Canada’s strong connection to the Crown on full display at this year’s Trooping the Colour

Canada’s connection to Trooping the Colour was on full display as the three royal riders rode horses presented to the Royal Family by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Duke of Edinburgh all rode horses gifted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, two of whom were gifts to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Prince William, who serves as Colonel of the Welsh Guards, rode Darby.

Darby was presented to Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 to commemorate both the 50^th anniversary of the presentation of the first Royal Canadian Mounted Police horse, Burmese, and the 80^th anniversary of the police force’s breeding programme.

Princess Anne, who serves as Colonel of The Blues and Royals, rode Noble.

Noble was presented to King Charles in 2023 to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Noble was formerly a Musical Ride horse, gifted at King Charles’s request to be ridden at Trooping the Colours. The King rode Noble at the 2023 ceremony before retiring to a landau due to his cancer diagnosis.

At the time that Noble was gifted to King Charles, the Superintendent in Charge of the Musical Ride said in a statement: “[I]t’s truly humbling to be able to continue these traditions with our new monarch in the first year of his reign.”

Prince Edward, who serves as Colonel of the Scots Guards, rode Sir John.

Sir John was presented to Queen Elizabeth II as a 90^th birthday gift at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2016, where the Musical Ride was performing as part of the event.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride is a mounted showcasing calvary that travels around to highlight the skills of the horses and their riders.

Throughout her 70-year reign, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police presented eight horses to Queen Elizabeth II, starting with her most famous, Burmese. Burmese was presented to the late queen in 1969, and she rode the horse to every Trooping the Colour through 1986, after which she rode in a carriage.

Queen Elizabeth II was very fond of Burmese, and often told people that she was her favourite horse.