At his first Trooping the Colour event as monarch, the King was given the nation’s formal birthday greetings.
The most prominent regiments in the British Army honored their Colonel in Chief by parading to mark his anniversary during the military show, which was full of pomp and grandeur.
Last year’s ceremony, also known as the Birthday Parade, saw Charles fill in for Queen Elizabeth II, but this year, he rode onto Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall as the head of state of the country.
The Prince of Wales, Colonel, Welsh Guards; the Princess Royal, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of The Blues and Royals; and the Duke of Edinburgh, riding for the first time in his capacity as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, formed last year, were among the royal colonels who joined him on horses.
The Queen, who serves as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and the Princess of Wales, who serves as Colonel of the Irish Guards, rode in a carriage with Prince George, age nine, Princess Charlotte, age eight, and Prince Louis, age five.
A wave of applause followed the royal party as they moved along The Mall. The royal party was in the middle of a sovereign’s mounted escort, made up of soldiers from the Household Cavalry’s Life Guards, Blues, and Royals.
The national song was played as soon as the King entered the parade grounds as a show of respect, and Charles had to steady his horse but it refused to settle. A groom moved up to assist.
The King rode past the soldiers as they were arranged in two lines on the parade area and scrutinized them as the event got underway.
As another significant milestone was passed, Camilla and Kate were in a carriage, and William, Anne, and Edward rode behind Charles. This was a symbolic representation of the royal family standing by their King.
Kate was dressed in a beautiful green dress by Andrew Gn and a matching hat by Philip Treacy in honor of her Irish Guards, while Camilla donned a crimson silk dress that was inspired by her regiment, the Grenadier Guards.
The King and the other royal colonels continued to ride alongside on horses while the couple eventually took their places on a dais with the Duke of Kent, Colonel, Scots Guards, to watch the march by of the army. This was a first for the royal women.
Since the Queen rode her charger Burmese for the last time in 1986, no monarch had been seen riding the whole Trooping of the Colour.
It was a gift from the renowned Mounties of the Commonwealth nation of Canada, just like Charles’ horse Noble.
Around 8,000 of the spouses, girlfriends, and parents of the guardsmen and officers on parade were seated in the stands overlooking the parade area because Trooping the Colour is both a social and ceremonial event.
Around 1,500 troops participated in the ceremony, while hundreds of guardsmen queued up on the parade ground in anticipation of King’s inspection. King will be accompanied by mounted royal Colonels, including the Queen and Kate in a carriage, as well as the mounted royal Colonels.
The Welsh, Scots, Irish, Coldstream, and Grenadier regiments of the Foot Guards marched together for Trooping the Colour for the first time since 1989.
The King’s Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards will be the regimental flag that is trooped in front of numerous Guardsmen and officers.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and senior military officials were among the attendees.
Before the guardsmen marched past the King, first in slow motion and then quickly, the color was paraded through the ranks of soldiers. The King saluted in response to the order to “eyes right.”
The ceremony’s musical accompaniment was supplied by the mounted band of the Household Calvary and the massed bands of the Household Division.
The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery also participated. To commemorate the King’s formal birthday, they will fire a 41-gun salute in Green Park, and the Honourable Artillery Company will fire an additional 62 volleys from the Tower of London.
