While Queen Elizabeth's birthday is actually celebrated in April, due to the very tight schedule of the royal family (and the recent birth of the fourth in line to the throne of Britain, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge), it's only now that British subjects are celebrating the birth of their monarch - with a huge London party and parade!
It's hardly surprising that Queen Elizabeth's birthday would become a major celebration, as the head of the Commonwealth becomes one step nearer to celebrating nine decades of life, as the entire country marks the official celebration of the Queen's 89th year of life.
Prince George's first appearance on the balcony wearing the same outfit his father wore at HM's Birthday Parade 1984 pic.twitter.com/ffhrDleGmT
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) June 13, 2015
According to International Business Times, Queen Elizabeth's birthday has always been celebrated during a June Saturday, in a function called "Trooping the Color" - and parades for the monarch's birthday, in different names, date all the way back to the 18th century. The tradition behind Queen Elizabeth's birthday also includes the monarch handing out honors to some of the most outstanding personalities in the United Kingdom and beyond and, according to India Times, this year marks a few interesting choices: singer-songwriter Van Morrison (now sir Van Morrison) was given a knighthood, while recent Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne (who is so English he'll be starring in a "Harry Potter" prequel soon) was given an Order of the British Empire.
The Queen and members of the Royal Family on the balcony of #BuckinghamPalace after today's #TroopingTheColour pic.twitter.com/cSgmI1SkDg — BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) June 13, 2015
Other people honored during Queen Elizabeth's birthday celebrations included William Pooley, a British nurse who overcame Ebola during last year's outbreak in Sierra Leone, and two-time Oscar-winning American actor Kevin Spacey, who was awarded an honorary knighthood after stepping out from a 10-year run as the artistic director of the prestigious Old Vic theater in London.
Benedict Cumberbatch, the "Sherlock" actor who recently lost the Oscar to Redmayne, was also honored by his Queen, as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - just one step below the knighthood.
According to The Australian, though, it was really Prince George, the oldest son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who stole the show, as the closest members of the royal family saw the fly-by past of aircrafts from the Buckingham Palace balcony - and the toddler looked adorable while on the arms of Prince William!
Queen Elizabeth's birthday celebrations are still not over!
