Queen Elizabeth's Sword Skills Have Gone Viral After She Cut a Cake With One
Published June 13 2021, 5:25 p.m. ET
When people think of The British Royal Family, they don't often think of viral memes — but that might be about to change. While attending a luncheon organized by volunteers of the Eden Project, Queen Elizabeth II swapped a knife for a longer blade to cut the large cake. This unusual moment was captured on camera, and now the world is wondering: Where did she get the sword from? And why a sword? Here's everything we know about the viral moment.
Traditionally, Queen Elizabeth uses swords to knight citizens.
Traditionally, Queen Elizabeth bestows knighthood upon deserving citizens by tapping them once on each shoulder with a ceremonial sword. On the day of the cake-cutting video, it's not known if she had previous responsibilities knighting people or if she carries around the sword in case of emergencies, but for whatever the reason, it's lucky she had a sword on hand!
On the day of the luncheon, the queen, Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were meeting with planners of the Platinum Jubilee, the Eden Project. The Eden Project is a garden and educational center in addition to being a collection of biomes that contains the largest indoor rainforest on Earth. The Jubilee will be a celebration of nearly seven decades of the queen's reign and will take place in Summer 2022.
During the festivities, Elizabeth was called to cut the cake. The queen then brought out the ceremonial sword from the video, and at Camilla's suggestion, attempted to cut the cake with two hands. When someone suggested a knife, she playfully waved off their suggestion. "I know there is [a different way to cut the cake]," She quipped and added, "This is something that is more unusual." Camilla aided in the finishing slice, and the queen remarked the cake looked "very good."
The Queen is celebrating her birthday later than usual this year.
Following the excitement of the Big Lunch, Elizabeth was expected to celebrate her 95th birthday on Saturday, June 12, despite the fact she turned 95 on April 21. Her birthday celebrations are designed to coincide with the second Saturday in June, marked by a parade known as Trooping the Colours at Buckingham Palace.
According to Today, Queen Elizabeth celebrated with all the proper coronavirus pandemic protocols in place. "The queen was able to view a military parade on Saturday in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle, according to a press release from Buckingham Palace. The parade was led by the Foot Guards who were joined by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment."
It sounds like the queen is very much enjoying her birthday celebrations in addition to the reunion of world leaders at the G7 Summit. President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden attended G7, with Dr. Biden attending an elementary school visit with Kate. Hopefully, the worst of the coronavirus pandemic will have subsided in time for the Platinum Jubilee in summer 2022.