British

The British royal family comprises Queen Elizabeth II and her close relations. At present the British royal family is headed by Queen Elizabeth. When the Queen was born on the 21st of April 1926, her grandfather, King George V, was on the throne and her uncle was his heir. The death of her grandfather and the abdication of her uncle brought her father to the throne as King George VI. The Queen's other children are Princess Anne (born in 1950), Prince Andrew (born in 1960) and Prince Edward (born in 1964). Anne, Princess Royal, has acquired a reputation for being arrogant, but in recent years has become quite popular with the general public. The Trooping of the Colour. The Queen is the only person in Britain with two birthdays. Her real birthday is on April 21st, but she has an official birthday, too. That's on the second Saturday in June. And on the queen's official birthday, there is a traditional ceremony called the Trooping of the Colour. It's a big parade with brass bands and hundreds of soldiers at Horse.Guards Parade in London. The Guards march in front of the Queen. The Guards are trooping the colour. Thousands of Londoners and visitors watch Horse Guards Parade. And millions of people at home watch it on television.The changing of the Guard.This happens every day at Buckingham Palace, the queen's home in London. Soldiers stand in front of the palace. Each morning these soldiers change. One group leaves and another arrives. In summer and winter tourists stand outside the palace at 11.30 every morning and watch the Changing of the Guard.Maundy Money. Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday, at Easter. On that day the Queen gives Maundy Money to a group of old people. This tradition is over 1000 years old.