The British Embassy Manila hosted a celebration in Taguig City on 18 June 2024 to mark the 76th birthday of King Charles III and to celebrate the lasting relationship between the UK and the Philippines.

Around 400 guests from the Government of the Philippines, diplomatic missions, business leaders along with partners and representatives from the arts, academia, and civil society enjoyed the occasion. 

The event included speeches by British Ambassador to the Philippines and Palau, Laure Beaufils, and Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa Lazaro from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The programme opened with the choir of British School Manila singing the British and Philippine National anthems. The Ambassador and Undersecretary raised a toast to His Majesty the King, and to the friendship between the UK and the Philippines. This was followed by a symbolic cutting of a cake bearing the royal insignia of His Majesty the King.

Welcoming the guests, British Ambassador to the Philippines, Laure Beaufils, blended remarks in English and Filipino: 

It is a great honour and pride for us to be with you this evening to mark this event and celebrate the enduring friendship between the UK and the Philippines.

Natutuwa akong tanggapin kayo dito ngayong gabi. Ito ay isang napaka-halagang okasyon para sa amin, at natutuwa akong ipagdiwang ang kaarawan ng ating Hari kasama ang aming mga Pinoy-na kaibigan.

Reflecting on diplomatic milestones over the past year, the Ambassador said: 

That friendship was also manifest when President Marcos and First Lady Liza Marcos attended the King’s Coronation a year ago. And when our then Foreign Secretary James Cleverley visited the Philippines late August, on route to China. When our Defence Minister came to the Philippines in the autumn to meet with Secretary Teodoro and defence colleagues. When Secretary Uy joined the first ever Global Summit on AI Safety chaired by the British Prime Minister later in the year. Or when Secretary Pascual went to London just last month. And when our friend Under Secretary Lazaro co-chaired our first ever Strategic Dialogue in London with our Minister for the Asia, Ann Marie Trevelyan, at the end of the year.

This year’s King’s Birthday Party in Manila was organised with the generous support of our partners at PruLife UK, Shell, Pandiman, BPI, Unilever, Corio Generation, HSBC, SSI Marks & Spencer, VFS Global, PGA Cars – Bentley, BSI, Inchcape, BDO, Standard Chartered, Jollibee Foods Corp, The Dalmore and Whyte and Mackay, Diageo, McDonald’s, Philippine Airlines and Estate Wines.

Further information 

• Images from the event can be found here.
• The King’s Birthday Party is celebrated by British Embassies and High Commissions around the world.
• The King’s Birthday falls on 14 November, but his official Birthday was marked on 15 June, when The King’s Birthday Parade (also known as Trooping The Colour) was held in London.
• In addition to his official and ceremonial duties in the UK and overseas, His Majesty has championed a wide range of causes relating to the environment and sustainable development, the arts, healthcare and education for decades.
• In London, members of the Royal Family came together to mark the King’s official birthday on Saturday June 15 with the annual Trooping the Colour Parade, showcasing the best of British military pageantry and celebrating the Monarch’s links to the Armed Forces.
• The tradition of celebrating the Monarch’s birthday was started by King George II in 1748 – November was too cold for a celebratory parade, and so birthday celebrations were tied with the annual Trooping the Colour military parade in London.

Media 

For media queries, contact: 

Cara San Pedro, Deputy Head of Public Diplomacy Cara.SanPedro@fcdo.gov.uk