Queen Elizabeth Removes Prince Philip From Her Social Media Profile
The Queen has swapped a smiling social media profile photo with Prince Philip for an image of the monarch alone as her official two week mourning period for her husband comes to an end.
Before the Duke of Edinburgh’s death, the Queen, 95, had been using a profile image as she and Prince Philip enjoyed a day out at the Epsom Derby in 2016.
In the days after Prince Philip’s passing on Friday 9 April, mourning members of the Royal Family temporarily replaced their avatars to their official coats of arms in a mark of respect.
However the Royal Family account has now replaced the crest with a close-up photograph of Her Majesty during a visit to the headquarters of MI5 at Thames House in February 2020.
However the Royal Family account has now replaced the crest with a close-up photograph of Her Majesty during a visit to the headquarters of MI5 at Thames House in February 2020.
Meanwhile Clarence House also swapped its crest, the Prince of Wales’s feathers, for their original avatar, an image of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles smiling in an official portrait released to mark Wales Week 2019.
The change comes after the Queen was seen driving through Windsor on her way to take her dogs for a walk as she marked her 95th birthday without her ‘strength and stay’ of 73 years.
The monarch – who was recently gifted two new corgi puppies by Prince Andrew – was pictured leaving Windsor Castle in a green Jaguar Estate after the ‘low-key’ birthday celebrations on Wednesday, believed to have included several family members and her closest aides.
Earlier this week, in her first comments since Prince Philip’s death, the monarch thanked well-wishers across the globe for the tributes paid to her husband which have ‘deeply touched’ the royal family.
The Queen said she and her family were in a ‘period of great sadness’ but were comforted by words of praise for Philip, who died peacefully at Windsor aged 99.
Her Majesty said in a statement: ‘I have, on the occasion of my 95th birthday today, received many messages of good wishes, which I very much appreciate.
‘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.
‘My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days.
‘We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life.’
Buckingham Palace also shared a photo of the steadfast monarch at a royal engagement with a message wishing her happy birthday.
Instead of sharing their own posts, Prince Charles and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Instagram accounts re-posted the radiant photo of Her Majesty.
Celebrations were subdued this year with no traditional gun salutes while the Queen observes a two-week mourning period following the death of her husband the Duke of Edinburgh at the age of 99.
The Queen was expected to be visited by family but grandson Prince Harry will not be among them.
He returned home to California from London on Tuesday, just 24 hours before his grandmother’s birthday and two days after his grandfather’s funeral.
He is said to have met the Queen privately ‘at least twice’ and spoke to his father and brother Prince William after the Duke of Edinburgh’s emotional funeral at Windsor Castle on Saturday, according to Harry and Meghan’s friend Omid Scobie.
Meanwhile, William and Kate had earlier visited a RAF cadet base in east London, as the Duchess reconnected with her family’s long history in aviation.
