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On April 21, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II marked her 96th birthday. The occasion is celebrated with a series of ceremonial gun salutes across London, including a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park, a 21-gun salute at Windsor Great Park, and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London. While most of the celebration is private, in June, the queen takes part in the grand 'Trooping the Colour' parade, an extravagant event that usually takes place on the second Saturday of June (this year, it's on June 2, 2022).
Like several British monarchs before her, Queen Elizabeth celebrates two birthdays: her actual birthdate and an official birthday, which falls on a separate day (typically the second Saturday of June). The reason for this is simple: April 21 often brings chilly weather, making it impractical for a grand public parade.
The custom of celebrating two birthdays dates back to 1748, under King George II, who was born in cold November. To avoid the risk of his subjects catching colds during an outdoor celebration, he merged his birthday festivities with the annual 'Trooping the Colour' ceremony.
By the time King George II merged his birthday with the Trooping the Colour, the parade had been a British tradition for nearly a century. Initially, it was a purely military event where regiments showcased their flags, or 'colours,' allowing soldiers to familiarize themselves. George, who was a skilled general after his involvement in the Battle of Dettingen in 1743, found the military setting a perfect match for his warmer birthday celebration. His successor, Edward VII, also born in November, made the June Trooping the Colour a formal tradition, bringing together the royal family and the troops, attracting large crowds.
Even today, the exact date of the Queen's 'official' birthday fluctuates from year to year. For the first seven years of her reign, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her official birthday on a Thursday, but it has since been moved to Saturdays. While the date is consistently linked to the Trooping the Colour in the UK, other Commonwealth countries have their own arrangements, often designating it as a public holiday.
Australia has been recognizing the Queen's official birthday since 1788, with most states observing it on the second Monday in June, except for Western Australia, which holds its celebrations on either the last Monday of September or the first Monday of October.
In Canada, the official birthday was established in 1845 to align with Queen Victoria's actual birth date, May 24, 1819. As a result, Victoria Day is celebrated either on May 24 or the Monday closest to it.
In New Zealand, the official birthday is celebrated on the first Monday in June, while the Falkland Islands observes the Queen's actual birth date with a public celebration.
All in all, it's just another perk of being queen.
