Why does the Queen have two birthdays and how does she celebrate?

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Today, April 21, marks the 96th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. This week, Her Royal Highness has travelled from Windsor Castle, London, to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk for the occasion.

This decision was made to be closer to her beloved Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021. Here, she will be visited by other members of the royal family to celebrate.Earlier today, her 96th year was publicly marked with a gun salute across London as the military band played Happy Birthday.

Naturally, in festivities only fit for a queen, Her Royal Highness actually gets two separate birthday celebrations. Birthdays of the sovereign are usually celebrated on a day other than the actual birthday.This happens particularly when the birth date does not fall during the summer.The time of the Queen's official birthday celebration is usually the first Saturday in June.And the reason for this?

The weather of course.Doing this means there is a higher chance of better weather for the official Birthday Parade, known as the Trooping of the Colour.The ceremony this year will honour the platinum jubilee, the first in British history.The Trooping of the colour has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign for the last 260 years.It is a parade comprising of 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians, who march in military precision - starting from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guard's Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages.The display closes with an RAF fly-past, watched by members of the royal family from Buckingham Palace balcony.It is not known whether the Queen will fully participate in the Trooping, as her recent health has led to her being unable to attend other functions.