All the different ways the royals have celebrated their birthdays over the years, from Kate Middleton's midnight cakes to Queen Elizabeth's parade

The ways the royals have celebrated their birthdays over the years really prove that they're nothing like the rest of us. From masked palace balls to grand parades and ponies as gifts, family members have often found themselves marking certain milestones in rather unique ways.

The monarch's two annual birthdays, 18th parties held at royal palaces and special portraits are just some of the examples of how the royals like to go big with every year they get older. However, the family do have their more relatable moments - including Kate Middleton staying up late to bake, Zara Tindall enjoying a lunch date with husband Mike and Meghan Markle even attending someone else's wedding.

So, if you're curious about what the likes of kings and queens and princes and princesses get up to on their special day, then look no further - we've rounded up all the sweetest as well as surprising moments. What's more, as you will see, they don't always have a day off from official duties...

All the different ways the royals have celebrated their birthdays over the years

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

Meghan Markle's first birthday after marrying Prince Harry in 2018 was actually spent at someone else's wedding. The Duchess of Sussex put her own 37th celebrations aside to mark the nuptials of Charlie Van Straubenzee to Daisy Jenks in Frensham just weeks after she herself tied the knot.

Prince George

To mark his first birthday, Prince George visited the 'Sensational Butterflies' exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London in 2014. The eldest child of Prince William and Kate Middleton was seen wobbling around as he got his nature fix under the watchful eyes of his parents.

Princess Margaret

Princess Margaret enjoyed a 17th birthday perhaps quite unlike the rest of us. Queen Elizabeth's younger sister marked the occasion in 1947 by sitting for a stunning portrait at Buckingham Palace, and it's something that many fellow members of her family also regularly do to mark their special milestones.

Prince Edward

To celebrate his 21st birthday in 1985, Prince Edward posed for a photo outside Cambridge University. Queen Elizabeth's youngest child was studying history at Jesus College at the time, which he had enrolled in after completing A-levels in History, English Literature and Economic and Political Studies.

Queen Camilla

Little is usually known about the royal family's private birthday celebrations, however, certain events have come to public attention over the years. That includes Queen Camilla's 50th party in 1997, thrown by Prince Charles at Highgrove to much expense, which was documented in the press at the time and subsequently depicted in season six of The Crown.

Princess Beatrice

Princess Beatrice famously celebrated her 18th birthday with a masked ball in the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2006. The daughter of Prince Andrew wore a head-turning sweeping gown for the event, the theme of which was 1888 - not just due to her age, but also because she was born at 8.18pm on the 8th August 1988.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark

Grand portraits are par for the course when it comes to royal birthday celebrations. Queen Margrethe of Denmark marked her milestone 40th birthday in 1980 by dressing up in a green gown, along with her crown and sash, to pose for a stunning photo.

Queen Mother

The Queen Mother was seen holding flowers outside London's Clarence House—where she lived until her death in 2002—the day she turned 79 in 1979. Many years later, in 2000, she was honoured with a special 100th birthday pageant on the capital's Horse Guards Parade.

Prince Philip

To mark his 60th birthday in 1981, Prince Philip sat for a special portrait. In contrast, for Queen Elizabeth's husband's final birthday during the pandemic in 2020, when he turned an impressive 99 years old, he marked the day by having a nice quiet lunch at Windsor Castle with his wife.

Princess Isabella of Denmark

Royals in different countries celebrate their birthdays in a variety of ways. In Denmark, Princess Isabella celebrated her 18th birthday in 2025 with her first ever official speech at Aarhus City Hall. She is the eldest daughter of King Frederik X and Queen Mary.

Prince William

Prince William made quite the statement when he posed for a portrait for his 18th birthday in 2000. The royal wore a Union Jack emblazoned waistcoat - featuring the words 'groovy baby' - for the tongue-in-cheek photo taken at his school Eton, Berkshire.

Mike Tindall

Just like many of us, Mike Tindall is partial to a weekend getaway to celebrate his birthday. The husband of Zara Phillips turned 46 in 2024 with a trip to Barcelona with his wife. The trip included a boat ride - footage of which the former pro rugby player shared on social media.

Sarah, Duchess of York

Sarah Ferguson opted for a low-key celebration for her 62nd birthday in 2021. The Duchess of York shared images to her Instagram of the occasion, which showed her blowing out a candle on a cake during a dinner with loved ones in the outdoor terrace of a restaurant.

