Sergeant praises Princess of Wales
Garrison Sergeant Major Stokes who helped plan Trooping praised Kate, he said: ‘I think it’s such a nice thing for the Princess of Wales to come and attend today.
‘It is probably the only day we see the entire royal family together in public and I think the royal family really appreciate the day as well – it’s the closest thing we get in the United Kingdom to a national day, so all of that makes it incredibly special.’
Queen Camilla reassures the King
Body language expert Darren Stanton revealed that Queen Camilla is a ‘reassuring figure’ for her husband King Charles
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Slingo, the expert revealed that the King was ‘feeling nervous’, the Queen stepped in to ‘lead the way’.
Stanton explained:’Charles is deep in thought and he appears to be quite distracted from time to time, which is understandable given the great importance of events like these to his late mother Queen Elizabeth.
‘Camilla looked comfortable standing still and was in control of her movements. She always remains composed and is a reassuring figure for Charles.’
Fitzwilliams: ‘The Queen would have been proud’
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told : ‘It was so moving at the end of the climactic balcony appearance after Trooping the Colour when the Prince and Princess of Wales stood with King Charles and Queen Camilla, with the Princess standing next to the King, unlike last year. George, Charlotte and Louis were with them.
‘The image will go worldwide as it symbolises the resilience and the closeness of the royal family, which has been weakened by the King and Catherine fighting cancer.
‘They have reached out in an unprecedentedly open way to other cancer sufferers, as we saw in the Princess’s statement released yesterday.
‘This year the King’s Birthday Parade marks the return to official duties of Catherine after six months.’
‘It was magnificent ceremonially, with the King using a carriage to inspect his guards.
‘Last year he was on horseback, but he has much increased his activities despite his cancer treatment and seemed to be enjoying himself.
‘It must however, have been stressful for both the King and Catherine to act as they did whilst the world watched. It all went off without a hitch.
‘The King, like the late Queen Elizabeth, is the expert on the parade. I feel she would have been proud of the way they carried it off so superbly.’
Troops sing and wave goodbye to the King
A video posted on X shows the perspective of a troop, singing God Save the King up to the Buckingham Palace balcony, before waving goodbye to the royal family following the celebration.
Touching moment between Prince William and Sophie
This is the moment Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, reassuringly touches Prince William on the back as they head inside Buckingham Palace following the RAF flypast.
The Prince of Wales appears to wipe a tear from his eye as Trooping the Colour finishes for another year.
Royal fans didn’t let rain dampen their spirits
Royal fan Joseph Afrane was in high spirits throughout the procession today despite the wet weather.
The 60-year-old was decked out in a Union Jack T-shirt, shades and trousers, as he watched the procession earlier today.
He said: ‘I have come here to support the Royal family.
‘I was particularly pleased when I heard the Princess of Wales would be joining us.
‘The Royal family do a great job for the country. and support lots of charities.
‘They also bring a lot of tourists to the country which boosts the economy.
‘Without the Royal family there would be no Britain, in my opinion.’
Crowds marvel at the Red Arrows flypast
Pictures capture the crowds who gathered to watch the RAF flypast at 1pm, along with members of the royal family.
Princess Kate gushes over William
The husband and wife appeared to be locked in a loving gaze with each other as they stood on the Buckhingham Palace balcony earlier today.
Prince Louis steals the show (again)
It may have been the King’s birthday but it was Prince Louis who stole the show (again) today.
Pictures from earlier today show the six-year-old’s expressive behaviour as he took part in the Trooping the Colour parade.
Louis was watching the parade intently until his attention turned to what appeared to be a blind cord in the building.
Princess Charlotte appears to ask Louis to stand up straight
Princess Charlotte offers her little brother some advice as they stand on the balcony ahead of the RAF flypast.
Like mother like son
Princess Kate and her youngest son Prince Louis both had the same reaction as they watched the Red Arrows fly over Buckingham Palace.
