King Charles is saddling up for a very special tradition that hasn’t been seen in more than 30 years.
On Monday, Buckingham Palace announced that the 74-year-old will take part in the annual Trooping the Colour as sovereign on horseback. This will be the first time a reigning monarch has ridden in the parade since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1986.
Britain’s longest-reigning monarch passed away in September. She was 96.
“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,” the palace announced in a statement.
King Charles III was crowned on May 6 at London’s Westminster Abbey. (Richard Pohle – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“Marking the first time that the reigning Monarch has ridden at Trooping the Colour since 1986, when Queen Elizabeth II last rode, The King will join His Majesty’s Birthday Parade on horseback,” it shared.
Trooping the Colour is the annual birthday parade for the British sovereign. Charles’ actual birthday is Nov. 14, when he has a more private celebration.
The king has attended the event since he was a child – first for his grandfather, King George VI, followed by his mother.
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Queen Elizabeth II salutes during the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London on June 14, 1986. (Fox Photos/Getty Images)
According to the Royal Museums Greenwich, the tradition was first started by King George II in 1748. His November birthday was deemed too cold for a celebratory parade, which prompted him to tie his public celebrations with the annual Trooping the Colour military parade.
The museum noted that Trooping the Colour has its origins on the battlefield. It described that a regiment’s flag or “colours” was a key rallying point for soldiers during battle.
“In order to ensure that every soldier would be able to recognize their colours, the flag would be marched or ‘trooped’ regularly round the ranks,” the museum shared. “A regiment’s colours came to have huge significance for serving soldiers, and the gain or loss of colours were seen as decisive moments in battle.”
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, carries out the Colonels Review at Horse Guards Parade on June 10, 2023, in London, England. It was the prince’s first time carrying out the review as colonel of the regiment. It is the final evaluation of the king’s birthday parade ahead of the event on June 17. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
“This military function gained royal significance during the reign of George II, the first monarch to tie his birthday celebrations into the summer ceremony – despite the fact that his actual birthday was in November,” it continued.
“[King] Edward VII also had a November birthday, and it was during his reign that the summer ‘official’ birthday celebrations were standardized. It was also under [King] Edward VII that the inspection of the troops by the monarch became part of the celebration. Trooping the Colour now typically takes place every year on the second Saturday in June.”
Over 1,400 soldiers, 400 horses and 400 musicians take part in Trooping the Colour, it added. The monarch arrives and receives a royal salute before he inspects the troops, which are dressed in ceremonial uniforms and bearskin hats. The military band performs and the regimental colour is taken on a procession down the ranks of soldiers.
Members of the British royal family travel by horse-drawn carriage or on horseback. The king will lead the procession to Buckingham Palace and take another salute from the dais. Charles will then lead members of the royal family out on the palace balcony. The Royal Air Force, in a sweeping finale, will soar to the skies and perform a colorful flypast. There will also be a 41-gun salute fired from nearby Green Park.
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Queen Elizabeth II attended her last Trooping the Colour celebration on June 2, 2022, in London. (Jonathan Brady – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Charles succeeded his mother as colonel-in-chief of the seven regiments of the household division. In December, the king announced that his son Prince William, who is heir to the throne, will take over his role as colonel of the Welsh Guards. William’s wife, Kate Middleton, was made honorary colonel of the Irish Guards. The king’s wife, Queen Camilla, became colonel of the Grenadier Guards. The king’s sister, Princess Anne, still serves as colonel of the Blues and Royals. The Duke of Kent is still colonel of the Scots Guards.
It’s also noted that Lt. Gen. Sir Ed Smyth-Osbourne remains colonel of the Life Guards, while Lt. Gen. Sir James Bucknall is colonel of the Coldstream Guards.
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According to reports, it’s unlikely that the king’s youngest son, Prince Harry, will attend. The Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down as senior royals in 2020. They now reside in California. The king’s brother, Prince Andrew, stepped down from public duties in 2019 following the scandal involving his relationship with late American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
