Trooping the Colour is the ‘official’ birthday of the monarch – but it’s not the real one (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
As monarch, King Charles III has two birthdays – just like his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, did.
While a second birthday is something the rest of us could only dream of, the late Queen celebrated two birthdays each year throughout her seven-decade reign.
Her Majesty was born in 1926 on April 21, but an ‘official birthday celebration’ took place in the form of Trooping the Colour – a summertime parade.
Indeed, King Charles has carried on this tradition. You may be wondering why monarchs have two birthdays – and how this first began.
Here’s all you need to know.
Why does King Charles have two birthdays?
King Charles has carried on the tradition of Trooping the Colour, which dates all the way back to 1748.
As a result, he does indeed mark two birthdays – the official one, which traditionally takes place on a Saturday in June, and his actual date of birth, on November 14.
King Charles celebrated his first Trooping the Colour as a sovereign last year (Photo by Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
The first sovereign to have two birthday events was King Charles’s distant relative, King George II – who wished to throw a public celebration, complete with a parade and plenty of pomp and circumstance.
However, having also been born in November, the odds of the weather holding out for a huge outdoor bash in the UK were pretty slim.
Instead, the monarch decided to use the UK’s annual military parade held in the summer as his official birthday celebration.
He would therefore mark his birthday twice – once publicly in June, and once privately in November.
How does King Charles celebrate his birthdays?
King Charles III will take part in Trooping the Colour this weekend, on Saturday June 15.
During the event at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall, he will review the Guardsmen and officers from an Ascot Landau carriage, with the Queen by his side.
This is different from last year, when he inspected the troops on horseback after following advice from his doctors as part of his ongoing cancer treatment.
The Irish Guards’ Number 9 Company will be the ones “trooping” their colour during the ceremony.
King Charles III with the cake for his 75th birthday party at Highgrove Gardens (Picture: Chris Jackson/PA Wire)
Back in November 2023, the King celebrated his 75th birthday at the launch of the Coronation Food Project, which addresses food poverty and waste.
He toured a surplus food distribution centre outside London with Queen Camilla and hosted a reception for nurses and midwives at Buckingham Palace.
The King also shared his birthday celebrations with neighbouring 75-year-olds and community champions by hosting live music and tea parties at Highgrove House before ending the day with a private family dinner at Clarence House.
How old is King Charles?
King Charles is 75 years old, reaching the milestone age on Tuesday, November 14 2023.
Back in September 2022, Charles became the oldest monarch to accede the throne at age 73.
Previously, that title was held by William IV, who was 64 when he assumed the throne in 1830.
By contrast, Queen Elizabeth II, The King’s late mother, was just 25 years of age when she became Queen in 1952.
The youngest British monarch at the start of her reign was Mary, Queen of Scots, who became queen aged 6 days in 1542 – while the youngest King was Henry VI, who was 8 months and 26 days old at the time of his accession in 1422.
What will happen after King Charles?
As King’ Charles’ birthday is also in November, the decision to host Trooping the Colour in June feels more connected to history than ever before.
When the time comes for the nation to have William as sovereign, the tradition of two birthdays might come to an end.
This is because Prince William’s birthday falls on June 21 already.
Future king Prince George also has a summer birthday, on July 22.
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