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King Charles III became the monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth nations after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch passed away in September 2022. He was recently coronated on May 6, 2023, alongside his second wife Camilla Parker Bowles.
Now, as per the latest reports, King Charles is planning on reviving an age-old tradition that hasn’t been seen for the last three decades. It is called Trooping the Colour and refers to the official birthday parade of the sovereign that is marked by the “ceremonial presentation of the British military’s regimental flags, often referred to as “colors.”
Interestingly, it was his mother Queen Elizabeth II who last celebrated the tradition properly in 1986 when she rode on her favorite horse named Burmese and became part of her own birthday procession.
King Charles’ birthday is on November 14
King Charles’ official birthday is on November 14. However, the Trooping the Colour ceremony is all set to take place on the upcoming weekend, i.e., June 17.
Why so?
Well, as it turns out, the royals are eager for a celebration and there’s no better time than the present. Moreover, the weather in London is decent after a long time and looks like they do not want to give up on this opportunity to party.
In fact, the Buckingham Palace officials have issued an official statement.
“His Majesty The King will take the Salute as Colonel in Chief of the seven regiments of the Household Division, at the Birthday Parade on Horse Guards Parade, on Saturday 17th June 2023.”
What’s more interesting is that just like King Charles III, his predecessor King Edward IV also had a November birthday. It was he who made the summer “official” birthday celebrations a standard, something that has been followed ever since. As a result, the Trooping the Colour tradition now usually occurs annually on the second Saturday in June.
What to expect during King Charles’ Trooping the Colour celebration?
During King Charles’ Trooping the Colour celebration, he will saddle up to ride on a horseback, something he has been doing since he was a boy, as part of his ancestors’ birthday parades. All immediate members of the British Royal Family will join him in the procession either by horse-drawn carriage or on horseback.
The king will lead the procession from Buckingham Palace to The Mall and finally end in St. James’ Park with the Horse Guard Parade. There, he will be welcomed by the Royal Salute and will move on to inspect troops from different regiments.
When Queen Elizabeth II died last year, the 74-year-old Charles succeeded her as the Colonel in Chief of the seven regiments of the household division. Thereafter, in December 2022, he named his elder son Prince William (the heir to the throne) as the colonel of the Welsh Guards and his wife Kate Middleton as the honorary colonel of the Irish Guards.
He also announced his wife Queen Camilla as the colonel of the Grenadier Guards and his sister Princess Anne as the colonel of the Blues and Royals. Interestingly, the king’s uncle (Queen Elizabeth II’s first cousin) Prince Edward who is also the Duke of Kent will continue being the colonel of the Scots Guards.
As for colonel of the Life Guards and colonel of the Coldstream Guards, the positions will be served by Lt. Gen. Sir Ed Smyth-Osbourne and Lt. Gen. Sir James Bucknall respectively.
The king’s younger son Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan Markle, will most likely not be a part of the auspicious occasion as they stepped down as senior royals in 2020.
According to schedule, at the St. James’ Park, the King, the Queen, and the other royals will watch the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards “troop their colors” (present their flags) in a long parade and officially honor the king as the ceremonial heads of all the Guards.
Following this, the royals will return to the palace, and watch a march past from the balcony. The event will reach its climax when the Royal Air Force conducts a colorful flypast and 41-gun salutes are fired from the nearby Green Park.
Trooping the Colour originated on the battlefield during the reign of King Charles II. However, it became to the sovereign’s birthday during the rule of King George II in 1748. He too had a November birthday which proved to be too chilly for any kind of public and outdoor celebration.
As a result, it was practical to merge it with the annual Trooping the Colour parade. Since then, it has only got bigger and better with time. This time, more than 1500 soldiers, 300 horses, and 400 musicians will be part of the auspicious celebration.
