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Why today is a poignant day for the Queen and royal family

The Duke of Edinburgh passed away on Friday 9 April

the queen wearing crown
Ainhoa Barcelona
Content Managing Editor
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It's been two weeks since the Duke of Edinburgh passed away, which means that Friday 23 April also marks the end of the royal family's mourning period.

Since the death of the Queen's husband on Friday 9 April, the royals have only carried out official engagements where appropriate and have been wearing black as a mark of respect. However, they will now be able to resume their work duties as scheduled.

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Prince William and Kate were among the handful of royals who have made official appearances in the past two weeks. On Wednesday, at their first appearance since Prince Philip's funeral, the Cambridges visited 282 (East Ham) Squadron, Air Training Corps in East London to hear more about how the Air Cadets support young people to develop life skills.

WATCH: Prince William and Kate's first appearance since Prince Philip's funeral

Prince Philip served as Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps for 63 years, and in 2015, he passed the military patronage to his granddaughter-in-law Kate, who became Honorary Air Commandant.

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At the end of their visit, the Squadron took part in a Three Cheers Salute in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh, with a rousing "hip, hip, hooray".

On the same day in Gloucestershire, Princess Anne also visited three hospitals to thank staff for their hard work over the past year. At one hospital, she opened a new garden to commemorate loved ones lost to COVID-19.

prince william and kate in black laughing© Photo: Getty Images

The Cambridges visited air cadets in East London on Wednesday

Wednesday also marked the Queen's 95th milestone birthday. She shared a heartfelt statement, thanking the public for their kindness and support during this "period of great sadness", while the palace noted that she was spending the day in mourning at Windsor Castle.

Despite grieving, Her Majesty has also carried out a number of in-person engagements since the death of her husband of 73 years. One of those engagements included formally welcoming her new Lord Chamberlain Baron Parker to his post ahead of the Duke's funeral during a ceremony she hosted.

prince louis bike birthday photo

Friday also marks Prince Louis' third birthday

Friday is also a significant day for one of the youngest members of the Queen's family. William and Kate's youngest child, Prince Louis, turned three and his birthday was celebrated with the release of a new photo that showed the little boy riding a push bike on his first day of nursery.

Louis also shares his birthday with Lady Gabriella Windsor, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

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