Tomorrow, April 21, Her Majesty will be celebrating her 95th birthday. The Queen and the rest of the Royal Family are believed to have made special birthday plans. Tomorrow is her “real” birthday, and not the second birthday celebration that happens later on in the year, called the Trooping of the Colour.
The later summertime event takes place on the second Saturday of June. Royals gather and take now-famous balcony photos at Buckingham Palace. The Queen and the Royal Family, along with a crowd, are pictured watching military air displays overhead in honor of the Queen. Her Majesty also gets the opportunity to inspect her troops at this event.
But why is the Queen allowed a later celebration in June if her birthday was April 21, 1926? Here’s the scoop. Let’s take it all the way back to King George II’s time, who was born in November 1683.
Since King George II was born in the winter months, he wasn’t able to host the best public parade that he wanted. Let’s just assume he was a party boy and wanted the weather to be superb. So he decided to create a second “official” birthday in the summer when the sun and weather would hopefully be on his side.
Since then, the reigning British sovereign have been entitled to have a second birthday in the summer. This is why the Queen usually has a birthday two months after her actual birth date.
So there you go! It all started with King George II wanting a good birthday party. We can’t say we blame him.
