The King will ride on horseback, alongside the Prince of Wales, in his first King’s Birthday Parade as monarch on 17 June, Buckingham Palace has said. Their wives, Camilla, the Queen Consort, and the Princess of Wales will watch the ceremony, known as Trooping the Colour, from carriages.
The annual display of military pomp and ceremony in central London marks the monarch’s official birthday. It will come just weeks after the King’s coronation on 6 May. Buckingham Palace also unveiled new honorary royal colonel roles of Foot Guard regiments – British Army regiments with special ceremonial roles.
Catherine has been named as colonel of the Irish Guards, taking over the role from her husband Prince William, Camilla will become colonel of the Grenadier Guards. She takes over the role from the Duke of York, who was stripped of his military titles following the fallout over sexual assault allegations, claims he made no admission of liability for and has always denied. Meanwhile, Prince William will take the colonel of the Welsh Guards title from his father.
The pageantry of Trooping the Colour has marked the monarch’s official birthday for more than 260 years. More than 1,400 soldiers will parade, with 200 horses and hundreds of army musicians taking part in a ceremony marked by military precision, horsemanship and fanfare.
The parade takes place at Horse Guards Parade, before the royal party return up The Mall for a Royal Air Force fly-past they will watch from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Last year, the King, then the Prince of Wales, took the salute and inspected guards on behalf of his mother, the late Queen, in the ceremony which fell during her Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.
