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Prince & Princess of Wales

Duke of Cambridge takes the Colonel’s Review ahead of Trooping

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge has taken the Colonel’s Review in preparation for the Trooping the Colour which will be held next week to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s birthday.

The Colonel’s Review is essentially the final rehearsal for the Trooping of the Colour which will take place this coming Saturday, 17 June.

More than 6,000 spectators who watched the inspection in Horse Guards Parade were in for a treat as they could catch a view of royalty during the rehearsal.

Tourists and London residents could see Prince William in full red and gold uniform complete with a bearskin hat as he took part in the Colonel’s Review.

While Prince William was certainly boiling under the summer heat and his uniform, he did fair not quite as poorly as a soldier who collapsed due to the heat.

Prince William, who was on his mount Wellesley, took part in the inspection of the troops of the Irish Guards where he is the Royal Colonel.

His Royal Highness became the Royal Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2011; this will be the first time they have taken part in Trooping the Colour since he took the position. The last time the battalion took part in front of The Queen was in 2009.

Trooping the Colour has commemorated the birthday of the monarch for over 250 years. The celebrations on Saturday is not the real birthday of The Queen which is on 21 April. This tradition of two royal birthdays comes about from King George II due to the typical cold British weather.

George was born in November and felt the weather would be far too cold for his birthday parade. He combined his birthday with an annual spring military parade known as Trooping the Colour. The tradition carries on to this day.