An early birthday party! King Charles IIIThe first Trooping the Color is due to take place five months before his 75th birthday.
The former Prince of Wales unveiled initial plans for his first Trooping the Color as monarch in December 2022, revealing the celebration will take place on June 17, 2023. The parade traditionally marks the British sovereign’s official birthday, but in In Charles’ case, the day falls months away from the actual date, which is November 14.
His late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, also held her respective parade on a different date than her actual birthday. The late monarch’s birthday was in April, however, his Trooping the Color was
The parade’s origins date back to the 17th century, while the tradition of marking the sovereign’s birthday with the parade began in 1748 during the reign of King George II. During Elizabeth’s reign, more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians took part in the event, which followed a route from Buckingham Palace along the Mall to Horse Guards Parade and back. At the end of the parade, the royal family gathers on the balcony of the palace to watch a flyover by the Royal Air Force.
The Queen’s last Trooping the Color took place during her Platinum Jubilee, which commemorated her 70 years on the throne. Several members of the royal family join her on the balcony to watch the flyover, including Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William And Princess Kate. The Queen’s great-grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were also present.
For Charles’s next parade, 500 soldiers, 300 horses and 400 musicians will take part in the historic celebration. The king’s first Trooping the Color comes six weeks after his historic coronation. While Charles was crowned the new monarch immediately after his mother’s death in September 2022, his official coronation took place on May 6.
Less than a week before Trooping the Colour’s scheduled date, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles would ride his horse in his next birthday parade – a tradition that hasn’t been practiced for the past three decades. Queen Elizabeth last took part in the procession in 1986 and chose to ride in a horse-drawn carriage in the years that followed.
During a rehearsal for the parade, the Prince of Wales was spotted on horseback as he conducted the official Welsh Guards Review for the first time while serving as Colonel of the Regiment.
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