The Royal Family turned out in full for Trooping the Colour in London, with the King joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, for the annual celebration.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44, cut an elegant figure in a light blue and white Catherine Walker coat dress, paired with a matching hat by Philip Treacy. She sat beside her youngest son, Prince Louis, eight, in the royal carriage procession.
Across from them in the open-top coach were Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince George, 12, both smartly dressed for the occasion. George’s tie echoed the pale blue tones of his mother’s outfit, while Charlotte wore a cream printed dress with subtle blue detailing, tying the family’s coordinated look neatly together.
Elsewhere in the procession, the King travelled along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace in military uniform, accompanied by Queen Camilla, who wore a red silk crepe Grenadier Guards-inspired dress designed by Fiona Clare.
The event also underscored the ceremonial role of senior working royals. The Prince of Wales rode on horseback in the Full Ceremonial Order of the Welsh Guards, joined by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal. The trio saluted as they made their way towards Buckingham Palace.
The carefully coordinated outfits offered a quiet display of family unity, with Kate and her children dressed in complementary shades that reflected the close bond between them as they took part in one of the royal calendar’s most prominent events.
Known for his cheeky antics, Louis flashed his gap-toothed smile at the crowds that eagerly held up their phones to try to snap a picture of the Royal Family during a spectacular display of military pomp and regalia.
The future heir to the throne, George, 12, was confident as he waved at well-wishers while seemingly joking and chatting with his younger sister, Charlotte.
The occasion was once an affair that saw the balcony at Buckingham Palace brimming with at least 44 royals as it included more distant relatives. But over the last few years, only working royals – and the Waleses’ children – have attended the event.
The Princess of Wales sat next to her youngest son Prince Louis for the Trooping the Colour parade
The future heir to the throne, Prince George, 12, was sat next to his sister as they travelled to Buckingham Palace before the Royal Family makes their famed balcony appearance
The Princess of Wales walking with an officer from the RAF during the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade
The Princess of Wales watching the King’s Birthday Parade
The Princess was all smiles as she joined the Royal Family for the annual occasion in London
The King’s granddaughter Charlotte, 11, as she watched the festivities
The King and Queen attended the birthday parade, riding in a carriage during the event
Camilla wore a military-inspired dress designed by Fiona Clare for today’s festivities
Kate debuted a baby blue coat dress by Catherine Walker with white piping on the lapels
The Princess of Wales comforts Prince Louis during the carriage ride in London today
Today, guardsmen in their scarlet tunics and bearskin caps delivered a display of precision marching on Horse Guards Parade, honed over weeks of practice and part of their ceremonial duties when not fighting soldiers.
The national celebration is one of the highlights of the royal calendar and will later feature the Royal Family assembled on Buckingham Palace’s balcony for the traditional flypast of RAF aircraft.
The colour – regimental flag – trooped this year was the King’s Colour of the Grenadier Guards.
Charles presented the new colour to the regiment during a ceremony in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on June 9.
The Grenadier Guards were raised in 1656 in Bruges, Belgium, by the exiled King Charles II to protect him during the period Oliver Cromwell ruled England.
Charles, Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards, visited his King’s Company at their barracks in Aldershot on the eve of Trooping and wished them ‘great success’ for the big day.
He told the company: ‘Since Easter you’ve been practising rigidly and I can hear from Buckingham Palace the sound of the drums thumping away regularly so I know you’re all marching up and down trying to get ready for the parade.’
The King went on to say: ‘…ever since the last 370 years of your existence you have made us all in this country so incredibly proud of your effort, your service and your sacrifice over all those years and I feel very proud and privileged to be here.’
The King’s Birthday Parade this year comes exactly one week after the royals gathered in Kemble, Gloucestershire, for Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s ‘intimate’ wedding.
Catherine looked the picture of poise as she arrived at All Saints Church in a Roland Mouret £750 dress and Jane Taylor hat, alongside her husband William, 43.
The future Queen was met with the sounds of cheers from crowds of well-wishers who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the royal guests.
The Prince of Wales rode on horseback while wearing the Full Ceremonial Order of the Welsh Guards
The future Queen beamed as she joined the parade in an open-top royal carriage
Kate’s regal wave as she flashes her famous sapphire engagement ring
Like mother, like Louis! Kate and her eight-year-old look towards the crowds at The Mall
Prince George has perfected his regal wave
Kate looked typically elegant as she greeted well-wishers with a smile
Kate was all smiles during the parade, alongside a more serious-looking Louis
Prince George during today’s procession
Kate and Louis smiling at members of the public, who waited eagerly for a glimpse of the royals
The future Queen with her three children, Prince Louis (next to Kate), and Prince George and Princess Charlotte sat opposite
The King smiling at Kate during today’s parade
Charlotte, who recently turned 11, was poised as she smiled gracefully at royal fans
George looked dapper in a smart suit and blue tie, which matched his mother, the Princess of Wales’ ensemble
Charlotte, who loves to wear bows in her hair, accessorised her printed cream dress with the accessory
Prince Louis looking up at Kate during their carriage ride to Buckingham Palace
The King during today’s parade as it left Buckingham Palace
The youngest Wales child, Louis, eight, flashing his gap-toothed grin
Prince William put on a dapper display in his military outfits
From left to right: The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Princess Royal
The Duchess of Edinburgh alongside Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence
Sophie smiling during the procession
The Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for Trooping the Colour
Kate looked typically stunning in a blue and white ensemble as she arrived for the occasion
The Princess completed her elegant look with a pair of floral pearl earrings
The Princess of Wales travelled to Horse Guards Parade with the Prince of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte
Trooping the Colour is a military ceremony that dates back to the 18th century and is one of the most high-profile royal events of the year.
It is rooted in battlefield custom, when regimental flags, or ‘colours,’ were trooped in front of soldiers to ensure they could be recognised amid the smoke of combat.
This year, the honour of trooping the Colour falls to the Grenadier Guards, the British Army’s most senior infantry regiment, which is celebrating its 370th anniversary.
This year marks the fourth Trooping the Colour of His Majesty’s reign, after the death of Queen Elizabeth on September 8, 2022.
Charles attended his first Trooping the Colour in 1951, aged three, riding in a carriage with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret.
The King first rode in the parade as Colonel of the Welsh Guards in 1975.
Sophie opted to wear a chic cream ensemble with a matching hat as she accessorised the outfit with a diamond brooch
The Duke of Gloucester and his wife Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, ride in an open-top carriage
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer with his wife Victoria
Crowds held up their phones ahead of the Royal Family departing Buckingham Palace
Musicians from the Massed Bands of the Household Division parade during Trooping the Colour
The Colours being trooped today were presented to The Regiment by The King in the Gardens of Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, June 9.
Trooping the Colour was once the largest public gathering of royals of the year, with more than 40 members of the Firm jostling for position on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the flypast.
Now, the sparse group is made up of working royals only, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
They will be joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent, now the oldest working royal at the age of 90, while the King’s estranged son, Montecito-based Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, will be notably absent.
The daughters of disgraced former prince Andrew, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will not attend today’s Trooping the Colour, which they last attended in 2022.
They were last seen on the palace balcony with the late Queen Elizabeth in 2019, after they arrived at the Horse Guards Parade riding in an open-top carriage accompanied by Eugenie’s husband, Jack Brooksbank, and Prince Edward.
In the wake of the scandal surrounding Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s friendship with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Beatrice and Eugenie – who is expecting her third child with Jack – have largely kept out of the spotlight.
While they were welcomed back into the royal fold for Peter and Harriet’s wedding, Beatrice and Eugenie – who are not working members of The Firm – will not attend today’s festivities.
