Crowds lined the streets of central London on Saturday as Britain staged the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony in honour of the official birthday of King Charles III.
The grand military parade, regarded as one of the most important royal ceremonies of the year, ended with the traditional Red Arrows flypast over Buckingham Palace, watched by members of the Royal Family from the palace balcony.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children during the balcony appearance.
Eight-year-old Prince Louis, often known for attracting attention during royal events, remained composed throughout the ceremony, chatting with his parents while the aircraft passed overhead.
The appearance also highlighted the line of royal succession, with the King standing alongside the Prince of Wales, Prince William, and Prince George — two future monarchs.
The King and Queen travelled in an open-top Ascot Landau carriage, originally purchased during Queen Victoria’s reign, as they made their way from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade under bright sunshine.
Trooping the Colour takes its name from the military “Colours” — the ceremonial flags representing regiments in the British Army. This year’s event featured the Colours of the Grenadier Guards.
More than 1,400 military personnel, 200 horses and 400 musicians participated in the parade.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester travelled in the second carriage during the procession, while Prince William, the Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh rode on horseback as royal colonels. Catherine, Princess of Wales, followed in a carriage accompanied by her three children.
King Charles wore the uniform of the Grenadier Guards, displaying the cypher of Queen Elizabeth II, alongside 10 medals, including Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Medal from 1953 and the Platinum Jubilee Medal awarded in 2022.
Queen Camilla, who became Colonel of the Grenadier Guards after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor relinquished his military affiliations and patronages in 2022, wore a specially designed red Grenadier Guards uniform dress with a black beret featuring a white plume.
One of the standout figures during the parade was Second Lieutenant Alec Goschen, who carried the regiment’s flag on Horse Guards Parade. Standing at 6ft 7ins tall, his bearskin hat reportedly increased his height to 8ft 6ins.
Following the parade, the King received a royal salute and witnessed a 41-gun salute fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery before inspecting the troops.
The ceremony also carried an emotional moment for members of the armed forces.
Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan, who had been expected to ride in this year’s parade, died after falling from her horse during the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May. Fellow soldiers from the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery have paid tribute to her in recent weeks.
The flypast held additional significance for the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, popularly known as the Red Arrows.
Although officials recently announced plans to reduce most displays to seven aircraft in order to preserve the ageing fleet, the traditional nine-aircraft formation was retained for Saturday’s ceremony and for the upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations in the United States next month.
Royal enthusiasts gathered along The Mall hours before the event began.
Corrigan Gommenginger, who had travelled from Seattle in the US, took up his spot on The Mall at 04:00 BST.
“I love the Royal Family,” he said. “They do great things for the country. They do good things for humanity and for the world.”
Among those attending was eight-year-old Sophie Moore from Hertfordshire, who won a ballot to represent Hertfordshire Brownies during the ceremony.
“She’s so excited to see the King and the Royal Family,” her father Aidan said. “It’s her first experience of marching bands and she is loving the ceremony.”
Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic also staged protests along The Mall during the procession.
Demonstrators shouted “Down with the Crown” and “You are not our King,” while displaying images of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as the royal procession passed.
Later, some protesters gathered near Buckingham Palace holding umbrellas carrying the slogan “Stop the Reign”. Police eventually moved them back as sections of the crowd booed.
Trooping the Colour marks the monarch’s official birthday celebration. Although King Charles III was born on November 14, British monarchs traditionally celebrate an official birthday during summer to improve the chances of favourable weather for public ceremonies.
The event continues to symbolise royal unity and military tradition, with the Buckingham Palace balcony appearance remaining one of the most anticipated moments of the royal calendar.
