After 73 years of marriage, Philip died on 9 April 2021, making Elizabeth the first British monarch to reign as a widow or widower since Queen Victoria. She remarked in private that his death "left a huge void". Despite the pandemic, the Queen took part in the 2021 State Opening of Parliament, and hosted a reception for G7 leaders in Cornwall, as part of the 47th G7 summit. On 5 July 2021, the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the NHS, the Queen announced in a personal handwritten message that the NHS would be awarded the George Cross to "recognise all NHS staff, past and present, across all disciplines and all four nations".