King Charles: Will the new monarch also have two birthdays?

King Charles is celebrating his 74th birthday — his first since becoming monarch following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September.

Elizabeth had two birthdays during her reign: her actual birthday on April 21st and her 'official' birthday in June, which was marked annually at Trooping the Colour — a parade that dates back over 260 years.

The two-birthday tradition began with King George II who made the military parade part of his official birthday celebration in 1748. He was born in October, but June generally can be relied upon for better weather. Any monarch with a birthday in the colder months normally opts to have two birthdays.

With Charles being born in November, it is likely the tradition will be continued with.

However, it might be slightly for the Prince of Wales, whose birthday is in June.

Charles's 74th was marked across London with gun salutes and the performance of Happy Birthday by military bands, including the Household Cavalry, who performed the song during the changing of the Buckingham Palace Guard.

A new portrait of the King was also released, which accompanied the announcement that the monarch has been made Ranger of Windsor Great Park. The position was previously held by Prince Philip, who was given the role 70 years ago.

Over the years, Charles has celebrated his birthday in a myriad of different ways — and in 1998 attracted criticism for the extent and cost of events that marked his 50th birthday.

From commemorative stamps and coins to performances by pop stars at his parties, the Prince of Wales has enjoyed as he once put it "extremely enjoyably but incredibly embarrassing situations".

For his 21st birthday, Charles was given an Aston Martin DB6 by the Queen, he has since had the vintage car converted to make it more environmentally friendly. Now it partly runs on waste products from wine and cheese, which Charles has said "smells delicious".

It was as he approached his 21st birthday that Charles admitted in a radio interview that he acknowledged that realising he was heir to the throne was "something that dawns on you with the most ghastly, inexorable sense".

Another gift Charles has received came into use recently at the Accession Council: the ink pot and pen the new monarch used to sign the accession proclamation was reportedly given to him by his sons William and Harry.

The Royal Family are also known to partake in 'gag gifts' regularly, with Princess Anne giving Charles one Christmas a white leather toilet seat.

However, Charles' birthdays have not always been entirely happy occasions. In 1998, when he turned 50, it was reported that the Queen and Prince Philip did not attend one of his birthday parties which had taken place at Highgrove and had been hosted by Camilla.

The BBC reported at the time that "to do so would be seen to publicly sanction her son's affair with Mrs. Parker-Bowles, the woman blamed by Diana, Princess of Wales, for breaking up the royal marriage".