As a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the Queen has relocated to Windsor with her husband, Prince Philip. The two royals are isolating with 22 staff members and their close family members have been banned from visiting.
The monarch celebrated her 94th birthday during the lockdown in April and the Duke of Edinburgh will also be marking his birthday privately next week.
Royal sources have now confirmed that Philip will be marking the occasion with a lowkey celebration. They told the Daily Mail that he is 'characteristically taciturn' about his birthday and 'he’s not one for fuss,' adding that he would have spent it the same way even without the lockdown.
According to the insider, he will enjoy a lunch with the Queen and Zoom calls to friends and family, including Prince Charles, who is in Scotland, the Cambridges in Norfolk and the Sussexes in Los Angeles.
The Duke of Edinburgh's friend and cousin, Myra Butter, says he has always insisted on 'no fuss, no bother'.
She said: 'He has such an incredibly active mind. And he’s a great reader, so interested in things. He’s got enormous knowledge and I am absolutely certain there must be a link between that and his long and healthy life. He’s such an enigma, really.
'He has that thirst for knowledge. He still paints, he sees his horses and keeps abreast of everything in the news.'
She continued: 'The secret is that he just does everything he has previously done, but slower.
'He still enjoys the greatest role of all, supporting the Queen. As for a party to celebrate turning 99? Goodness me, no! He never wants a fuss, ever!'
The royal family are expected to wish him well on social media, and 'depending on how His Royal Highness feels' Buckingham Palace may also make a public gesture.
