Queen Elizabeth insists on slicing a cake in a very 'unusual' way — watch the viral video
Why cut a cake with a knife when there’s a ceremonial sword available?
On Friday, Queen Elizabeth II attended an afternoon reception in Cornwall, England with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The lunch was hosted by volunteers at The Eden Project, a garden and educational center that features geodesic domes. They gathered to plan the queen’s Platinum Jubilee, a celebration of the monarch's seven-decade reign, which is expected to be held next year.
In a hilarious moment captured on camera, the queen was presented the opportunity to cut into a large celebratory sheet cake. Instead of making the first cut into the cake with a standard knife, the queen wielded a large sword instead to get the job done.
“I don’t think this is going to work,” Camilla remarked, before instructing the queen to try using two hands to make the slice.
When told that there was a knife available if needed, the queen quipped, “I know there is!” before proceeding to cut the cake with the sword. She added, “This is something that is more unusual.”
The former Kate Middleton watched in amusement as the moment unfolded. After struggling for a few seconds, the queen received some help from Camilla and together they were able to successfully slice down the center of the cake with the sword.
Traditionally, Elizabeth is seen wielding a ceremonial sword to award knighthood. She uses a sword to touch the recipient of honor on each shoulder, an act quite different than what she demonstrated on Friday.
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Following Friday's events, the queen turned her attention to birthday festivities on Saturday. Although she already turned 95 back on April 21, official celebrations for the monarch are held on the second Saturday in June, typically marked by the Trooping the Colour parade at Buckingham Palace.
Due to the pandemic, the queen’s birthday parade was not held in its traditional form last year and was replaced by a more scaled-back occasion. The celebration this year followed similar protocols to abide by local guidelines.
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. Others in the parade included soldiers who played a critical role in the COVID-19 response in the U.K. and those who had posted overseas on military operations.
As part of the festivities, the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired a 41-gun royal salute from the castle's eastern lawn.
On Sunday, Elizabeth is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden, who is in the U.K. on his first foreign trip for the G-7 summit. Throughout her 69-year reign as the longest-serving British monarch, the queen has met over a dozen U.S. presidents.
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