Names and faces

Fresh from meeting with leaders at the Group of Seven summit, Q u e e n Elizabeth II was back at her res-i d e n ce at Wi n d s o r Ca s t l e o n Saturday to view a military parade to mark her official birthday. The 95-year-old monarch sat on a dais to watch the ceremony that despite ongoing social distancing restrictions did not disappoint on the pomp and pageantry front. The ceremony is a gift from the Household Division of army regiments, which has a close affinity with the monarch. It featured soldiers who have played integral roles in the covid-19 response, as well as those who have been serving on military operations. The traditional Trooping the Color ceremony is normally held in London and features hundreds of servicemen and women, and thousands of spectators. However, for the second year running, that was not possible, and it was a slimmed-down affair on the grounds of Windsor Castle, which is around 27 miles west of the capital. Dubbed a mini Trooping the Color, it featured soldiers in ceremonial scarlet coats and bearskin hats. The service members on parade numbered almost 275, with 70 horses, compared with the 85 soldiers who took part in the ceremony last summer. Lt. Col. Guy Stone, who planned the queen’s official birthday celebrations in Windsor Castle’s quadrangle, said he wanted to create a “memorable and uplifting day” for the monarch.

The heir to the Dutch throne, Princess Amalia, has decided for the next few years not to accept the allowance — wo r t h some $1.9 million per year — that she is en-t i t l e d to receive annually once she turns 18 in December. The princess sent a handwritten letter to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte informing him of her decision Friday. She said she would repay the money — which will still be deposited in her account — while she is still a student. The payment is made up of about $360,000 directly to the princess and $1.3 million to cover staff costs and other expenses. The princess heard Thursday that she had passed all her high school final exams and now is planning to take a gap year before going to a university. “I find it uncomfortable as long as I can offer little in return and other students have it so much more difficult, especially in these uncertain corona times,” the princess wrote. Rutte wrote back to congratulate Amalia on graduating high school, and said he understood and appreciated her decision. The move comes at a time of declining popularity for the House of Orange in the Netherlands. Amalia’s parents, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, received harsh criticism last year when they took a family vacation at their holiday home in Greece amid the covid-19 pandemic.

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