Trooping the Colour takes place on 15 June 2024 to celebrate the Monarch’s official birthday. What is the centuries old tradition and what can you expect to see?
What happens at Trooping?
Trooping the Colour is a ceremony where a different single regiment out of five Foot Guards regiments of the Household Division parade or troop their colours past the Monarch for inspection at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall. Their colour is their regimental standard (flag) and they display it as they march in very specific patterns.
A mounted guard made up of the Household Cavalry will escort The King from Buckingham Palace, down the Mall, to finally end up at Horse Guards Parade. The chosen regiment for the year then carries out their portion of the ceremony while King Charles oversees it.
Once this is finished, The King (and other members of the Royal Family) will process back down the Mall to return to Buckingham Palace where they will appear on the balcony to watch a flyover from the Royal Air Force.
This year, the No. 9 Company Irish Guards will Troop the Colours of the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards.
A long royal history
Trooping the Colour was first carried out in the seventeenth century during King Charles II’s reign; it was not until 1748 when it was officially chosen to mark the monarch’s official birthday (regardless of whenever their actual birthday was). It has been held in June since 1959.
Traditionally, the Monarch rides on horseback during the ceremony. However, it has been reported that King Charles will choose to oversee the parade by carriage this year, as he continues treatment for cancer.
Queen Elizabeth II attended by carriage for several years and, in the final Trooping of her reign, took a salute from the balcony of Buckingham Palace with her elder son, Charles, overseeing the main parade at Horseguards.
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