His Majesty King Charles III celebrates his 77th year on this earth on Saturday, June 14 - five months before his actual birthday.
As per tradition, the monarch will celebrate with the Trooping the Colour ceremonial event on Horse Guards Parade in London. Over 1,350 soldiers and 300 musicians will be tkaing part in the parade, which kicks off at 9am in the morning and finished around 12:25pm. There will also be a fly-past by the Toyal Air Force
Members of the public can watch the parade from the stands on Horse Guards Parade by applying for tickets through the online ballot.
Free, but limited view can also be obtained on The Mall or the edge of St James Park, and the event will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Will King Charles III have two birthdays like the Queen?
His Majesty King Charles III's official birthday was celebrated for the first time on June 17, 2023 with a Trooping of the Colour in Horse Guards Parade.
This was the first time this was marked and the events were broadcast live on the BBC. There was also an RAF flypast and members of the royal family stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
After King Charles III, it will be up to the next monarch, the current Prince of Wales, William, to decide whether or not he would like to continue the tradition.
William’s birthday is on June 21 so it might prove slightly redundant to hold two celebrations in one month, unless the date of Trooping the Colour is changed.
Why does the King have two birthdays?
Simply put, the monarch traditionally has two birthdays due to British weather.
As the monarch’s birthday is typically celebrated with outdoor events, such as Trooping the Colour, it makes more sense to celebrate in the summer, when there’s a greater chance of nice weather.
But the Queen wasn’t the first monarch to celebrate two birthdays.
According to Royal Museums Greenwich, George II started the tradition in 1748. He moved his birthday celebrations to coincide with the annual military parade, as he thought the public wouldn’t be able to celebrate in November, his actual birth month.
Furthermore, Queen Elizabeth II’s great-grandfather, Edward VII, was born in November but his birthday was celebrated in May or June throughout his reign.
When would King Charles III’s birthdays be?
His Majesty was born on November 14, 1948, and last year celebrated his 74th birthday.
Should he choose to continue his family’s tradition of having two birthdays, the second celebration would be in mid-June every year.
While it may still officially be called Trooping the Colour, it is likely to colloquially be named the King’s Birthday Parade.
