The Queen’s official birthday has been marked with a brief ceremonial tribute by the military under physical distancing measures. Soldiers from the Welsh Guards, who a few weeks ago were staffing coronavirus test centres, staged the unique event in the grounds of Windsor Castle, as the head of state made her first official public appearance since lockdown was imposed. The traditional trooping the colour ceremony, which normally features hundreds of servicemen and women and thousands of spectators, was ruled out because of the threat of coronavirus. But the Household Division – made up of the British’s Army’s most prestigious regiments – has a close affinity with the Queen and was keen to mark the milestone with a ceremony described as mini-trooping. L/Cpl Chusa Siwale, 29, originally from Zambia, had a central role in the ceremony which was created by WOI (GSM) Andrew Stokes. The guardsman, whose regiment is part of the Household Division, said it was a “huge privilege” to be given the key role of performing the drummer’s call during a difficult time for the country. “Only four weeks ago I was involved with testing key workers for Covid-19 as part of the Welsh Guards’ contribution to the battle against the virus; now I am on parade performing in front of Her Majesty,” he said. “This is a very proud day for me.” The ceremony began when the Queen took her place on a dais in Windsor Castle’s quadrangle and the royal salute was given by the troops and the national anthem was played. An event like this marking the sovereign’s birthday has not been staged at Windsor since 1895, when a ceremony was held in honour of Queen Victoria. Normally, soldiers stand shoulder-to-shoulder during drills or when formed up on the parade ground, allowing them to maintain “dressing” – staying in line with one another. But under Covid-19 guidelines, they stood 2.2 metres apart, measured by three turns of the GSM’s pace stick.