Queen Camilla and Duchess of Edinburgh share a chuckle on Buckingham Palace balcony
The Queen chuckles with Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, as they stand alongside other members of the royal family on the famous Buckingham Palace balcony.
Red Arrows leave trail of red, white and blue as they flypast Buckingham Palace
Red Arrows prepare for Trooping the Colour flypast
Who was on the Buckingham Palace balcony?
If you’re wandering which members of the royal family were seen standing on the Buckingham Palace balcony today, then you’re in luck.
Here’s a break down of the senior royals that appeared in front of crowds earlier today.
From right to left: Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester; Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester; Prince George; Prince William, Prince of Wales; Prince Louis; Princess Charlotte; Catherine, Princess of Wales; King Charles; Queen Camilla; Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh; Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh; Princess Anne, Princess Royal; Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.
Princess Kate beams at the crowd
Princess Kate appeared in high spirits earlier today as she smiled at adoring crowds while standing with her family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Prince Louis is not amused
The young Prince appeared to be unimpressed with the Red Arrows flypast as he stood on the Buckingham Palace balcony earlier today.
Lip reader reveals adorable remark George made to Princess Kate
Earlier in the day during the royal procession Prince George made an adorable remark to his mother as he rode in a carriage along with his younger siblings Charlotte, nine, and Louis, six.
Read below to find out what he said, according to lipreader Juliet Sullivan.
Members of the royal family wave to the crowd
Here’s some pictures from before the Red Arrow flypast as members of the royal family smiled and waved to crowds before standing proudly as the national anthem was played.
The King waved again to cheering crowds before heading inside the palace.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children also waved before following Charles and Camilla from the balcony.
Red Arrows fly over the Queens Club on their way to Buckingham Palace
What route did the Red Arrows take to Buckingham Palace?
Royal family return inside to Buckingham Palace
Members of the royal family have left the balcony on Buckingham Palace and returned inside after the Red Arrows flypast.
It brings what has been a truly memorable to a close.
Flypast thunders over Buckingham Palace
The Royal Family look to the sky as the RAF flypast takes place at this year’s Trooping the Colour.
The planes leave strips of red, white and blue in the sky.
King and Queen appear on balcony with Princess Kate
Catherine, Princess of Wales, appears on the balcony alongside the King and Queen before the RAF flypast.
Kings Troop fires 41 guns in honour of monarch’s birthday
The Kings Troop Royal Horse artillery has fired 41 guns in honour of the monarch’s birthday from nearby Green Park.
First gun of royal salute has been fired
Crowds rush to see royals on balcony
Thousands of people have rushed down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace in the hopes of seeing the royal family on the balcony:
Palace release video of royal family leaving Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade
The Palace has released another behind the scenes featuring members of the royal family preparing for Trooping the Colour.
The video includes the King and Queen, as well as other royals including Princess Anne.
Exclusive:Royal guard engaged at Trooping the Colour
captured the heartwarming moment a Royal Guard got engaged at Trooping the Colour.
Minor royals appear on balcony
The Duke of Kent has appeared on the balcony.
As we wait for the rest of the Royal Family to emerge on the iconic Buckingham Palace balcony, which familiar faces are we expecting to see?
And, more importantly, will Prince Louis cause chaos on the balcony three years in a row.
Palace release behind the scenes video of Kate before heading to Trooping the Colour
The Palace has released a behind the scenes video of Princess Catherine before she steps into the horse-drawn carriage that takes her to Trooping the Colour.
The Princess of Wales lovingly plays with Princess Charlotte’s hair, comforting her before the family head out to greet the crowds.
Royal procession returns to The Mall
The King is waving at onlookers who are stubborn enough to remain on The Mall despite the pouring rain.
The troops are still faultless despite the miserable British weather.
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was seen wiping fog from her carriage window in an effort to wave to royal fans.
The King and Queen return to Buckingham Palace
In keeping with tradition, the King leads the troops back to Buckingham Palace to finish the ceremony.
Crowds cheer even though the rain has started to pour.
Troops return to Buckingham Palace
As the rain starts to fall, guards accompany the royal procession back to Buckingham Palace.
