The Royal Family turned out in force for Trooping the Colour as King Charles III celebrated his official birthday with the annual military spectacle on Horse Guards Parade.
Thousands of spectators lined The Mall and gathered around Horse Guards Parade to watch one of the most significant events in the royal calendar, with senior members of the Royal Family joining the King for the occasion.
The King and Queen travelled to the parade in a carriage drawn by Windsor Greys, arriving to the sound of the National Anthem before taking their places for the ceremony.
Riding on horseback alongside the King were the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Prince of Wales rode Darby, a horse presented to the Royal Family by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2019 to mark the 80th anniversary of its breeding programme.
The Princess Royal rode Noble, a horse previously ridden by the King during his Birthday Parade in 2023, while the Duke of Edinburgh rode Sir John, a horse gifted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2016 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday.
The Princess of Wales travelled in a carriage with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who delighted royal fans by waving to the crowds gathered along The Mall.
Also attending were the Duchess of Edinburgh and Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The presence of so many senior royals underlined the importance of Trooping the Colour within the Royal Family’s annual programme of public engagements.
The ceremony itself featured more than 1,300 soldiers of the Household Division, hundreds of musicians and scores of military horses.
Among the highlights was the appearance of the Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry, led down The Mall by the Drum Horses Apollo and Perseus, while the Massed Bands and Corps of Drums performed the famous “spin-wheel” manoeuvre, one of the most intricate displays of military precision in the world.
