This Thursday, the 21st of April, Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 96th birthday. She has been reining for an impressive 70 years, starting from her coronation which took place on the 6th of February 1952, and is, therefore, the longest-ever reigning head of state in the world.

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The Queen’s role is mainly representative à representative of the State, according to the rule which states that the Queen “reigns, but does not rule”.

Elizabeth II traditionally celebrates her birthday twice. The first time takes place on the 21st of April, the day indicating the real date of her birth. 

The Queen usually spends this day attending the Holy Mass and in the company of royal family members. The Queen’s second birthday takes place on the second Saturday of June. 

The tradition of „double birthdays” began in 1748 when George II, who was born on a rainy November day, decided to celebrate his birthday in the summer. 

Both dates are marked by pompous military parades and other special events. Last year, the Queen’s “first” birthday on the 21st of April was somewhat outshadowed by the death of her husband Prince Philip as well as by her degraded state of health. 

This year, Elizabeth II spent her day at the estate’s Wood Farm cottage, which she considers a “personal sanctuary”. 

In addition to the dignity of the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Queen Elizabeth is also the head of 15 other states: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines, Tuvalu, and the Solomon Islands, which together with Great Britain have the status of the so-called Commonwealth realm.

Image: Twitter @TheRoyalFamily

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen