Hold Up: Why Is Prince Charles Celebrating His 70th Birthday 6 Months Early?

It’s not that we don’t love getting a glimpse of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle a mere three days after the pair said “I do,” but we’re curious: Why are they making a royal appearance for Prince Charles’ birthday when the future King of England doesn’t actually turn 70 until November 14? 

We got the scoop: Apparently, milestone birthdays—especially when you’re next in line to the throne—are something worthy of being feted all year. In fact, when you’re heir to the throne (or currently the reigning monarch on the throne like Queen Eliz), the occasion is marked by both a private celebration (your actual birthday) and a public celebration (typically held when the weather is sunny and warm). Not kidding.

The tradition was first introduced by King George II in 1748 in the form of the annual Trooping of the Colour spectacular—basically a birthday party held every June in honor of the king even though his actual birthday was in October.

Look, we’re all about extending the celebrations, and if it means double the cake, balloons and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sightings, we’re on board.

RELATED: Meghan Markle Attends First Royal Event Post-Wedding and Looks Chic as Hell (Obviously)