Trooping the Color: Surprising! These royals are not there for the first time

King Charles
These royals have not shown themselves on the balcony for the first time

After celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s official day of honour, †96, with “Trooping the Color” over the past 70 years, King Charles, 74, has now enjoyed his first birthday parade as sovereign. He even took part in the parade on horseback. It is the first time in 37 years that a reigning monarch has taken part in the military parade on horseback. The Queen rode for the last time in 1986, after which she only drove in a carriage.

As always, the crowning glory was the overflight of the Royal Air Force. King Charles and Queen Camilla, 75, went to the balcony of Buckingham Palace to admire it. The Regent was joined by other members of the British royal family – while other royals were unexpectedly absent.

King Charles had all the senior royals around him

The fact that heir to the throne Prince William, 40, who also took part in the parade as honorary colonel of the Welsh Guards on a horse, appeared on the balcony should hardly have surprised anyone. Catherine, Princess of Wales, 41, and the children Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, – who once again put on a grimace show – were expected.

Princess Anne, 72, has ridden alongside her brother and king as Senior Colonel of the Household Division. During the overflight, the hardest-working royal was present with her husband Timothy Laurence, 68. Prince Edward, 59, also played a key role in the parade as Honorary Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards. On the palace balcony, he later admired the elaborate and perfectly executed aircraft formations with his wife, Duchess Sophie, 58.

Where was Lady Louise Windsor?

What was surprising, however, was that Edward and Sophie did not bring their children, Lady Louise Windsor, 19, and James, Earl of Wessex, 15, with them. After all, the two were on the balcony at the celebrations of Queen Elizabeth’s 70th jubilee. The absence of his younger brother’s children may be a further indication of Charles’ desire for a streamlined monarchy. The monarch seems to have his focus on working royals and the siblings will never be, after all. Nevertheless, their absence is surprising, since they were still with their parents on the palace balcony at the coronation of King Charles a few weeks ago.

There was no trace of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

The disgraced Prince Andrew, 63, was not expected to be part of the parade or attend the Royal Air Force Air Show. However, it was amazing that there was no trace of his daughters Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Eugenie, 33, who recently became a mother for the second time. As non-working royals, they are never on the balcony, but at past major events they have often been spotted behind the scenes or at a palace window. The same goes for Mike, 44, and Zara Tindall, 42.

Sources used: gettyimages.de

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