The Queen‘s birthday celebrations are typically rife with pomp and grandeur, consisting of gun salutes, lavish military parades and appearances from members of the royal family.
However, this year the monarch’s birthday festivities have had to be adapted amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Saturday 13 June marks the Queen’s “official” birthday, two months after her actual date of birth in April.
While the occasion is usually commemorated with the Trooping the Colour parade, the celebrations are to be markedly more understated than usual.
Here is everything you need to know about how the Queen’s “official” birthday is being celebrated this year.
Why does the Queen have two birthdays?
The Queen’s birthday is marked on two occasions – first on 21 April, on her actual date of birth, and then later on in the summer as part of an “official” celebration.
The monarch’s actual birthday is usually celebrated privately, the royal family’s official website states.
It is also commemorated with a series of gun salutes, a custom that did not place this year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The tradition of the British monarch celebrating two birthdays originates from the mid-18th century, during the reign of King George II.
As the King’s birthday fell in late autumn, the weather wasn’t suitable for a large, public celebration.
The monarch’s official birthday celebrations were therefore combined with the Trooping the Colour parade in summer.
What is Trooping the Colour and is it taking place this year?
Before being combined with the monarch’s birthday celebrations, Trooping the Colour was a predominantly military affair.
Nowadays, it marks the Queen’s “official” birthday on the second Saturday of June.
During a traditional Trooping the Colour parade, more than 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and 200 horses make their way down The Mall in London towards Buckingham Palace.
The troops who take part in the march consist of fully trained, operational troops from the Household Division, a group of seven army regiments.
The streets are typically filled with spectators as the parade travels towards Buckingham Palace, including members of the royal family in carriages.
The royal family later appears on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, where they watch an RAF flypast.
In March, Buckingham Palace announced that Trooping the Colour would not go ahead “in its traditional form”, in keeping with “government advice” amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
How is the Queen’s “official” birthday being celebrated?
While Trooping the Colour is not happening in a traditional manner this year, the Queen’s “official” birthday is still being observed, albeit in a slightly less opulent way.
Earlier this month, the Palace confirmed that a small military service will take place on the day.
“There will be a small brief military ceremony at Windsor Castle to mark the Queen’s official birthday,” a Palace spokesperson said.
The ceremony will mark the first major royal event since lockdown, which came into effect on Monday 23 March.
The Welsh Guards are scheduled to perform during the military ceremony, accompanied by music from the Band of the Household Division.
How can you watch the ceremony?
You can watch the military ceremony for the Queen’s “official” birthday live on BBC One at 10.15am.