Prince William takes part in the parade
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, joined troops on horseback as his proud family watched on from the balcony.
Prince Louis dances along to proceedings
Naughty Prince Louis was spotted bopping along to the bagpipes at Trooping the Colour as his big sister Princess Charlotte has a stern word and appears to tell him to stop.
Kings Guards celebrate monarch’s birthday
The Kings Guards take part in the ceremonial parade to mark the monarch’s official birthday.
Anti-monarchy protestors tell Charles ‘he’s not our King’
Republic, the anti-monarchy group, posted a video of protestors shouting at King Charles’s carriage as it moved down The Mall.
The group tweeted: ‘Trooping the Colour isn’t even over yet – we’ve still got the balcony to come.’
Irish Guards take pride of place in ceremony
The traditional event is well underway with the Irish Guards and their wolfhound mascot taking pride of place.
The Princess Royal arrives for Trooping the Colour
In true no-nonsense fashion, Princess Anne has arrived on horseback for today’s ceremony.
BBC: ‘Prince Louis… stealing the show as ever’
Clare Balding, who is presenting the live coverage of Trooping the Colour on BBC, laughed as she watched Prince Louis yawn at the proceedings.
The journalist joked: ‘Ah, Prince Louis – stealing the show as ever.’
Princess of Wales has stern word with Louis
As the family watches on from the balcony at the Major General’s Office, the Princess of Wales appears to have a quiet word with Louis – who is known for his antics.
Lady Louise Windsor wears same dress as King’s Coronation
Lady Louise Windsor looked graceful in a white chiffon tea dress adorned with blue flowers – a frock she previously donned for the King’s Coronation last May.
Read more about her sustainable style choice here:
King takes part in Trooping the Colour parade
The King takes part in Trooping the Colour parade which honours his official birthday:
Charles salutes as troops play God Save the King
King Charles III salutes as troops play God Save the King as he arrives at Horse Guards Parade
Princess of Wales wows in black and white dress
Kate Middleton glows in a black and white number, accentuated with a golden brooch as she arrives at Trooping the Colour with her children.
The Princess of Wales has a monochromaic bow on her neckline and wears a matching hat.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told :‘She looked exquisite in Jenny Packham with a Philip Treacy hat and her appearance in a carriage so she could watch the parade from a balcony on Horse Guards had been unexpected and was very welcome.’
Princess of Wales steps out of horse-drawn carriage
Watch as Catherine, Princess of Wales, steps out of her carriage alongside her children as they arrive at Horse Guards Parade.
Duchess of Edinburgh travels by carriage
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, travels by carriage to Horse Guards Parade.
Her daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, who is a student at the University of St Andrews, braves the rain and rides in the open air.
Rishi Sunak attends Trooping the Colour with wife in rain
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends Trooping the Colour with his wife Akshata Murty.
But the Conservative leader seems to have forgotten a raincoat… and not for the first time during this General Election campaign.
The King arrives at Horse Guards Parade
King Charles III and Queen Camilla honour his official birthday in London:
Band of Grenadier Guards march at The Mall
Watch as the band of Grenadier Guards march with precision at The Mall
Watch as Princess of Wales smiles at Trooping the Colour
Catherine, Princess of Wales, smiles alongside her three children in horse-drawn carriage
As Kate smiles, cheeky Prince Louis looks less than pleased
Catherine, Princess of Wales, is pictured in a carriage alongside her children.
Although Prince George and Princess Charlotte look upbeat, young Prince Louis, 6, looks slightly bored by the royal proceedings.
Princess of Wales seen for first time at Trooping the Colour
Catherine, Princess of Wales, smiles as she passes cheering crowds on her way to the ceremony with her children – George, Charlotte and Louis.
Kate Middleton smiles in carriage with children
The Princess of Wales has made her first public appearance in a carriage with her three children.
She smiles and waves at the crowds lining The Mall.
