Queen Elizabeth II's Sapphire Anniversary Day: Why The Monarch Will Spend The Day 'Quietly'

Queen Elizabeth II will mark 65 years on the British throne on Feb. 6, but the Sapphire Anniversary will not be a grand celebration. A royal source told People magazine that the 90-year-old will spend the day “quietly,” as Feb. 6 also marks the anniversary of the death of her father George VI.

According to the source, the queen will carry out some royal duties as she will read documents sent to her by government departments. The day will also be commemorated with a gun salute by the military in London’s royal parks.

However, no official outings or engagements have been planned for the day.

The source reportedly also said that it is likely that the queen will visit the church a day before her Sapphire Anniversary. The church visit might be at the St. Mary Magdalene, where King George VI's body lay for two days before it was taken to London for his funeral.

“She’s naturally shy and is the opposite of showy,” royal historian Robert Lacey reportedly said. “And, of course, the anniversaries of the accession remind her of her father’s premature death."

The queen took the throne in 1952 after King George VI's death, who did not have any sons. In Britain, the crown is normally passed on from the monarch to the eldest son. But in 2011, the Act of Settlement was changed before Prince George’s birth to ensure succession would not be affected by gender of the child.

Last year, concerns grew over who would sit on the throne next swirled after the queen skipped the annual royal holiday celebrations, including Christmas and New Year services, due to heavy cold. However, the queen made her first public appearance of 2017 on Jan. 8 when she attended the morning church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk.

The queen's illness also gave rise to rumors of her death, while some reports claimed she may decide to give up her royal duties. In case Queen Elizabeth II dies or abdicates, her son Prince Charles will take the throne. The Prince of Wales is the first in line to the British throne, followed by Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge. The third in line to the throne is Prince George, the son of Prince William and Kate Middleton.