Queens Birthday 2020: History, Significance, Dates, Celebration, Trooping the Colour
Queens Birthday 2020: The Official Birthday of the royal figure Elizabeth II, the Queen of The United Kingdom, will be celebrated on Saturday, June 13, with a Royal Salute from the military. Read the article for more information about Dates, History, Official and Actual birth dates, Royal celebrations, Trooping the Colours, Specialties, Queen’s Birthday in 2020.
Updated: Jun 09, 2020 18:03 IST
Queen's Birthday 2020
Queen's Birthday 2020 is celebrated in the United Kingdom (UK) on 13 June. Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of the UK and the other Commonwealth realms. She was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. She will turn 94 years old in 2020 and the celebration will be held on June 13. She is the longest-serving monarch in the history of British Royalty and has become an important British icon who is respected throughout the world. While it is an occasion that is observed with much fanfare, this year will see muted celebrations due to the prevailing restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
What is the History of Queen's Birthday?
The actual birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is in April as she was born on 21 April 1926. She was born during the reign of her grandfather, King George V. The British monarch has two sets of birthday due to an interesting situation. For the most part, the Queen chooses to spend her real birthday with her family. As a custom now, the official celebrations to commemorate the Royal Head’s birthday in the UK are held on a day that does not coincide with their actual birthday.
This double birthday tradition was first observed in the time of King George II in 1748, that is, over 250 years ago. King George was born in November, a month that is not popular for good weather. However, he wished to have a grand public celebration for the day, which was not possible in November. He then had the thought of combining it with a military parade in the summer, since the weather was unfavourable on his actual birthday. Since then, it has become a tradition to have an official summer birthday celebration for the monarch as the public could participate in large numbers in enjoyable weather.
What is the significance of Queen's Birthday
The tradition of celebrating the Monarchs’ birthday only became prominent public occasions after kings and queens lost their real power. However, the practice connects to the ancient world, wherein the king was a symbol of his nation and was a key element for the favour of the Gods. When the king ruled authoritatively and was held in honour, it was understood that the nation would prosper.
Even though that is not the case any longer in England, the Queen still is a powerful symbol of the nation. Her equation with the nation now depends more on her personal characteristics that have found resonance with the people. Queen Elizabeth II is popular for her personality and is admired for her leadership and hence it is in that spirit that it is important for the people to celebrate her.
Royal celebrations: Origin of Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour is an official ceremony that has, for more than 260 years, marked the birthday of the British monarch. The event involves 1400 soldiers,200 horses and 400 musicians from 10 bands and is organized as an eye-popping spectacle. The public crowds outside Buckingham Palace waving flags to witness the event. The regimental flags that signified the British Army were called ‘colours’. They showed the uniform colours and symbols of various units. They were designed to help troops quickly identify their unit on the battlefield and avoid confusion. Traditionally, young officers marched between the ranks of troops so that they could be easily identified. This is where the term 'trooping' comes from.
Trooping the Colour: Specialities
The Queen proceeds to inspect soldiers, as a part of the parade, from the Household Division. The inspection is traditionally conducted on Horse Guards Parade. A different regiment's Colours trooped each year. In 2019, the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards was in the limelight. The Queen attends the display and accepts the salute.
The process of Trooping of the Colour starts when the Queen departs from Buckingham Palace in a carriage. She will be accompanied by a Sovereign's Escort from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. Earlier, she would arrive riding on a horse, but, since 1987, she has made the change of arriving by carriage. She takes the Royal salute from the officers, carries out an inspection, and then soldiers march past the Queen. Afterward, she returns to Buckingham Palace for a second salute. A 41-gun salute is then on display in the Green Park, which the Queen watches, joined by members of the Royal family, from the palace's balcony.
How is Queen's Birthday 2020 amidst COVID-19?
The Queen has without fail taken the salute at every parade, except in 1955 which had seen a national rail strike. She will not be taking the salute in 2020, as large scale birthday celebrations have been put off due to the Covid-19. The parade and flypast have also been cancelled this year as the Queen felt they were inappropriate in the current circumstances. It was announced that a brief military ceremony would be held with limited attendance at Windsor Castle on June 13.
Queen's Birthday 2020 Special Quotes
When Life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat. - Queen Elizabeth II
It has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the hard progress of humankind. - Queen Elizabeth II
We all need to balance right between action and reflection, With so many distractions, it is easy to forget to pause and take stock. - Queen Elizabeth II
It has always been easy to hate and destroy. To build and to cherish is much more difficult. - Queen Elizabeth II
Good memories are our second chance at happiness. - -Queen Elizabeth II
I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. - Queen Elizabeth II
Queens Birthday 2020 - FAQ
The Queen has an ancestry that can be followed much further into the past than most people. She traces her origins back to Alfred the Great, King of the Anglo-Saxons whose years are believed to be between 871-899 AD.
Queen Elizabeth II is married to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was born into the Greek and Danish royal families. Prince Philip was originally born in Greece, but his family faced exile from the country when he was still at a young age.
Queen Elizabeth has three children with her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. They are Prince Charles, born in 1948, Princess Anne, in 1950, Prince Andrew in 1960 and Prince Edward in 1964.
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was conducted on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey, in London. She ascended the throne when she was25 years old when her father, George VI, died in February 1952.
Top News
