Queen Elizabeth II Birthday: Facts, Photos To Celebrate Britain's Monarch Turning 92

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest ruling monarch of Britain, turned 92 on Saturday.

She will most likely celebrate her birthday with her family. However, according to Newsweek, a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park, a 62 gun salute at Tower of London and a 21 gun salute at Windsor Great Park are scheduled in her honor today.

Here are a few interesting and lesser-known facts about the ruling monarch of England that you might not know:​

The Actual And Official Birthday: The queen actually celebrates her birthday twice a year. Her actual birthday is celebrated the day she was born, which is today. Then there is the “official” birthday which is celebrated on a Saturday in June because the weather is favorable for an outdoor parade — called “Trooping the Color” — at the time.

The Twist That Made Her The Queen: Elizabeth II was not destined to sit on the throne of the British Empire. After her s grandfather George V’s death, her uncle King Edward VIII was to be crowned king, which meant that his child would be the next in line for the throne. Edward was forced to abdicate the throne after he fell in love with an American divorcee Wallis Simpson and wished to marry her, Free Press Journal reported.

After the abdication, Edward’s brother and Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, became king, hence paving the way for Elizabeth to become the queen.

The Queen And Her Husband Are Distant Cousins: Elizabeth fell for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, when she was 13 and never dreamt about marrying anyone else. The fact that they shared the same great great grandparents never posed a problem in their tying a knot as Philip belonged from a Greek-Danish royal family.

Sapphire Jubilee: The queen became the first British monarch to reign for 65 years celebrating her Sapphire Jubilee on Feb. 6, 2017. On the momentous day, the queen was pictured wearing a suite of sapphire jewels she received in 1947, as a wedding day gift from her father. An array of new coins and a new stamp were released to mark the occasion, Readers Digest reported.

Queen's Love For Dogs: The queen has owned 30 dogs in her lifetime. It is well documented that she loves corgis. Sadly, early this month, Willow, the last surviving corgis bred by Elizabeth, died just a few weeks of its 15th birthday. The queen was only 7 when she fell in love with a corgi she had played with in Hyde Park.

Christmas Message: The queen became the first monarch in the history of the British Empire to broadcast a message on Christmas on television in 2017.

She began her speech with: “Sixty years ago today, a young woman spoke about the speed of technological change as she presented the first television broadcast of its kind. She described the moment as a landmark.”

“Six decades on, the presenter has 'evolved' somewhat, as has the technology she described. Back then, who could have imagined that people would one day be watching this on laptops and mobile phones – as some of you are today. But I'm also struck by something that hasn't changed. That, whatever the technology, many of you will be watching this at home,” she added.