THE celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee centre around her official birthday which this year took place on Thursday, June 2, the 69th anniversary of her coronation, with the Trooping of the Colour – otherwise known as the Queen’s Birthday Parade – and the flypast the most notable events.
The ceremonial official birthday of the monarch, as opposed to their actual birthday, is a tradition dating to the reign of King George II who ruled from 1727 to 1760. Born in what is now Germany, his birthday was November 10, but with the weather always being inclement at that time of year, in 1748 King George II came up with the wheeze of having a second “official” birthday, combining it with the Trooping of the Colour held during the summer.
