As the official birthday celebrations of King Charles III approach, some are wondering what is the real reason why the monarch has 2 birthdays every year, and here you can find out the truth of this royal tradition.
Although the monarch’s actual birthday is November 14, since his accession, he has been honored every year with public festivities in June, as well as a parade known as Trooping the Colour, which, in 2026, will take place on Saturday, June 13th.
This celebration stems from an ancient royal tradition, dating back to the reign of King Charles II, who ruled from 1660 to 1685 and created Trooping the Colour as a strictly military exercise, something completely unrelated to royal birthday celebrations.
Decades later, in 1748, during the reign of King George II, it was decided to unify this military parade to celebrate his birthday, as he was born in the cold and rainy month of November, thus ensuring good weather for the public celebrations.
Finally, his son and next in the line, King George III, made Trooping the Colour an official annual event to celebrate the monarch’s birthday, and it remains to this day one of the most emblematic traditions of the royal family.
