- By Jasmine Andersson and Sean Coughlan, Royal Correspondent at Buckingham Palace
- BBC News
Jun 17, 2023 at 11:27 am BST
Updated 3 hours ago
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Watch: Charles’ first Trooping the Color as King… in 60 seconds
King Charles III took part in his first Trooping the Color since becoming monarch.
Princes Louis and George and Princess Charlotte joined other royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flypast in honor of their grandfather’s official birthday.
In a surprising homage, airplanes were used to spell the king’s initials, CR.
Thousands watched the event at Horse Guard’s Parade and The Shopping Center in London.
The royals watched an extended military flyby after the Coronation Day display had to be scaled down due to inclement weather.
Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force took part – including aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, C-130 Hercules on their final ceremonial flight, modern Typhoon fighter jets with a red, white and blue finish from the Red Arrows.
A sea of mobile phones could be seen in the crowd, many holding them up to capture the moment.
Part of the annual calendar of major royal events, Trooping the Color stars King Charles for the first time.
There may have been a moment of dismay for the king too. Just a year ago, at the Platinum Jubilee, it was his mother who appeared before the crowd on the same balcony.
The King took part in his first Trooping the Color as a monarch on horseback.
The king’s horse seemed a bit nervous at the beginning but calmed down as the event progressed.
It is the first time in 30 years that a monarch will ride horseback at the event, as the late Queen rode her Burmese horse in 1986.
He was joined by the other royal colonels on horseback – the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal.
The Duke of Edinburgh also attended the ceremony in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion, London Guards.
The ceremony began at Buckingham Palace as the King and Royals traveled down the Mall to Horse Guards Parade.
The color or regimental flag was then flown in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
There was music and marching while the king conducted an inspection of the soldiers – they slowly moved along the line while standing in formation.
After walking down the Mall, the King received the royal salute as Colonel of the Household Division regiments.
The senior royals on horseback were joined by the Queen, Princess of Wales and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who were traveling in a carriage to support their grandfather.
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To be seen: Royal children wave to the Trooping the Color crowd
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Thousands gathered to watch King Charles at the birthday parade
Image source: Getty Images
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The Princess of Wales wore emerald green
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Riding in the carriage were Prince George of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales
Image source: Getty Images
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Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Timothy Laurence during Trooping the Colour
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Prince William rode on horseback
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A soldier wears the color
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in the crowd, along with Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer and Prime Ministers of Commonwealth countries and empires.
One royal fan said he was “so happy” to be at Trooping the Color after missing the king’s coronation.
They said: “We are so happy that we came today. We’ve been bringing our kids to see all the pageantry and ceremony for years.”
“We exchanged photos and have plans for later birthday cocktails.”
Before the ceremony began, the Prince of Wales paid tribute to participants in last week’s rehearsal in hot temperatures that hit 30C (86F) in London.
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An aerial view of the parade illustrated the scale of the event
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Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer is spotted in the crowd
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Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales ride in a carriage
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Rishi Sunak was also present
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A view of the audience at the event
The last time a monarch sat on horseback was when Wham! was among the top of the charts. and Doctor and the Medics.
Following the parade, troops in Green Park fired a 41-gun salute to celebrate the King’s official birthday – while the Honorable Artillery Company fired a 62-gun salvo from the Tower of London.