Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Are Skipping Their Big 70th Wedding Anniversary Celebration This Year

Seventy years of marriage is no easy feat, especially when you’re Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. In fact, the pair is the very first members of the British royal family to reach the platinum wedding anniversary. Yet, on Monday, Nov. 20 the royal couple will skip throwing a lavish party — and it’s all for good reason.

A close confidant of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s told the Daily Mail that they couldn’t bear the idea of hosting a shindig after losing so many of their dear friends over the past few years. But such a milestone still deserves a royal salute!

According to the report, Her Majesty and her prince will have “no public festivities,” rather an intimate dinner party for their “a select group of their closest friends and family members.” For those wondering what the public festivities could have entailed — for their silver, golden, and diamond anniversaries, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had national services of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey.

The Queen’s friend spoke to the Daily Mail, explaining, “They feel they can’t top the golden and diamond wedding anniversaries and don’t particularly want to. The Duke was knocked sideways by the loss of Brian McGrath (his former Private Secretary, who died last year aged 90) and one of his closest female friends, Anne Griffiths (the librarian, archivist, and keeper of the royal secrets, who died in March aged 84).”

The royals also recently said goodbye to the Queen’s best friends, Elizabeth Longman and her cousin Margaret Rhodes, as well as Prince Philip’s cousin Countess Mountbatten. “They also don’t want to be reminded of the many missing faces,” the friend explained.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

While Buckinghman Palace had no comment on what will happen behind closed doors on the actual day, they have confirmed there will not be any formal public celebrations. The intimate gathering will no doubt be filled with love.

Over the past seven decades, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have shared a stunning romance, created a family with their four children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Such a landmark achievement deserves some sort of recognition. So the palace will be releasing a range of commemorative souvenirs including a new biography profiling the couple, collector’s edition coins featuring their faces, and a music single, with the proceeds going to one of their chosen charities.

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This post was written by Chloe Lal. It originally appeared on our sister site, Now to Love.