Royal procession begins as Charles and Camilla seen in carriage
King Charles and Queen Camilla make their way down The Mall in a carriage:
The ceremonial parade continues
Amongst the troops, Irish Guards mascot Seamus makes his way down The Mall:
Protestors boo passing cars and carriages
Anti-monarchy protestors have been caught on camera booing passing cars on parade.
Breaking:King and Queen spotted heading to Trooping the Colour
King Charles and Queen Camilla have been pictured in a car on their way to the ceremony.
Troops start marching down The Mall
Over 1,400 officers and soldiers form the parade, together with 200 horses and over 400 musicians.
Behind the scenes at Trooping the Colour
The Army posted a sneak-peek into what it is really like to prepare for Trooping the Colour:
Hardman: ‘Forget the weather, it’s a great cause of celebration’
The Mail’s very own Robert Hardman told BBC News: ‘To see how far we’ve come since February digesting the news of Kate and the King, forget the weather, it’s a great cause of celebration’
Princess of Wales seen in public for the first time since cancer diagnosis
The Princess of Wales has made her first public appearance this year by joining the Royal Family at Trooping the Colour despite her ongoing cancer treatment.
Read our top story here:
Breaking:Kate Middleton heads to Trooping the Colour with family
The Princess of Wales has been pictured in a car with husband Prince William and their three children – George, Charlotte and Louis – ahead of today’s event.
The parade has officially started
Thousands of soldiers have started marching down The Mall as crowds cheer.
Meet Seamus – the Irish wolfhound
GB News interviewed someone with a very important role in today’s Trooping the Colour.
Seamus has been a regimental mascot at the event for three years and sometimes ‘doesn’t like the sound of the bass drum’.
Crowds brave the rain ahead of Trooping the Colour
The skies have opened in London as royal fans and protestors alike have whipped out their umbrellas
It is clear that rain will not deter the crowds from watching this year’s Trooping the Colour.
Royal expert praises ‘resilient’ Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told : ‘Kate’s appearance today is pivotal as the royal family is much weakened by two senior members fighting cancer. It is especially significant as we have not seen her on an official engagement since December.
‘It is clear, both from the moving video message in March and from the statement released yesterday, that she is resilient.
‘They will have a very special cachet as today’s Birthday Parade will. She is a very special person with a place in all our hearts.’
Brigade Major: ‘Princess of Wales news lifts the whole occasion’
Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw told BBC news: ‘It just lifts the whole occasion for us and it means we’ve got to be even better today’
Protestors chant as fans gather to see the King
Despite grey skies, the Mall near Buckingham Palace is filling up with fans eager for Trooping the Colour to begin.
But chants of ‘not my King’ and ‘down with the crown’ echo down the mall.
Republic protestors mock King Charles
Republic, a group which advocates abolishing the monarchy, wrote on X: ‘Apparently this guy called Charles is coming by in an hour or so. We’ll be there’.
Tune in on the Daily Mail livestream
Excitement builds ahead of Trooping the Colour
Royals fans are dressed to impress this Saturday morning ahead of Trooping the Colour.
One fan, who was seen earlier with a cardboard cut-out of King Charles, seems to be showing off the entirety of her very royal collection.
RAF confirm fly-past in a social media post
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Royal Air Force confirmed that over 30 aircract will ‘take to the skies’ at 1pm – ‘subject to weather, serviceability and operational requirements.
Anti-monarchy demonstrators taunt royals
Republic, a group which advocates abolishing the monarchy, shared a post of activists gathering outside Buckingham Palace ahead of the King’s official birthday parade.
It read: ‘It’s a sunny day (so far) for a protest! Join us, outside Buckingham Palace from 9.00am.’
Read the full story on here:
Protestors and royal fans gather on The Mall
Anti-monarchy protestors have started to line The Mall ahead of Trooping the Colour today.
It comes as crowds arrive to support the Princess of Wales ahead of her first public appearance this year.
Royal fans gather on The Mall
Decked out in British regalia, royal fans have been camping out close to Buckingham Palace in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the Princess of Wales.
Although the traditional ceremony officially begins after 10am, they have been waiting since early this morning.
