King Charles III
Will he be in the carriage for Trooping the Color?
In 2023, Charles mastered the challenge on horseback: at the age of 74, he rode in Trooping the Color in a military uniform and a low-slung bearskin hat.
© IMAGO/Avalon.red
Charles III is reluctant to give up Trooping the Color. But it is questionable whether the sick monarch can take part on horseback.
King Charles III (75) is said to be determined to take part in his Trooping The Color birthday parade in June despite his cancer. How The “Daily Mail” reports that he will probably not ride a horse, but rather sit in a carriage.
Is Trooping the Color at the top of Charles’ list?
According to the British newspaper, options are currently being examined for Charles to attend the military parade as part of his ongoing treatment. It is conceivable that he will be driven in a carriage from Buckingham Palace to the parade ground and will watch the spectacle there from a podium. This is what his late mother Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) had done since 1987 due to her age.
A final decision about Charles’ participation will only be made at a later date and depends on the doctor’s recommendation and his state of health, the Daily Mail reported. “There are a number of important events in the calendar that His Majesty would like to attend and this is at the top of the list,” a source is quoted as saying.
At the beginning of February, the palace announced that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer following prostate surgery. He is currently undergoing outpatient treatment in London and only takes on a few appointments, but continues to work behind the scenes.
It was only last year that he made his parade debut as a monarch
In 2023 Charles III. (74) took part in his first “Trooping the Color” parade as king. At that time he led them on horseback. It was the first time in more than 30 years that a monarch took part on horseback.
The British monarch’s birthday has been celebrated with the military parade for more than 260 years. It was first carried out in the 17th century under Charles II (1630-1685). The presentation of the flags before the ruler was intended to remind the guard regiments of their special duty to him.
The ceremony has been performed publicly since 1805. The date is celebrated in June regardless of the respective birthday dates, which was introduced by Edward VII (1841-1910), who like Charles had his birthday in November. So that there was a chance of better weather for the outdoor parade, he moved the event to early summer.
Fuss over Kate’s participation
Two weeks ago there was confusion surrounding Trooping the Color after the Ministry of Defense announced that Charles’ daughter-in-law Kate, 42, would be in the parade. The wife of heir to the throne Prince William (41) is currently recovering from an operation in January, which would have been her first confirmed appointment this year. But only a short time later it was said that the publication had taken place “without the permission of Kensington Palace”. The Ministry of Defense then removed the date from its homepage.