It is one of the most anticipated events in the United Kingdom. Ceremony “Trooping the Color” which can be translated as “The salute to the colors” or “The salute to the flag” is a public military parade that celebrates the birthday of British sovereigns each summer. Monarchs therefore celebrate their birthday twice. The tradition dates back to 1748 with George II, born in cold November. Instead of risking his subjects catching a cold, he combined his birthday celebration with the annual parade known as Trooping the Color. This year will be the second parade for Charles III since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. But if last year, the king was on horseback to inspect the troops, this June 15 he will be aboard a carriage alongside Camilla, the monarch currently undergoing treatment for cancer.
After the ceremony, it is a tradition for the royal family to gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a spectacular Royal Air Force flypast. The main question this year was the absence or not of Kate Middleton, but she announced her presence in a large text published this Friday, June 14. However, it is almost certain that she will not appear in a carriage, accompanied by her three children, George, Charlotte and Louis. Only the eldest, the future king, could join his father William on the balcony. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who attended the event together twice during the reign of Elizabeth II, were not invited. Their children Archie and Lilibet, who have never attended Trooping the Color, will miss the parade again this year.
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The parade is scheduled to begin around 11:20 a.m. (French time) and will last a little over two hours. The events will conclude around 2pm with the RAF Flypast over the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Charles III and Camilla are expected to make a brief appearance alongside Princess Anne and her husband, Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, as well as Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. Beatrice and Eugenie of York, increasingly present, could also join the king. There is no doubt that this year again, the event should bring together the British and excite fans of the British monarchy. But without Kate Middleton, nor her three children and their adorable mischief, the show could turn out to be much less festive…
Photo credits: Backgrid USA / Bestimage