The Queen's Birthday

Her majesty Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21 April 1926. But she doesn't just celebrate her birthday in April. Queen Elizabeth II has not one, but two birthdays.

She has an official birthday sometime in June or May or September depending on where you are in the world.

• In the UK, her official birthday is the second Saturday in June.
• Iin New Zealand it's the first Monday in June.
• In Canada it's the second Monday on or before 24 May.
• In most of Australia it's the second Monday in June.
• In Western Australia it's celebrated on the last Monday of September or the first Monday of October.

If the Queen organized her diary really well she could go to six of her own birthday parties every year...

The official birthday tradition began when Edward VII- the Queen's great grandfather decided that it was dull having a birthday in November and that it would be much nicer to celebrate when the weather was warmer and sunnier and he was the King, so he did. And thus the tradition of the official birthday was established.

The Queen continues the tradition by celebrating her official birthday in June each year. Her Majesty usually spends her actual birthday privately at Windsor with friends and family. Her official birthday is always marked in the same way with the Trooping of the Colour ceremony and a fly-past over Buckingham Palace.

During the Queen's Birthday, Honours List is announced, the Union flag is flown from government buildings and gun salutes are fired at noon.