although it was a much scaled-back affair and just the Queen attended. Other members of the royal family were not present and remained in lockdown.
Prince Philip is said to have watched the Trooping the Colour celebration from a private balcony, but for his own protection he couldn’t attend.
The lockdown measures at Westminster Abbey are expected to remain in place until at least August, and possibly even later than that depending on the coronavirus situation at that time. It’s possible that Princess Anne will be among the first senior royals to enjoy the bell-ringing tradition on her birthday. Princess Anne turns 70 on August 15th.
Although Prince George, Prince Charlotte, and Prince Louis remain in lockdown, their parents Prince William and Kate Middleton have been slowly but surely emerging in the public domain. Prince William recently visited a local bakery and a pub, while Kate Middleton visited with patients and families at a children’s hospice. Then, William and Kate together visited with medical personnel together in Norfolk.
It will be good to finally get things back to normal and to see the littlest royals out and about as well, but it looks like Prince George will have to wait until next year to hear the bells ring on his birthday. Be sure to check back here at CDL for more British royals news and updates. We’ve got you covered!
