Why is the King's Birthday celebrated in June?

2:33 pm on 4 June 2023

By Finlay Dunseath of

Britain's King Charles III with the St Edward's Crown on his head attends the Coronation Ceremony inside Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023. - The set-piece coronation is the first in Britain in 70 years, and only the second in history to be televised. Charles will be the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at the central London church since King William I in 1066. Outside the UK, he is also king of 14 other Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Camilla, his second wife, will be crowned queen alongside him and be known as Queen Camilla after the ceremony. (Photo by Richard POHLE / POOL / AFP)

King Charles during his coronation. Photo: RICHARD POHLE / AFP

With King Charles' real birthday coming late in the year, why does New Zealand still mark the monarch's birthday in June?

King Charles will officially celebrate his 75th birthday on 14 November, but now that he has taken the throne he receives the privilege of celebrating his birthday not once, but twice every year.

It was the same with Queen Elizabeth. Queen's Birthday Weekend was celebrated on the first Monday in June each year, even though the Queen's birthday was on April 21.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet were quick to confirm that the timing of the holiday weekend in June, formerly known as Queen's Birthday, would remain the same under King Charles.

And the reason? Britain's fickle winter weather.

It is traditional for British monarchs who are not born in summer to celebrate twice, with a second official birthday. Once on their actual date of birth, and then later in the British summer with a grand parade.

The belief is having a summer birthday means a higher chance of good weather during the Trooping the Colour parade, which marks the official celebration for the monarch's birthday in the UK. Trooping the Colour is held outside Buckingham Palace on a Saturday in early June and has marked the celebration for over 270 years.

The tradition was started by George II in 1748. With a November birthday being too cold for a celebratory parade, he tied his celebrations in with the annual Trooping the Colour military parade.

Summer 'official' birthday celebrations were standardised during the reign of Edward VII, who also had a November birthday, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.

In 2022, the Trooping the Colour parade was held on a Thursday to mark the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee and UK citizens were given a bank holiday.

This year, the event will not be marked with a bank holiday as the parade returns to its usual scheduling of Saturday, 17 June.

*This story was first published by Stuff