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10th Jun 2016

Here’s why the Queen has two birthdays

So now you know.

Carl Anka

There’s a lot of perks to being the Queen.

You get to be Head of State of over a dozen nations. Your face is on the money. You can dissolve Parliament. You own all of the swans. You can get your mates off when they break the law, and you can not pay tax.

You also get to have two birthdays a year.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth turns 90 on Thursday, April 21, but will also get to celebrate another “official” birthday with celebrations this weekend.

The reason? Our terrible British weather.

queen

The sovereign monarch gets the option of two birthdays if their birthday does not fall in the summer months, because we like to have nicer weather conditions for the ‘Trooping the Colour’  birthday parade.

Think of it like how some January babies celebrate their birthday in June so they can avoid getting “double presents”. Only, you’re the Queen, and television is full of shows about how great you are.

The June 10 weekend will see a number of celebrations to commemorate the Queen’s “birthday”, including two extra hours of pub service.

Say what you want about having two birthdays, but at least the Queen knows how to party.

Topics:

The Queen