The procession — featuring over 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians — takes the royals from Buckingham Palace down The Mall in London
Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Members of the royal family were spotted arriving at Buckingham Palace before Trooping the Colour
- The annual parade celebrates the monarch’s birthday
- This year’s Trooping the Colour is the fourth of King Charles’ reign, but he’s been attending the annual event since he was 3 years old
The royals are arriving for Trooping the Colour!
Before they ride on horseback or in carriages through the streets of London for the parade, Kate Middleton, Prince William, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlottea and Prince Louis were seen arriving at Buckingham Palace by car on the morning on Saturday, June 13.
The procession — featuring over 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians — takes the royals from Buckingham Palace down The Mall in London through St. James's Park to Horse Guards Parade, where the main ceremonial inspection occurs. They'll then take the same route back, where royal family members will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a flypast.
Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty
This year’s Trooping the Colour is the fourth of King Charles' reign, but he's been attending the annual event since he was 3 years old, when his grandfather, King George VI, was monarch.
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Trooping the Colour's origins go back to the battlefield, when a regiment's flags, known as "colours," signaled a rallying point for soldiers. Royal Museums Greenwich explains that a flag would be marched or "trooped" around the ranks so soldiers would recognize their colours.
According to the British Army, the ceremonial presentation of the military's colours is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II, who ruled from 1660 to 1685. The parade was first formally linked to the monarch’s birthday during the reign of King George II in 1748, and there was a practical reason for the event not being celebrated on the monarch's actual birth date.
“With a November birthday being too cold for a celebratory parade, he tied his celebrations in with the annual Trooping the Colour military parade,” Royal Museums Greenwich explains.
Trooping the Colour got a permanent spot on the royal calendar following the accession of King George III in 1760.
The military procession continues to serve as the official birthday for the reigning sovereign, regardless of when their actual birthday falls. Queen Elizabeth's birthday was in April, while King Charles' is in November, but both monarchs opted to hold the public celebrations in June.
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