One fan is even joined by a very special cardboard companion…
How to watch Trooping the Colour
If you don’t fancy facing the hordes of tourists and royal fans on The Mall today, reveals how to watch Trooping the Colour from the comfort of your own sofa.
The parade will be broadcast live on the BBC.
Live coverage begins on BBC One from 10.30am running all the way through to 1.10pm.
If you are too busy to watch the event live, you will be able to catch up on BBC iPlayer.
will have a livestream of the ceremony available on our YouTube channel.
Balcony at Buckingham Palace is prepared
The Princess of Wales will join other royals on Buckingham Palace’s balcony later today, and staff have been busy getting it ready this morning:
What is Trooping the Colour? Parade explained
The Trooping the Colour ceremony takes place to celebrate the birthday of the reigning monarch in the UK and has been held every year for the past 260 years.
The popular event will attract big crowds, who will be seen waving flags as the parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages.
During the ceremony, King Charles will be greeted by a royal salute, before carrying out an inspection of the troops, who are fully trained and operational soldiers wearing the ceremonial uniform of red tunics and bearskin hats.
Read the full story on here:
Police patrol area ahead of Trooping the Colour
Hundreds of Metropolitan Police officers have been deployed on the ceremonial route to ensure the safety and security of attendees:
Trooping the Colour route map
The ceremony begins at 10am and lasts until around 1pm. The route is as follows:
- The Princess of Wales will travel with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in a state carriage down the Mall and watch the parade from the Major General’s Office with the rest of the royal family.
- The King will travel down The Mall from Buckingham Palace with an escort from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
- Once the clock on Horse Guards strikes 11am the King will arrive to take the Royal Salute from the officers and men of the Household Division.
- Following the salute, The King will go up and down the ranks, inspecting the troops.
- The bands will then perform a musical ‘troop’ and the Regimental Colour will be escorted up and down the ranks of Guards.
- The Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry then march past His Majesty, The King’s Troop and Royal Horse Artillery with their guns.
- The King will head back to Buckingham Palace ahead of his guards before taking the salute in front of the Palace railings as the troops march past on their way to their barracks.
- The ceremony is due to finish at 12.25pm.
- The King joins other members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flypast by the Royal Air Force at approximately 1pm.
What time is Trooping the Colour today?
Organisers have advised the public to stand on The Mall or on the edge of St James’s Park overlooking Horse Guards Parade from 9am.
The Trooping the Colour parade will start at 10am, with the RAF flypast at 1pm.
Met imposes ‘substantial’ policing operation
Scotland Yard has a ‘substantial’ policing operation for the event, with anti-monarchy group Republic allowed to protest but banned from using amplified sound.
In a post on X today, Republic said: ‘It’s a lovely sunny day (so far) for a protest! Join us, outside Buckingham Palace from 9.00am. #NotMyKing #AbolishTheMonarchy.’
Hundreds of Metropolitan Police officers will be deployed on the ceremonial route to ensure the safety and security of attendees, with tens of thousands expected.
Welcome to ’s liveblog
Good morning and welcome to ‘s live coverage as the Princess of Wales is set to make her first public appearance this year, joining her family at Trooping the Colour.
Kate, who has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since late February, will ride in a carriage alongside her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, for the traditional procession today.
Later, she is expected to gather with the King, the Prince of Wales and other royals on Buckingham Palace’s balcony for the fly-past.
Stay with throughout today for live updates.
Key Updates
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Flypast thunders over Buckingham Palace
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King and Queen appear on balcony with Princess Kate
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Kings Troop fires 41 guns in honour of monarch’s birthday
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The King and Queen return to Buckingham Palace
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Troops return to Buckingham Palace
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Charles salutes as troops play God Save the King
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Rishi Sunak attends Trooping the Colour with wife in rain
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The King arrives at Horse Guards Parade
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Princess of Wales seen for first time at Trooping the Colour
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Kate Middleton heads to Trooping the Colour with family
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The parade has officially started