King Charles III is keeping the traditions of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II going!
The King will hold a birthday parade, called Trooping the Colour, in central London next June, just six weeks after his coronation on May 6. The palace has announced that the annual festival, which sees hundreds of soldiers marching at Horse Guards Parade followed by a flypast over Buckingham Palace, will take place on June 17, 2023.
Queen Elizabeth's actual birthday was April 21, but it was celebrated by the public each June for a practical reason — the weather is better! King Charles' birthday is in November, but it appears that he will keep the public festivities around the same time as his mother.
The tradition is believed to have started during the reign of King George II in 1748. George II was born in October, but the annual Trooping of the Colour became a celebration of the monarch as well as the armed forces.
Although it dates back more than 200 years, Trooping the Colour became a stand-out date in the royal calendar during Queen Elizabeth's historic 70-year reign. Over those seven decades, TV — and later, color photographs — brought the pageantry alive for millions of people around the world and showcased the royal family in the process.
More than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will create the stunning display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark King Charles' official birthday, Buckingham Palace says. After a carriage ride from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards by those members of the royal family not on horseback, King Charles will take the salute at the parade.
Later, the family will watch a flypast by Royal Air Force jets and the Red Arrows display teams from the iconic palace balcony.
This year's Trooping the Colour was part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations that marked the late Queen's 70 years on the throne.
The day will also see Kate Middleton have a new title and role: she has been named by her father-in-law as the new honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards. It is a fitting appointment as Kate, 40, has been honoring that guards regiment most St. Patrick's Day holidays since she married Prince William in 2011.
The role of Colonel of the Irish Guards previously belonged to Prince William, 40, who has been made Colonel of the Welsh Guards by his father. That fits with his new role as Prince of Wales, which he received from the King shortly after Queen Elizabeth died on Sept. 8.
Meanwhile, Queen Camilla has been confirmed as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, an honor that was removed from Prince Andrew by his late mother.
The naming of the new Colonels clears up some of the questions that had arisen since Prince Andrew was stripped of the title in the wake of the scandal surrounding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
There had been a suggestion that his sister, Princess Anne, would receive it. She remains as Colonel of the Blues and Royals Household Cavalry regiment, the palace confirmed.
