Queen Elizabeth II was born on the 21st of April 1926, in her grandparents’ house in Mayfair, London. At the time of her birth, Elizabeth was not expected to become queen. However, her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 and the line of succession passed to her father, who took the name King George VI.

Although her birthday is on the 21st of April, the Queen’s official birthday is celebrated on the second Saturday in June. This is a custom started by her great-grandfather Edward VII. His birthday was in November, when the weather is often cold and wet, so he decided to have a parade in the summer. On her actual birthday, the Queen spends time with her family.

This video is a news report about the Queen’s 94th birthday, in 2020.

Teaching Ideas and Resources

• Design a birthday card for the Queen.
• Research some events in the Queen’s life and put them on a timeline.
• Collect some information about your class’ birth months. Choose an appropriate way to display the data.
• Write a story that happens on someone’s birthday.