Why Did Queen Elizabeth Have Two Birthdays?

Royals—they’re just like us. Except for the fact that the British monarch is anointed as “God’s chosen ruler.” And he or she owns $25 billion worth of estates throughout the U.K. and a multibillion-dollar collection of jewels. Oh, and kings and queens seem to have two birthdays, something you may have noticed during Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign. But what was the deal with Queen Elizabeth’s two birthdays, and has King Charles followed suit with his own birthday celebrations?

Here’s what you need to know about this quirky royal tradition and its fascinating history.

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When were Queen Elizabeth’s two birthdays?

Like many British monarchs before her, the queen commemorated her birthday on two separate days, once on the anniversary of her birth (April 21) and again on a Saturday in June (dubbed the “official celebration”). At the time of her death, Elizabeth had celebrated 165 birthdays, one per year until she was crowned queen at age 22, then two per year after that.

Why did the queen have two birthdays?

The origin of the queen’s second birthday can be traced back to the age-old dilemma of planning a party around fickle British weather. It’s a tradition that started way back in 1748 with King George II, who was born in November 1683.

Even back then, royals loved an over-the-top outdoor celebration, but the frosty chill of a November birthday was rather inconvenient for that sort of fun. Because George didn’t want to risk his subjects falling ill, his birthday celebration was merged with the annual Trooping the Colour parade traditionally held in June. Before that, Trooping the Colour was strictly a military event in which regiments would display their flags, or colors, so that soldiers could familiarize themselves with these colors before a battle.

Why is the queen’s official birthday in June?

George’s summertime birthday parade caught on, and the rest, as they say, is history. The second birthday tradition continues to this day, with all British sovereigns granted the option of inheriting an “official” birthday. The spring day of April 21 was deemed too chilly for Elizabeth’s opulent bash, so she went with the safer (and warmer) June alternative. Although the date is technically associated with Trooping the Colour in the U.K., commonwealth nations around the world mandate its recognition as a public holiday.

As for the Saturday element, the royals decided to set the date on a weekend so that more members of the public could enjoy the festivities without having to worry about their work schedules.

How did Queen Elizabeth celebrate her two birthdays?

The Patron's Lunch To Celebrate The Queen's 90th Birthday WPA Pool/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth’s two birthdays were quite the grand events. But the size of those celebrations varied based on which birthday the country was commemorating and whether the monarch was marking any other milestones.

The queen’s true birthday

Elizabeth usually spent her actual birthday in April privately, but it didn’t pass without some pageantry. It was commemorated with a round of gun salutes at noon: a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park, a 21-gun salute in Windsor Great Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London.

The queen’s official birthday

The June celebration, or the official birthday, featured 1,500 military personnel in full uniform and 200-plus horses, all in choreographed formations. When she was younger, the queen “inspected” the troops, though she rode in a carriage in her later years. The entire parade was set to music and was quite the spectacle. The celebrations also included an appearance by the family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. We saw some memorable moments from the royal grandchildren during these balcony waves.

The queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Apart from Queen Elizabeth‘s two birthdays, there were a number of other royal celebrations during her reign. In June 2022, just months before her death, Elizabeth celebrated her Platinum Jubilee. While that wasn’t technically about her birthday, those celebrations were rolled into the festivities too.

So what was the Platinum Jubilee about? It marked the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne in 1953.

Does Charles also have two birthdays?

Yes! Charles’s birthday is in November—like his ancestor, George II, who started this tradition more than three centuries ago. Now that Charles is king, he is following in the previous monarch’s footsteps, choosing to celebrate his actual birthday quietly and his ceremonial birthday with festivities fit for a king.

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