Queen's Birthday (Sovereign's Official Birthday, Trooping the Colour)Type of Holiday: NationalDate of Observation: Second Saturday in JuneWhere Celebrated: United Kingdom, Australia, Bermuda, Canada, and other countries with close ties to the UKSymbols and Customs: Colours, Horse Guards Parade, Inspection, Royal Salute, Trooping the ColourColors: Red, which is the color of Queen Elizabeth's flagORIGINSThe birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is a national holiday in the United Kingdom. Although the British have celebrated their sovereign's birthday for centuries, it was Queen Victoria, who ruled the British Empire from 1837 until 1901, who came up with the idea of an "official" birthday celebration. So it made sense to continue to observe the Sovereign's Official Birthday in June, at a time when the weather is more likely to cooperate. Because Queen Elizabeth II has reigned over England for such a long time-her coronation was on June 2, 1952-this day is commonly referred to as the Queen's Birthday. Trooping the ColourThe ceremony known as Trooping the Colour has been part of the celebration of the king or queen's birthday since the mid-eighteenth century.