The Royal Family turned out in force for Trooping the Colour as
King Charles III celebrated his official birthday with the annual
military spectacle on Horse Guards Parade.
Thousands of spectators lined The Mall and gathered around Horse
Guards Parade to watch one of the most significant events in the
royal calendar, with senior members of the Royal Family joining the
King for the occasion.
The King and Queen travelled to the parade in a carriage drawn
by Windsor Greys, arriving to the sound of the National Anthem
before taking their places for the ceremony.
Riding on horseback alongside the King were the Prince of Wales,
the Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Prince of Wales rode Darby, a horse presented to the Royal
Family by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2019 to mark the
80th anniversary of its breeding programme.
The Princess Royal rode Noble, a horse previously ridden by the
King during his Birthday Parade in 2023, while the Duke of
Edinburgh rode Sir John, a horse gifted by the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police in 2016 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th
birthday.
The Princess of Wales travelled in a carriage with Prince
George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who delighted royal
fans by waving to the crowds gathered along The Mall.
Also attending were the Duchess of Edinburgh and Sir Tim
Laurence, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The presence of so many senior royals underlined the importance
of Trooping the Colour within the Royal Family’s annual programme
of public engagements.
The ceremony itself featured more than 1,300 soldiers of the
Household Division, hundreds of musicians and scores of military
horses.
Among the highlights was the appearance of the Mounted Band of
the Household Cavalry, led down The Mall by the Drum Horses Apollo
and Perseus, while the Massed Bands and Corps of Drums performed
the famous “spin-wheel” manoeuvre, one of the most intricate
displays of military precision in the world.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source royalcentral.co.uk ’
