Trooping the Colour Parade is an annual Royal event that has been commemorating the birthday of the British Monarch for more than 200 years now. But this year the annual event holds a very special meaning behind it – Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is marking her 70 years on the British throne, a first for any British Sovereign, and the annual event is the beginning of the weekend-long Nationwide celebrations.
Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed by regiments of the British armies. This impressive display of military precision, horsemanship, and fanfare is held on the occasion of the Queen’s Official Birthday. It takes place in June each year and is carried out by her personal troops, the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with the Queen herself attending and taking the salute.
💂 1,500 soldiers and officers
🥁 400 musicians
🐎 250 horses
✈️ 70 aircraftThe twin result of months of training and centuries of tradition, the Queen’s Birthday Parade is a major military spectacle and the start of the #PlatinumJubilee celebrations. pic.twitter.com/Xgye8xsR0v
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) June 2, 2022
This year 1500 officers and soldiers from the Household Division and The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, 400 musicians from the Massed Bands, and around 250 horses make their way down The Mall in London towards Buckingham Palace while 70 aircraft performed a majestic fly past. We have been getting glimpses of the preparations for almost a week now.
The 96-years old Her Majesty The Queen arrived at Buckingham Palace this morning among huge cheers and loud applause from the well-wishers gathered outside the Palace to mark the historical day. For the second time in history since her accession to the throne in 1952, The Queen did not ride toward the Horse Guards Parade to take the salute instead took the salute from the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the return of the Household Cavalry. The only other time she missed was in 1955 when the event was canceled due to the Rail strike.
Standing in for The Queen at the Horse Guard parade was The Prince of Wales who also inspected the troops. He was joined by The Duke of Cambridge and Princess Royal. The colors were trooped by the 1st Battalion Irish Guards. Prince William is their Colonel and presented them with a new Colour earlier this week.
#TroopingTheColour, the military parade that marks the Sovereign’s official birthday dates back to 1748. This photo from June 1919 shows King George V at the first Trooping the Colour held following the outbreak of WW1. #PlatinumJubilee pic.twitter.com/NWhQUl9hYs
— Royal Collection Trust (@RCT) June 2, 2022
The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognize those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines.
What is Trooping the Colour?
Also known as The Queen’s Birthday Parade, the event has marked the official birthday of the Sovereign for over 260 years.
Garrison Sergeant Major Stokes explains what you can expect from the day:#PlatinumJubilee pic.twitter.com/k2e1ZDQAox
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 2, 2022
The first traceable mention of The Sovereign’s Birthday being ‘kept’ by the Grenadier Guards is in 1748 and again, after George III became King in 1760, it was decided that parades should mark the King’s Birthday. From the accession of George IV, they became, with a few exceptions and notably the two World Wars, an annual event.
Today’s event also marked another first – The three children of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis rode in a carriage and attended the parade at the Horse Guards for the first time. They rode with The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duchess of Cambridge.
They traveled in one of the royal barouches. The barouche was made by a London coachbuilder, Barker, in the early 20th century. The carriage body is finished in the traditional Royal Claret. The barouches have been a popular choice for Trooping the Colour for several decades, with their aprons folded back in fine weather.
Also travelling in a barouche is The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise and Viscount Severn.
Cleveland Bays Svjek and Zeno are pulling their carriage.#PlatinumJubilee pic.twitter.com/PCQ57cqk2O
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 2, 2022
The Earl and Countess of Wessex were joined by their son Viscount Severn and daughter Lady Louise in the carriage. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester with Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were in the last carriage.
The Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge, and Prince Louis of Cambridge during the Trooping the Colour parade at Horse Guards
This year’s Parade marked many firsts in the British Royal Family. It was the first trooping the colour Parade marking a British Monarch’s Platinum Jubilee.
It was the first day of the Platinum Jubilee weekend-long celebrations. It was the first time when the parade was organized and Queen Elizabeth II did not take a salute at the Horse Guards parade but on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. It was Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis’ first official carriage ride and first Trooping the Colour carriage ride. It was the first time when no member of an extended royal family was on the balcony with The Queen for Trooping the Colour but only the working members of the Royal Family and their children.
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Princess Eugenie shared a video enjoying the flypast from the roof of Buckingham Palace.
A cute moment between The Queen and Little Prince Louis.
Little Louis literally stole the show during the Balcony appearance with his cute antics. He tried to squeeze in front of the Queen to go near his grandpa Prince Charles. He was very much interested in the jets and seems to have lots of questions for The Queen.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte were in their element too. Excited and happy to be there and seems to understand they are the elder siblings and this year it’s Louis’ job to be a show stopper.
The historic milestone was one of the most anticipated royal events of the year and the crowd gathered in London, especially on the Mall and outside Buckingham Palace showed it.
For the annual event, The Duchess of Cambridge kept her look simple yet very stylish. The Duchess of Cambridge was wearing the white Alexander McQueen Coat dress that she first wore in June 2021 at the G7 reception.
The Duchess paired the coat dress with a white and blue Prince Treacy OC 915 hat. Thanks to Bojana for the fabulous find.
Another new dazzling element of the look was Lady Diana’s Sapphire and Diamond Earrings. More details about the earrings are here.
She was also wearing her Sapphire and Diamond Diana Pendant.
Catherine was carrying her Strathberry Multrees Chain Wallet that she first in May 2021 on the last day of the Scotland tour.
Tonight, more than 3000 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, and UK Overseas Territories to mark the Jubilee. Her Majesty The Queen will be participating from Windsor Castle. Tomorrow the Royal Family will be attending the Thanksgiving Service at the St. Paul’s cathedral. WhatKateWore has this brilliant guide with all the details of the platinum jubilee.