Today, June 12, is the official birthday of the monarch of Great Britain, Elizabeth Regina.

Queen Elizabeth (the second with that name) was actually born on April 21, 1926 in Mayfair, London. She is 95 years old, and looking pretty good for her age!

The queen’s full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. She was named Elizabeth after her mother the Duchess of York who later became Queen Elizabeth. Her middle name, Alexandra was given to her in remembrance of her father’s mother Alexandra of Denmark who had passed away six months before the queen’s birth. Finally, the name Mary was given to her in honor of her paternal grandmother –Mary of Teck.

Elizabeth’s official birthday (the second Saturday in June) will be toned down this year, due to the death of her husband, Philip. It will probably be similar to last year’s Trooping the Colour in the Windsor Castle quadrangle (shown below). Trooping the Colour is an event that has marked the official birthday of the reigning British sovereign for more than 270 years.

Saturday may be a day of celebration as Queen Elizabeth commemorates her “official” birthday, but Thursday was a solemn moment of remembrance for her as she marked what would have been Prince Philip’s 100th birthday. Philip died on April 9 at the age of 99.

Princess Elizabeth was married in November of 1947, when she was 21 and I was 6 months old! That’s a long time to be married.

She ascended to the throne in February, 1952, upon the death of her father, which means that she has been Queen for 69 years, making her the longest serving monarch in England’s history. Her official coronation took place in June, 1953.

Beginning on June 2, 2022, the Queen will mark 70 years on the throne with celebrations across the United Kingdom. Events will include Trooping the Colour (the annual public festivities for the Queen’s birthday), the lighting of Platinum Jubilee beacons, a service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Derby at Epsom Downs, a live concert called “Platinum Party at the Palace,” the Big Jubilee Lunch and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

Elizabeth and Philip, in happier times in Scotland.