When is King Charles’ birthday? How old is King Charles and when is gun salute today as Monarch celebrates

King Charles is celebrating his 74th birthday today, 14 November, which will be his first as monarch.

There will be no public engagements planned, as the King is expected to mark the day privately. Although no official events are scheduled, his birthday will be marked by gun salutes and the Band of the Household Cavalry performing Happy Birthday.

It is too early in his reign for any announcement stating if the King will follow the royal tradition of having a separate official birthday in the summer.

What time will the gun salutes take place? 

The monarch’s birthday will be marked with a Changing of the Guard honour and special gun salutes. At 11am, the band of the Household Cavalry will perform Happy Birthday at Buckingham Palace.

Gun salutes will be fired across London, with the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery firing 41 volleys from midday at Green Park. This will mark King Charles’ first birthday as monarch.

Afterwards, the Band of the Scots Guards will also perform Happy Birthday in the park. An hour later, at 1pm, the Honourable Artillery Company will also fire a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London.

The King’s Troop is a mounted ceremonial unit in the British Army that fires salutes on royal anniversaries and major events like state visits, as well as providing a gun carriage and a team of black horses for state and military funerals.

Will the King have two birthdays? 

Since the 1700s, monarchs with a non-summer birthday have had a second tied in with the Trooping the Colour parade.

King George II introduced the idea of a second birthday for the monarch as his actual birthday was in November, and the weather made public celebrations like parades more difficult.

Queen Elizabeth II had two birthdays, one in summer and one in spring where the official birthday was scheduled for a Saturday in mid-June and saw the announcement of the annual birthday honours.

However, it has not yet been confirmed whether the same routine will be followed by the new King.