Queen Elizabeth II To Celebrate Two Birthdays: Festivities Lined Up

Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her 90th birthday this year. While the queen’s actual birthday is on April 21, her official birthday will be celebrated with fanfare all over the country in June. The reason for the queen’s two set of birthdays are typically British, likened to the weather conditions.

The British monarch’s birthday is often marked on a day other than their actual birthday. And this formula applies especially when the sovereign’s birthday does not land in the summer months. The reason, in typical British fashion, comes down to the weather.

Elizabeth marks her birthday privately, but this year she will celebrate with all the members of the royal family with four days of festivities at Windsor castle. It will feature 900 horses and 1,500 performers – including dancers, musicians and choirs, along with well-known artists and actors.

Besides, the occasion will be marked publicly by gun salutes in central London at midday. There will be 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 tradition of celebrating the birthday of the sovereigns was started by George II in 1748.

He was born in November and hence he combined his birthday celebration with the annual Trooping the Color parade. Besides, Elizabeth’s official birthday will be marked with a special celebration in May. All the members of the royal family will attend each night of the celebrations from May 12 to May 15.

The queen will attend the final show, which will be broadcast live on ITV and presented by British presenters Ant & Dec. Besides, her official birthday weekend will kick off June 10, which is also Prince Philips birthday. The next day will be the Trooping the Color, where Prince George and Princess Charlotte are expected to join. On June 12, there will be a huge street party and Patron’s Lunch at the Mall.