Few people in the world celebrate their birthday twice a year. Usually, the second such holiday is associated with some kind of spiritual experience that is important for the celebrant, or with the fact that someone managed to avoid death. But none of these explanations have anything to do with the birthday of the British queen, which is also celebrated twice.
Who invented this?
Elizabeth II is not the first English monarch to celebrate her birthday twice. This custom was introduced by Edward VII, her great-great-grandfather. The decision was dictated not by the vanity of the monarch, as it might seem at first glance, but by concern for his subjects. The fact is that the birthday of the king (or queen, as is the case with Elizabeth II) in Great Britain, as well as in some countries of the Commonwealth, is an official public holiday that is celebrated on a grand scale. For the first time, the status of a state celebration was given to his birthday by George II in 1748, and since then on this day the subjects of the British crown participate in various parades, festivities, and observe festive ceremonial processions.
Edward VII was born on November 9, the weather on this day in England cannot be called sunny or gentle, most often it is cold and rainy. For seven years after his coronation, Britain was wet and freezing on such a solemn day, and the monarch himself, who took part in all the solemn events, was freezing and soaking. In the eighth year, Edward issued a decree according to which the official birthday of the king will now be celebrated only in the summer, on the first, second or third Saturday of June. Born on June 3, George V did not change anything, Edward VIII reigned for less than a month and he clearly had no time for birthdays, his successor, George VII, who was born in December, also arranged summer celebrations and, by the reign of Elizabeth II, the official birthday of the monarch became a tradition steeped in years.
In London on this day, a solemn parade is held - Trooping the Color, broadcast live throughout the kingdom. The monarch and his family ride in an open carriage from Buckingham Palace down the Mall to the Horse Guards Building, which overlooks Horse Gards Platz Square. From the windows of the first floor, the queen receives the parade of the guards, then again along the Mall she and her retinue return to Buckingham Palace. Her arrival is saluted with 41 volleys, first cannons in Green Park, and then 63 cannons in the Tower. The final chord of the holiday - the Queen on the balcony of the palace receives the air parade of the British Air Force.
The queen celebrates her personal birthday, which falls on April 21, modestly, among her family and entourage, within the walls of Windsor Castle. The only exceptions were the ceremonies, first timed to coincide with her 80th, and then 85th birthday. The Queen's fans hope that the Queen will also celebrate her 90th birthday in 2016.
And not at all twice
In fact, the Queen's birthday is not celebrated twice. Since many countries that were British colonies, and then the Commonwealth countries, have very warm feelings for the English monarch, some states have abandoned the tradition of celebrating the Queen's birthday, but on days convenient for them. Most of Australia celebrates it on the first Monday in June, with the exception of some western states that choose to do it on the last Monday in September or the first in October. On the first Monday in June, the holiday is also held in New Zealand. Canada celebrates the Queen's Birthday on Monday, close to May 24, coinciding with the holiday in honor of the English Queen Victoria. This holiday falls on the third Monday in April on the islands of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. In general, the birthday of the British monarch can be celebrated three times, or even four times a year. No wonder that once even the officials of the US State Department got confused and congratulated the Queen a week earlier (12, not 19 June 2010).
It is noteworthy that the residents of those countries whose governments have decided to abandon this holiday are not at all happy about this turn of events. So in Bermuda, petitions are still being written to the government, demanding the return of the holiday canceled in 2009. The New Zealand government plans to avoid discontent by introducing another national holiday on the same day, Hillary Day, in honor of the first person to conquer Mount Everest.
