As the head of the state of England, Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed several privileges, including access to the crown jewels, a sizable palace, many castles, and throngs of devoted subjects. And we’d contend that another benefit of her profession is that she got to celebrate not one, but two birthdays each year.
The Trooping the Colour procession, which traditionally brings together members of the armed services for a unique military ceremonial, is the customary way that Her Majesty’s official birthday was commemorated. The tradition of monarchs celebrating two birthdays stretches back more than 250 years and will undoubtedly continue as other members of the royal line of succession take the throne.
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The Infamous Two Birthday Tradition Followed By Queen Elizabeth II
Every year, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated two birthdays: her real birthday in April and a formal birthday on the second Saturday of June. King George II started the two-birthday custom for monarchs in 1748. The king, who was born in November, wanted to celebrate his birthday outside in better weather. The annual military parade known as Trooping of the Color was paired with King George II’s second birthday. And for this reason, the Queen’s birthday celebration and formal birthday fell on the same day.
The second birthday of Her Majesty fell on a Saturday, but this wasn’t always the case. In the past, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her birthday on the second Thursday in June. Interestingly, this was also her father King George VI’s formal birthday; but, in 1959, after seven years as monarch, the Queen altered it to the second Saturday in June. Future kings are anticipated to follow tradition, starting with Charles when he becomes king, especially given that he was born in November, like King George II. On the other hand, Prince William and his son Prince George share a summer birthday. However, they’ll probably keep doing it, just like the Queen, who celebrated her birthday in the spring.
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How Did The Queen Celebrate Her Birthday?
On April 21, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her birthday in private with her family and close friends. On the day of the Queen’s actual birthday, however, there were also two official military salutes held. In the capital, there was a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London and a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park. A 21-gun salute was fired while at Windsor in Windsor Great Park, next to the castle. Additionally, special images were made public by Buckingham Palace to mark the Queen’s actual birthday. The Queen was pictured posing with two horses in April 2022, according to the official Royal Family Instagram feed. Her Majesty is renowned for her love of animals. In addition to the Queen owning multiple dogs, she is most well-known for her love of horses.
The Royal Family’s website confirms that the Queen’s birthday celebrations were quite low-key, aside from the gun salute and picture. According to a statement, “The Queen usually spends her actual birthday privately.” Even though this is true for the majority of the time, milestone birthdays were celebrated with special events. In 2016, the Queen celebrated her 90th birthday by going on a walkabout in the areas around Windsor Castle. She then greeted the crowd and accepted a birthday cake from Nadiya Hussain, the GBBO star. Her Majesty celebrated her remarkable 95th birthday just a year ago, and a special 95th birthday coin was issued to commemorate the occasion. Despite being a significant birthday in terms of age, it also turned out to be a brand-new achievement for the monarch. This is because it was the Queen’s first birthday following the passing of her devoted husband of 73 years, Prince Philip.
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