The Surprising Reason Why King Charles Has Two Birthdays

The royal family is undoubtedly the most talked-about in the world. And from the Prince and Princess of Wales' return to the spotlight, to Prince William's 'alliance' with Princess Eugenie, the Mountbatten-Windsors never fail to make headlines.

This was particularly true this weekend, as senior royals gathered from far and wide to mark Trooping the Colour - the King's Official Birthday celebration, and annual parade at Horse Guards Parade in London.

However, with the monarch's actual date of birth falling on 14 November, fans and followers questioned why King Charles was celebrating his birthday twice.

The answer - the King actually has two birthdays a year, celebrating on the actual day he was born, 14 November, and then also on his Official Birthday, taking place in June.

And in an even more confusing detail, the date of the King's Official Birthday changes each year, usually falling on the second Saturday of the month.

While the custom is surprising, it is royal protocol, with the late Queen Elizabeth II having two birthdays, the first on April 21st, and then her Official Birthday in June.

And on closer inspection, the tradition of a monarch having two birthdays is actually centuries old - dating back to 1748.

The reigning monarch at the time, King George II, supposedly found his November birthday too cold to celebrate publicly so he chose to have another birthday in June when he could officially celebrate the date, later combining it with the annual Trooping the Colour parade.

Traditionally, the ceremonial event performed on London's Horse Guards Parade was held on a Thursday. However, during Queen Elizabeth II's reign, it was moved to a Saturday to allow members of the public to attend the parade.

Well, that's that.

Follow our coverage of the 2025 Trooping the Colour parade @marieclaireuk.