It’s cake time for the Queen today (April 21), who’s celebrating her 89th birthday.
Today is her real birthday, while her official birthday is on Saturday, June 13.
So, to celebrate the Queen’s birthday, here’s 15 things you never knew about Her Majesty.
1. She has two birthdays to ensure a decent knees up
The queen has two birthdays so there’s better chance of good weather for her birthday parade aka Trooping the Colour.
Her Majesty was born on April 21, 1926 and, let’s face it, there’s more chance of sun in June.
2. She became queen when she was Taylor Swift’s age – 25.
3. She speaks ‘handbag’
Rumour has it if she wants to leave a dinner in five minutes, she puts her bag on the table to tell her staff she’s ready to leave.
She moves it from arm to arm to tell aides she is tired of talking to someone.
4. She loves a boogie
Specifically Scottish country dancing.
Each year she hosts Gillies’ Balls – dances at Balmoral for neighbours, staff and locals.
5. She has owned more than 30 corgis during her reign
Her first one, Susan, was an 18th birthday present.
6. Here she is as a kid
She’s the older one – her little sister is the late Princess Margaret, who died aged 71 in 2002.
7. To her husband, she’s just a sausage
Prince Philip’s pet names for The Queen are said to include ‘sausage’ and ‘cabbage’.
8. She made her first public speech when she was 14
This was recorded for the BBC in 1940, when children were being evacuated for safety reasons.
9. She loves a crime thriller
Some of her favourite authors are PD James, Agatha Christie and Dick Francis.
10. She has her own train
The Queen usually travels round the UK by helicopter or RAF aircraft but sometimes she uses a train presented to her in 1977 to mark her Silver Jubilee.
It has eight saloons pulled by a Royal Class 67 diesel locomotive – either 67005 Queen’s Messenger or 67006 Royal Sovereign.
The carriages are maroon with red and black coach lining and a grey roof.
Her saloon has a bedroom, bathroom and sitting room, and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Saloon has a similar layout plus a kitchen.
There are also dining and support cars.
11. She’s head of state of 15 Commonwealth countries
Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu, Barbados, Grenada, Solomon Islands, St Lucia and The Bahamas.
12. She spends hump day with the PM
Most Wednesdays, at 6.30pm, she has a meeting with the Prime Minister. Nobody except the two of them knows what is said during this time – these meetings are confidential.
13. Her middle names are Alexandra Mary
After her paternal great-grandmother and paternal grandmother.
14. She’s the patron of more than 600 charities
Everything from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home to the English Table Tennis Association.
15. Just like that
After a royal performance, Tommy Cooper asked The Queen: ‘Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?’
She said: ‘No, but I might not be able to give you a full answer.’
He said: ‘Do you like football?
She said: ‘Well, not really.’
He said: ‘In that case, do you mind if I have your Cup Final tickets?’