A grandmother is a little bit of a parent, a little bit of a teacher and a little bit of a best friend.

That’s how the famous saying goes. But for Prince William back in June 2016, the late Queen Elizabeth certainly wasn’t his best friend.

Trooping the Colour is one of the most important events of year for the Royal Family, as they come together to enjoy the flypast. 

Each year thousands of well-wishers gather to catch a glimpse of the family as they crowd on to the palace balcony. 

The King’s Birthday Parade is essentially a ‘gift’ from the British Army’s Household Division to His Majesty to mark his birthday. 

Held traditionally on the second Saturday in June, regardless of the Sovereign’s actual date of birth, the parade is an opportunity for the division to demonstrate their professional excellence and loyalty to the Crown. 

The celebrations have marked the monarch’s official birthday since the mid-1700s and take place each year at Horse Guards Parade followed by the RAF flypast.

This year on June 14, the event will mark the official birthday of King Charles – who celebrates his real birthday in November.

The monarch traditionally rides on horseback from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade.

The King then rides back up The Mall to Buckingham Palace where he and family assemble on the balcony.  

Queen Elizabeth attended all but two of her Trooping the Colours, missing it in 1955 when a national rail strike resulted in the event being cancelled and in 2020 due to lockdown restrictions. 

The parade is open to members of the public through an online ballot with ticketing ranging from £10 to £30 and is broadcast live on the BBC.

In 2016, the Trooping the Colour marked Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday, playing host to 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and more than 400 musicians.

William was on the balcony with Kate and his two eldest children, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, who were very young at the time.

It was the debut of William’s middle child, Charlotte, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and the 13-month-old royal’s first ever royal wave. The princess had her hands in her mouth throughout the event, likely due to her teething. 

The tiny gesture sent fans into meltdown, with hundreds of social media users sharing adoring posts about the ‘total cutie’.

William carried Prince George, nearly three years old at the time, on to the balcony for his second Trooping as he was seen shielding his eyes from the sun while watching a fly-past.

But it wasn’t the children who got a telling off that day.

As Charlotte was held by Kate, William was in charge of looking after George.

George stood at the front of the balcony looking over the thousands of people gathered below – and William crouched down to speak to him and explain the flypast.

But this didn’t go down well with the Queen.

According to a lip reader, she tapped her grandson on the shoulder and said: ‘William stand up, don’t crouch…’

William rose to his feet, looking rather sheepish over the public telling off from his 90-year-old grandmother. 

The parade is a spectacle, drawing large crowds and providing royal fans with a chance to see younger members of the family. 

It is likely the Queen was reminding her grandson that the public would want a clear view of him. 

The late Queen would often wear bright colours to the event such as in 2016 when she wore bright green. 

In a way, the Queen was still ‘teaching’ William how to act on the balcony, as he continues to teach his children. 

The telling off during the fly past was not the first occasion the monarch has put her foot down with her grandson.  

Speaking to Sky News for a documentary called The Queen At 90 to celebrate the monarch’s birthday, William recalled how a childhood telling off stayed with him throughout his life.

Referring to a childhood incident which landed him in hot water with the late Queen, William described getting into trouble with his cousin Peter Phillips after riding a quad bike at Balmoral.

He said: ‘We were chasing Zara around who was on a go-kart, and Peter and I managed to herd Zara into a lamppost and the lamppost came down and nearly squashed he.

‘I remember my grandmother being the first person out at Balmoral running across the lawn in her kilt.

‘She came charging over and gave us the most almighty b******ing, and that sort of stuck in my mind from that moment on.’

However, he went on to reveal the late monarch’s softer side and credited her with helping him through the loss of his mother, Diana, and being a powerful female influence in his life.

He said his grandmother had been ‘incredibly supportive’ of him and been someone for him to look up to.

William said: ‘She’s been a very strong female influence and having lost my mother at a young age, it’s been particularly important to me that I’ve had somebody like the Queen to look up to.

‘She’s someone who’s been there and who has understood some of the more, um, complex issues when you lose a loved one.

‘So she’s been incredibly supportive and I’ve really appreciated her guidance.’

As heir to the throne he made his Trooping the Colour balcony debut before his first birthday in 1984.

In 2011 newly married William took part in his first Trooping the Colour parade and rode on horseback at Horse Guards.

Although Charles has ridden on horseback in previous years, including his first Trooping the Colour as monarch in 2023, it was previously announced that the King would conduct his review seated in a horse-drawn carriage alongside Queen Camilla last year.

It is likely he will be seated again this year. 

The late Queen switched from participating in the event on horseback to riding in a coach in 1987 when she was 60.

Last year it was reported that by riding on horseback William is taking an increasingly high-profile role in preparation for the day he becomes monarch.

William is said to have formed a close bond with his father in recent years, especially since Harry made the decision to step down as senior working royal in January 2020.

He has reportedly gained himself the title of the monarch’s ‘useful ally’.

But it is William’s children who have delighted royal fans by appearing on the Buckingham Palace alongside their parents, grandfather and fellow royals during previous years.

As Charlotte, George and Louis learn the ropes and test the boundaries of what is acceptable behaviour on the balcony, we often see parallels of the relationship between the late Queen and her grandsons to the Waleses and their children.

Last year during just one of his many animated displays, Louis was caught on camera scrunching up his face, while Kate appeared to crouch down to talk with her son on a balcony on Horse Guards Parade.  

Seemingly not occupied enough by the parade, at one point, the cheeky six-year-old was even caught tugging on the cord for the blinds as he chatted to his mother.

Louis, who was wearing a double breasted blazer, a pair of shorts, a crisp shirt and a tie, could not hide his facial expressions – much to the enjoyment of royal fans.

He even attempted to try and open the window on the balcony next to the Duchess of Edinburgh, gripping the frame as he tried to pull it up.

And the Prince looked less than impressed during the ride, knitting his brows together at points as he stared out of the window, open-mouthed.

It seems that regardless of the age – senior royals take on a nurturing role when it comes to guiding more junior members through balcony appearances.