Why is British Queen Elizabeth II celebrating her birthday twice?

On June 13, 2020, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain for the first time in 68 years of reign will celebrate her official birthday at Windsor Castle near London.Traditional lush celebrations and a military parade in the center of the British capital will be replaced by a brief ceremony and a small salute. This is stated in the message of Buckingham Palace.As in previous years, the ceremony will be broadcast by the British BBC channel. The changes are related to the pandemic and quarantine introduced in the country.

Queen Elizabeth II - London airport transfer. — Queen Elizabeth II – London Airport Transfers

When is Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday?

Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926.Usually she spends her birthday with her family. On this day in London, an artillery salute is organized, which was first canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic of a new coronavirus infection.

Why are Queen’s birthday celebrated in June?

The military parade, known as Trooping the Color (eng. – “removal of the banner”), has been held in the UK for several centuries.It is believed that the first to celebrate the birthday of the ruling monarch in June and combine it with a military parade was decided by King George II in 1748. He was born in November, and since this month the British weather is hardly ideal for large-scale celebrations, His Majesty’s birthday was celebrated in the first month of summer. Since then, the official birthday of each monarch is celebrated in June. The holiday is held annually, with the exception of periods of war, mourning or unrest in society.

What is the official birthday of the monarch in the UK?

On the day of the Queen’s official birthday celebration, mass celebrations take place in London. Thousands of British and foreign tourists gather annually to watch the parade, as well as the ride in the open horse-drawn carriages of members of the royal family.
The center of the festivities is the section of the city from Buckingham Palace through Mall Street to Whitehall Square, where a parade is held with the participation of over 1,400 military personnel, 200 horse guards and 400 military musicians.
After Her Majesty arrives at Whitehall, she conducts a troop review. Previously, Elizabeth II participated in the event on horseback, but in recent years she is in the carriage.

Then, in front of the monarch, marching soldiers walk along the line. After this, the queen returns to Buckingham Palace, where the rest of the British royal family is already waiting for her on the balcony. They become spectators of the air parade with the participation of the Royal Air Force. At the same time, artillery fire was thundering in London.

How to celebrate the Queen’s birthday in 2020?

This year, the ceremony will take place on the territory of Windsor Castle. It will last about 20 minutes and begin with a salute. It is expected that the infantrymen of the first battalion of the Welsh Guard, who will carry the banner of their unit, will take part in the ceremony. During the event, social distance measures will be followed.

A military band will also take part in the event, and another salute will complete it. Due to the measures introduced in connection with the spread of coronavirus, the ceremony will be closed to the public. The British media cast doubt on the participation of other members of the royal family in it.