Queen Elizabeth II will turn 92 this Saturday, yet she’s lucky enough to not just have April 21st as her only day to celebrate. Tomorrow is her actual Birthday but she will have a second ‘official’ Birthday later this year on June 9th.
How is it that Her Majesty gets to have two?
It’s because of that word every person in the UK has been talking about over the last few days… The weather.
Going back over 250 years, King George II was born in October where the autumnal cold and rainy weather was not adequate for a proper Birthday celebration. So he decided to have a second in the Summer and this tradition has followed on since.
Usually the official Birthday will take place in June at the same time as the Trooping the Colour ceremony, which takes place on Horse Guards Parade, by St. James Park in London. Over 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will be there. It’s a massive event where the public will line the streets as the whole of the royal family will appear too. When the Queen arrives at Horse Guard’s Parade she carries out inspections of the soldiers and the parade finalises in a 41 gun salute.
With this Birthday being such a big spectacle, often the Queen will not take part in a public event for her actual Birthday. However this year is different, ‘The Queen’s Birthday Party’ will take place tomorrow night at the Royal Albert Hall, a music concert featuring artists such as Sir Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Craig David, Sting and Shaggy. Tickets can still be purchased via their website here. The concert will also be being broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Radio 2 at 8pm tomorrow.
So, for the first time this year Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth!