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