(CNN) – Carlos III is reviving a royal tradition this Saturday by taking part on horseback in the first Trooping the Color of his reign, which marks the British ruler’s official birthday.
This traditional military spectacle is one of the main acts on the royal agenda and draws large crowds to central London. Carlos’ real birthday is in November and is usually celebrated privately.
Charles III leads members of the royal family on horseback from Buckingham Palace to the King’s Birthday Parade in London on Saturday.
The King will join 1,500 soldiers, 300 horses and hundreds of musicians who will march from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in St James’s Park for the ceremony, which will be attended by members of the Royal Family.
It is the first time a reigning monarch has attended the procession since Queen Elizabeth II in 1986.
He is accompanied on horseback by the Royal Colonels, including Prince William, the new Colonel of the Welsh Guards, and Princess Anne, the Golden Wand and Colonel of the Blues and Royals. The palace describes the act as “a magnificent display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare”.
Prince William of Wales during the first Trooping the Color for his father, King Charles III. (Credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Queen Camilla is dressed in honor of the Grenadier Guards, the regiment of which she was made colonel in January, Buckingham Palace has said. Camilla wears a red silk dress “with the insignia of a colonel on the epaulettes.” The dress features key uniform details, including “The Grenade Fired Proper” embroidered in gold at the neck and back staves,” according to the palace.
Camila also wears a Philip Treacy hat “which is a nod to bearskin with a ‘grenade’ that explodes into a plume.”
Supporters, clad in fascicles and Union flags, gathered early to take the first positions along the Mall in front of the royal residence in the hours leading up to the parade.
Kate, Princess of Wales with Queen Camilla during the first trooping reign of Charles on June 17, 2002 in London, Britain. (Credit: Neil Mockford/Getty Images)
The monarch is the head of the British armed forces and would traditionally be the one to lead an army at war. During the ceremony at Horse Guards, the monarch will salute as Colonel of the seven regiments of the Royal Household Division before being given an opportunity to inspect and approve his army.
After the parade, Queen Camilla will join her husband to watch as the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards hoist their ensign or regimental flag in front of hundreds of guards and officers. Kensington Palace described this year’s music program as having a “distinctly Welsh theme”, with new compositions by the band specially created for the occasion.
The King’s grandsons, Princes Jorge and Luis, and their sister, Princess Carlota, drive to the parade ground.
Following the parade, the royal group will return to Buckingham Palace for an extended military flyover. Last month, after the king’s coronation, a similar event had to be canceled due to bad weather.
According to the Ministry of Defence, around 70 aircraft from the British Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force will take off from 15 points in the United Kingdom before converging to overfly the British capital. The impressive air show will include aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the C-130 Hercules on their final ceremonial flight, Typhoon fighters and will culminate in a display of the RAF’s famous Red Arrows.
“We are very proud to showcase our capabilities to our Commander-in-Chief on this historic occasion for His Majesty the King,” Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, said ahead of the event.
“We have planned a fitting tribute to our monarch that should be a real spectacle for Britain and the Commonwealth.”
There will also be a 41-gun salute by the King’s Troop in nearby Green Park, while a second 62-gun salute will be fired at the Tower of London by the Honorable Artillery Company, the City of London Army Reserve.