Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 94th birthday on April 21 – and she has another one on June 13! The Queen of England has two birthdays, following an over 250-year-old tradition that was started by King George II in 1748. Born in dreary November, the king thought a public celebration was better suited for summertime, and decided to have his official birthday then along with the annual military parade. Where does Queen Elizabeth shop? 9 of her favourite shops As the queen’s actual birth date falls in April, she decided to celebrate her official birthday every second Thursday of June, following in the tradition of her father King George VI, who did the same. According to The Telegraph , in 1959, the queen changed her mind and moved her official birthday to the second Saturday of June, so that more members of the public could take part in the ceremony. This year, however, the ongoing global battle against the coronavirus pandemic has led to the cancellation of the queen’s birthday plans on both occasions. Meghan Markle’s Rolls-Royce ride and 4 more royal cars with a story to tell Queen Elizabeth spent her actual birthday in April in isolation with Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, while observing strict social distancing measures. The British media reported that the queen received greetings from her family over video calls. Every April 21, the queen is honoured with a gun salute. This year was the first time in 68 years that she decided to forego this tradition. Likewise, the celebratory peal of bells at Westminster Abbey remained silent as the church was closed, according to Metro . View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Apr 21, 2020 at 6:53am PDT Instead, on the week of the queen’s birthday, the royal family shared on its Instagram page facts about the monarch’s childhood. The Royal Pastry Chefs, joining the rest of the world in baking while on lockdown, posted their chocolate cupcake recipe online, inviting the public to post their own creations using the #royalbakes hashtag. Meet Hugh Grosvenor, the millennial royal richer than Queen Elizabeth View this post on Instagram Thank you for your messages today, on The Queen’s 94th birthday. In this private footage from the @royalcollectiontrust, we see The Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) playing with her family, including her younger sister Princess Margaret. Head of the Commonwealth, Head of the Armed Forces, Head of State in 16 countries and the longest reigning Monarch in British History. Wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Happy birthday, Your Majesty! To those of you also celebrating your birthdays today at home, with or without your loved ones - we send you many happy returns. Visit our highlight to learn more about The Queen’s childhood. A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Apr 21, 2020 at 2:31am PDT As for cancellation of the queen’s official birthday and the Trooping the Colour parade on June 13, Buckingham Palace announced: “In line with Government advice, it has been agreed that The Queen’s Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, will not go ahead in its traditional form,” it said. “A number of other options are being considered, in line with relevant guidance.” What are the British royals’ favourite late night tipples? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Royal Air Force (@royalairforceuk) on Jun 8, 2019 at 11:00am PDT For the first time since 1955, the queen will be unable to take the royal salute at the parade. Members of the public who have bought tickets to witness the event up close will also be refunded, according to The Telegraph . Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .