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Queen Elizabeth II has two birthdays each year. Here's why

Queen Elizabeth II turns 91 on Apr. 21
Queen Elizabeth II turns 91 on April 21. (Getty Images)

Birthdays are always cause for celebration but doubly so if you’re Queen Elizabeth II.

The monarch celebrates her actual 91st birthday on April 21. But every year, she also celebrates a second “official” birthday on a Saturday in June. That’s marked with a military parade known as Trooping the Colour – and this year it falls on June 17.

The reason behind the double celebration is Britain’s temperamental weather. It’s a tradition that dates back to 1748 when King George II, who was born in November, thought it was too cold to host an annual birthday parade at that time of year.

ALSO SEE: A cake fit for royalty: Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite chocolate cake recipe

In celebration of the Queen turning 91, check out 12 surprising facts about the monarch in the video below, and let us know what you think by tweeting @YahooStyleCA.