King Charles III will celebrate his 74th birthday today, November 14, but the new Monarch also has a second birthday in June, following a tradition that dates back to 1748
Today, Friday, King Charles celebrates his 77th birthday. Just like his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the King has two birthdays – while he was born on November 14, 1948, his official birthday is celebrated in June with a Trooping the Colour Parade.
The King has previously gone all-out to celebrate his big day, with his 60th bash in 2008 in particular being a party to remember, thanks to the careful planning of Queen Camilla. But this year is set to be a bit more low-key, with the King and Queen set to mark the day by visiting South Wales to meet members of the community.
The King’s 60th birthday was celebrated with a lavish dinner at Buckingham Palace attended by 170 dignitaries and guests, including then-prime minister Gordon Brown.
This was followed by a private celebration at the monarch’s private residence, Highgrove in Gloucestershire, where Sir Rod Stewart was personally invited to perform. The 80-year-old singer’s wife, Penny Lancaster, took to the dance floor with Charles and the King’s two sons, while Sir Rod performed hit song Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?
Speaking on Good Morning Britain in 2022, the former model revealed the then-Prince of Wales had invited her to dance, knowing guests might be uncertain about proper protocol. She recalled: “It was his 60th birthday and he had asked Rod to perform and he asked if I would be the first on the dance floor because you can imagine people being nervous and not knowing the protocol, who should get up first.
“So he asked in the drink reception if I would do the first dance, so it would get everyone up. While Rod was performing I was on the dance floor with Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, William, and Harry. It was an incredible family event.”
Kate Middleton, then Prince William’s partner, attended what many of the 100 guests described as the “party of the year”, alongside Prince Harry’s then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, with whom he shared a seven-year romance. Other big names on the guest list included Dame Joanna Lumley, Rowan Atkinson, and Dame Judi Dench.
Guests enjoyed locally sourced cuisine and sipped Highgrove’s own champagne. Sir Rod, who also performed classics including You Wear It Well and Maggie May, wasn’t the sole entertainer at the spectacular bash. Comedian and Hollywood star Omid Djalili also took to the stage.
After the champagne-soaked celebration, guests reconvened in the kitchen the following morning for a full cooked breakfast, according to the Daily Mail. The spread featured bacon and eggs sourced from the King’s Gloucestershire farm, accompanied by freshly squeezed orange juice and organic tea.
Mindful of his environmental impact, Charles had reportedly stipulated that all ingredients should come from either Highgrove or nearby suppliers. One aide revealed to The Telegraph: “It was intended as a jolly country knees-up – simply to have a fun evening that everyone present enjoys and remembers.”
The Monarch, a longstanding champion of environmental causes and climate action, also made certain the 15-acre grounds were illuminated using solar-powered and energy-efficient bulbs.
This year’s celebrations look set to be far less raucous, with the King and Queen to visit South Wales for a series of engagements with the local community. His birthday last year was similarly low-key, when he visited the opening of a new food hub in Deptford, South London.
While in South Wales today, the King and Queen are expected to meet locals at Cyfarthfa Castle, with their visit aiming to “highlight and celebrate the region’s rich heritage, vibrant arts, and culture”.
Welsh cultural figures in attendance are reported to include actress Ruth Jones, TikTok creator Lewis Leigh, reality television personality Liam Reardon, fashion designer Julien Macdonald, and representatives from the Laura Ashley Foundation.
Whatever private celebrations are held, the King’s brother Andrew is unlikely to be invited, having last month been stripped of his royal titles over a long-running controversy surrounding his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
