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Geri Horner calls Queen 'the matriarch we can trust to be calm amidst global pandemic'

Geri Horner first met the Queen in 1997 with the Spice Girls (Getty Images)
Geri Horner first met the Queen in 1997 with the Spice Girls (Getty Images)

The Queen turns 94 today - and appears to be celebrating her birthday by tucking into some amazing cupcakes made by The Royal Pastry Chefs, according to a post on Twitter.

Meanwhile, another famous British woman, Geri Horner (née Halliwell) has marked the occasion by paying tribute to Her Majesty in a piece for Vogue.

The Spice Girl writes that the monarch is a constant “calm amidst uncertainty” - particularly as the country battles coronavirus.

She explained: “The Queen is the matriarch we can trust to be calm amidst any uncertainty – including a global pandemic.”

Read more: Fans thrilled as Geri Horner shares very early Spice Girls throwback

Geri, 47, revealed that throughout her life - especially when she hit “hopeless situations” in her thirties and forties - she often found herself asking “what would the Queen do?”

The singer, who found fame as part of the iconic girl band in 1994, explained: “She reminds me to stop moping, or to get off my high horse, or to just shut up and say nothing – because sometimes being silent is the most powerful response of all.”

She recalled celebrating the Silver Jubilee in 1977 when she was five years old, and has since been “lucky” enough to meet Her Majesty in person multiple times.

The first was in 1997 at the Royal Variety Performance where she is pictured shaking hands with the monarch alongside bandmates Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Melanie Brown.

The singer attended the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey with her daughter Bluebell last month (Getty Images)
The singer attended the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey with her daughter Bluebell last month (Getty Images)

Read more: Queen’s go-to bag brand Launer launches special collection for her birthday

“I nervously performed my first curtsy,” wrote Geri, who enjoyed a solo career after leaving the girl group a year later in 1998 before rejoining them in 2007.

“I remember she was very sweet, very engaging, and very complimentary about our performance.

“She was encouraging… it felt like she actually liked what we were about.”

More recently, the mum-of-two attended the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey which proved to be the monarch’s final engagement before the country went into lockdown.

Read more: How the Royal Family celebrates birthdays

Geri described Her Majesty as “an icon of strength – the ultimate symbol of girl power”.

She finished by telling readers: “So if you’re struggling to adapt to our new reality, and our dramatically altered way of life, ask yourself: What would the Queen do?

“For me, the answer is to act with courage and kindness. And if possible, to do it wearing pearls.”

It was revealed earlier today that the company behind the monarch’s favourite handbag, Launer, had unveiled a special collection to mark her birthday.

According to The Telegraph, she has an impressive collection spanning over 200 pieces from the brand.

They have now released three new designs - the ‘Encore’, the ‘Judi’ and the ‘Lucia’ - as a tribute to her.