Sorry, Kate Middleton and Camilla Parker Bowles. Looks like the Westminster Abbey bells will no longer ring to mark the duchesses’ birthdays. And they’re not the only ones.
If you didn’t know, it’s tradition for the historic bells to be rung on the birthdays of senior members of the royal family—Prince William, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Middleton, etc. However, according to Hello! Magazine, the bells now have a new schedule to follow, beginning at the start of 2022.
Per the outlet, at the start of the new year, the Abbey bells will only carry on the tradition to mark the birthdays of Her Majesty and her son, the Prince of Wales.
“The Abbey bells can be heard ringing out before services and in celebration of church festivals,” a representative for the royal family told the mag. “The bells have also traditionally been rung to mark the birthdays of senior members of the Royal Family. Due to the financial challenges posed to the Abbey by the Covid-19 pandemic, and in consultation with Buckingham Palace, the bells will now ring only for the birthdays of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales.”