King Charles III is all about making history! As his unique coronation, the British Empire’s new monarch plans to restore an old tradition at his first birthday parade.
The former Prince of Wales broke records ahead of his ascension to the throne following the death of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. He once held the longest-serving title of heir apparent and is the oldest person to become king in British history.
During his coronation ceremony, the 74-year-old donned some of the precious relics of his predecessors and received shards of the True Cross from Pope Francis. After making waves with these phenomenal achievements, the father-of-two is ready to saddle a horse in style.
King Charles III will be the first monarch to take part in the annual Trooping of the Colors ceremony since his late mother
As shared by PEOPLE, Buckingham Palace has announced that the leader of the Commonwealth Realms will take an active role in its upcoming birthday parade. The royal affair, scheduled for June 17, will take place in London.
Thanks to the King’s willingness to take part in the annual Trooping the Color procession, the event will mark the first time a British monarch has stepped into the saddle for the parade since 1986. The last person to perform this stellar act was the late Queen Elizabeth II, who rode her beloved Burmese horse.
After her iconic moment, the former ruler of the empire skipped horseback riding for a horse-drawn carriage. In 2003, the monarch’s deceased husband, Prince Philip, retired from his saddle to join his wife. Nonetheless, the mother-of-four reportedly remained dedicated to her equestrian pursuits well into her 90s.
The 96-year-old’s love for horses and riding has been passed down to some of her children and grandchildren, including King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince William. The individuals mentioned all rode in the royal procession, showing impressive skills.
The annual Trooping the Color procession did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic. At Saturday’s next affair, King Charles’ first event as monarch, the father-of-two will be honored as ceremonial leader of the Grenadier Guards, Welsh Guards, Irish Guards, Blues and Royals, Life Guards and Coldstream Guards.
As for his role in the parade, the 74-year-old would go from Buckingham Palace at the Mall to the Horse Guards Parade in St. James’ Park, covering nearly a mile on horseback. At his stop, the ecologist will be greeted with a royal salute before inspecting the troops representing the regiments.
Additionally, the Global Environmental Citizen Award recipient, his wife, Queen Camilla, and other members of the Royal Family will enjoy a presentation from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. The group must “troop its color” or present its flag as shared by the Palace.
Soldiers from the regiment in which Princess Anne is Colonel-in-Chief, the Blues and Royals, will also escort the former Prince of Wales alongside troops from the Life Guards. After the parade, the King and his loved ones will return to Buckingham Palace, either on horseback or by horse-drawn carriage.
Once at their royal residence, the group will enjoy the rest of the Trooping the Color festivities on the balcony of the Palace. They were watching a parade before turning to the skies for a Royal Air Force flypast.
A soldier fainted during preparations for the upcoming King’s Birthday Parade
As the parade arrives in a few days, rehearsals for the procession of the monarch’s first anniversary as king are underway, but it hasn’t been entirely positive. By reports, a A member of the group reportedly passed out on Saturday June 10, losing consciousness while training for the upcoming Trooping the Color procession.
During the training session in London, the soldier passed out due to the extreme heat conditions. However, the unidentified man stuck to his position, regaining consciousness moments later to continue playing his trombone.
Despite his interest in fighting to the end, the soldier was thankfully taken in for medical assistance. The soldier’s commitment to rehearse under adverse conditions touched Prince William’s heart.
The Prince of Wales sent a special shout out to all band members and soldiers training for his father’s birthday parade on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Twitter account. The royal’s message read,
“A big thank you to all the soldiers who participated in the colonel’s review this morning in the heat. Difficult conditions, but you all did a very good job. THANKS. W.”