Prince Archie

Little has been revealed about how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have spent Archie's birthday over the years, however his first was marked with a video shared to Instagram of the Duchess of Sussex reading her eldest child a story. The day he turned four also happened to be the date of his grandfather King Charles III's coronation, which his father attended after celebrating early with his son.

Catherine, Princess of Wales

Kate Middleton usually marks her birthdays with a private tea party and family time at her country home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk. However, for her 43rd birthday in 2025 following her cancer treatment, the Princess of Wales opted to spend it at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.

Princess Anne

Shortly before her 23rd birthday in 1973, Princess Anne attended the London premiere of Jesus Christ Superstar with her fiancé, Captain Mark Phillips. It was the couple's first public engagement together, and Queen Elizabeth's daughter stunned in a bright floral dress.

Lord Frederick Windsor

Lord Frederick Windsor celebrated his 21st burthday alongside his sister Lady Gabriella Windsor in 2000 with a party that had quite the theme. The children of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent enjoyed a ball hosted by their parents with 18th-century costumes at London's Kensington Palace.

Prince Harry

At the Invictus Games in 2023, Prince Harry was surprised with a 39th birthday cake that was inspired by the competition he founded. The sitting volleyball finals were being held at the event in Dusseldorf, Germany, when the sweet moment involving a delighted Duke of Sussex took place.

Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew marked his 43rd birthday with a skiing holiday to Verbier, Switzerland in 2003. Queen Elizabeth's son posed for a picture on the slopes with his family - including ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, as well as daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

James, Earl of Wessex

There aren't many young boys who get to mark their seventh birthday from the Royal Box at Ascot as James, Earl of Wessex was lucky enough to do in 2016. The son of Prince Edward could be seen gripped by the Christmas racing action from the stands on his special day.

King Charles

King Charles was hard at work on his 30th birthday in 1978. The then-prince had switched on the Christmas lights on London's Regent Street before going into a shop where he was surprised with a cake to mark the important milestone.

Queen Sonja and King Harald of Norway

For their joint 80th birthday celebrations in 2017, King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway held a gala dinner at the Royal Palace in Oslo. The pair, who were dressed in their finest attire, were born just under six months apart.

Prince Louis

Prince Louis celebrated his sixth birthday in 2024 with a private party thrown by his parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton. The princess has previously shared how she'll often be up until midnight making cakes for her three children's special days.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh

Royals will often find themselves being surprised with a cake while out on their regular royal outings. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was presented with a colourful iced creation ahead of her 60th during a London engagement in 2025.

Princess Diana

Princess Diana received cards and balloons from well-wishers when she turned 36 in 1997, when the beloved royal paid a visit to the Tate Gallery in London. Tragically, this would be her final birthday before she died in a car crash in Paris that August.

Princess Charlotte

For a horse-mad youngster, Princess Charlotte enjoyed a seventh birthday of dreams in 2022. Per ELLE, the daughter of Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly blew out a unicorn-themed cake at Anmer Hall, Norfolk, before being gifted her very first pony by her parents.

Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth, just like all British monarchs of recent centuries, celebrated not one but two birthdays a year during her reign. This included her actual birthday and also her 'official' birthday in June, which is marked by the Trooping of the Colour parade in London - a tradition that King Charles has continued to adopt.

Zara Tindall

As befitting the low-key royal, Zara Tindall enjoyed a rather understated 43rd birthday in 2024 according to her husband Mike. The former pro rugby player revealed to Good Morning Britain that Princess Anne's daughter went for a horse ride in the morning before the pair went out for lunch and then had a few friends round in the evening.

Princess Eugenie

Princess Eugenie celebrated her 35th birthday with her two sons in 2025. The daughter of Prince Andrew shared a picture of herself on Instagram with August and Ernest, who were dining at a small picnic table. Her mother Sarah Ferguson also simultaneously posted a snap of a pink and white cake dedicated to 'Eugie Boogie'.

Crown Princess Leonor

It was an important day of official events for Crown Princess Leonor of Spain when she turned 18 in 2023. The daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia swore her allegiance to the Spanish constitution at the Spanish Parliament in Madrid before watching a military parade after the ceremony.

Lady Louise Windsor

Lady Louise Windsor celebrated her 21st birthday in 2024 while at university in Scotland. The daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is studying English at St Andrews, which happens to be the alma mater of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and where the couple first met.

King George VI

While birthdays are generally happy celebrations, the first few years of King George VI's life were a bit awkward. His birth date in 1895 unfortunately coincided with the 34th anniversary of the death of Albert, Prince Consort, the husband of Queen Victoria, who herself passed away when he was six years old.