This week the British community in Saudi Arabia celebrate the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The queen’s actual birthday falls on April 21 and will be marked by a gathering at the British Embassy in Riyadh on that day. Similar celebrations will be held at the Trade Office in Alkhobar on April 20 and at the Consulate in Jeddah on April 22.
The queen’s official birthday in the UK is a rather splendid affair on the second Saturday in June each year and is marked by the world famous ceremony of Trooping the Color.
The British diplomatic community in Saudi Arabia however have a special dispensation to mark the royal birthday early. In keeping with tradition it is because of considerations of the local weather; temperatures in June make it unpleasant to hold the event outdoors. By happy coincidence the official birthday is very close to — and this year on - the queen’s actual birthday.
The event affectionately known as the QBP — Queens Birthday Party — is marked by a formal gathering, with guests invited from as many as 80 countries. Of particular importance are the guests from the senior ranks of Saudi Arabia with whom the UK has a long and happy connection. The celebration soon takes on a distinctly informal and social atmosphere at the embassy in Riyadh or consulates.
As well as being a lively social event, the evening is threaded with some long-standing British traditions and concludes with the moving sundown ceremony to mark the end of the day — the formal lowering of the union flag accompanied by a military band.
By established custom, representative British made products are on display — this year for example Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Burberry.
The British have celebrated the monarch’s birthday for centuries. To make the observance of the royal birthday official was an idea of Queen Victoria who ruled from 1837 to 1901. Although her birthday was May 24, she chose June in the hope of clement weather. King Edward VII (1901-1910) who was born in November, King George V (1910-1936) who was born in April and Queen Elizabeth continued the tradition and the timing.
The 16 countries of which Queen Elizabeth is sovereign are known as Commonwealth realms and have a combined population, including dependencies, of over 129 million. In theory her powers are vast; in practice (and in accordance with convention) she herself rarely intervenes in political matters.
The official birthday in the UK in June begins with the Queen escorted from her official residence, Buckingham Palace in London, in a parade along the Mall escorted by the Household Cavalry to Horse Guards Parade. Their regiments from the army are reviewed and selected regiment’s colors presented to the queen. The ceremony concludes with a 41-gun salute at noon in Hyde Park by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
In the Kingdom, there are no guns and no parade to mark the day but there is a great deal of sentiment; the queen’s birthday is a very British affair.
