The King was treated to an extended military flypast following Trooping the Colour after his Coronation day display was scaled down due to bad weather.
Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, some of which date back to the Battle of Britain memorial flight, took part in His Majesty’s first official birthday celebrations.
The King, Queen and other members of the Royal family watched from the Buckingham Palace balcony as the aircraft flew over The Mall in a six-minute display.
In one memorable moment, 18 Typhoons formed the shape of a “CR” – standing for “Charles Rex” – which drew applause from the family members on the balcony.
The aircraft took off from 15 locations across the UK before meeting in the south-east of England to fly over the Palace.
02:59 PM
That’s all for today
Our coverage of Trooping the Colour has finished for today, but be sure to keep reading The Telegraph for more stories about today’s celebrations.
02:13 PM
Pictured: Prince Louis steals the show
02:00 PM
Aircraft involved in flypast
A huge flypast of over 70 aircraft took to the skies above Buckingham Palace.
01:23 PM
Trooping the Colour: Watch in full
01:18 PM
Pictured: King and Queen bid farewell to crowds from balcony
01:15 PM
Pictured: Red Arrows end display
01:11 PM
Pictured: Typhoons form CR during flypast
01:00 PM
King Charles and family appear on palace balcony
The King has appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside his wife Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children.
12:55 PM
41 gun salute begins in Green Park
The Royal Horse Artillery have started to fire a 41 Gun Salute in nearby Green Park, after which the troops will return to their barracks.
It is expected to take six minutes, with the commanding officer giving the order to fire every ten seconds.
12:39 PM
Pictured: Mounted troops cheered on by crowds lining Mall
12:36 PM
Duke of Kent ‘helped to stand’ during parade
The elderly Duke of Kent, 87, colonel of the Scots Guards, who last year accompanied the late Queen on the palace balcony to watch the parade, today travelled in a car with his son, the Earl of St Andrews.
Eagle-eyed observers noted that during the parts of the parade when royal colonels who were not mounted had to stand, he was helped up by a soldier.
12:34 PM
Royal family start to gather on balcony
Members of the Royal Family have begun to congregate on the Buckingham Palace balcony in preparation for the RAF flypast.
Around 70 aircraft, some of which date back to the 1940s, are expected to fly over London from around 1pm.
The Duke & Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence and the Duke of Kent were the first to arrive on the balcony, where they watched the King arrive at Buckingham Palace.
12:27 PM
King nears Buckingham Palace after first Trooping the Colour
The King is riding back to the Palace on Noble, a seven-year-old, 16.2 hands high black mare presented as a gift earlier this year by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
It was Noble’s first Trooping too so he’s had plenty of practice.
Major General Christopher Ghika, the senior Army officer in charge of the parade, told the Telegraph: “Noble has done a lot of training and has been involved in all the mounted rehearsals and hasn’t put a foot wrong,” he said, adding that the King was a “very competent horseman.”
The King has been paying regular visits to his new mare at Windsor.
Royal sources said Noble had been getting to know the military sights and sounds as well as the other horses. She has been present at Changing the Guard and took part in the Colonel’s Review last weekend.
12:23 PM
Pictured: Scots Guards prepare for King’s birthday parade
12:17 PM
Pictured: Princess of Wales watches Trooping the Colour
12:16 PM
Royal family return to Palace
Charles and the rest of the Royal family are now heading back to Buckingham Palace from Horse Guards Parade.
The assembled crowd can be heard applauding as they heard down The Mall accompanied by the Household Division.
As well as marking Charles’ debut at the event as monarch, today was also the first time that the Duke of Edinburgh joined his elder siblings on horseback for the occasion.
It left the Duke of York, who was stripped of his honorary military roles last January, as the only one of the four siblings who did not participate.
12:13 PM
King to enjoy military flypast after scaled-down Coronation event
The King will be treated to an extended military flypast later after his Coronation day display had to be scaled down due to bad weather.
Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force will take part in the six-minute display, taking off from 15 locations across the UK before meeting in the south-east of England to fly across London.
We’ll see a mix of aircraft, ranging from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight dating back to the 1940s and the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight to multiple Typhoon fighter jets and the Envoy IV CC1, which is making its flypast debut.
At the front will be a Juno HT1 piloted by Flight Lieutenant Tom Knapp from 60 Squadron, No 1 Flying Training School based at RAF Shawbury.
The event will end in the traditional show of red, white and blue from the pilots of the Red Arrows.
Gloomy weather put a dampener on Coronation celebrations. More than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force had been due to take part in the flypast but “unsuitable weather conditions” forced the plan to be abandoned.
12:11 PM
Pictured: King surveys troops with William and Edward
11:57 AM
Pictured: King on horseback with siblings and son
11:46 AM
Troops march in formation past King
The assembled soldiers are marching past the King, who salutes them while remaining on horseback, as a variety of well-known military tunes play.
These include “Men of Harlech”, often associated with the Welsh Guards, which describes Welsh soldiers defended Harlech Castle against a siege in the 15th century.
11:42 AM
Pictured: Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte watch parade from balcony
11:36 AM
Pictured: Troops prepare to march at Horse Guards Parade
11:32 AM
Colour is trooped by ensign
The Ensign to the Colour has carried the regimental flag among the ranks of the Welsh Guards.
The ceremony dates back to at least the early eighteenth century or earlier, when the colours of the battalion were carried down the ranks so that they could be seen and recognised by the soldiers.
Since 1748, this parade has also marked the Sovereign’s official birthday.
11:30 AM
‘All eyes on Prince Louis’
All eyes will be on Prince Louis when the children appear alongside senior members of the family on the Buckingham Palace balcony later.
The lively youngster waved dramatically and did an amusing slow clap when he watched the flypast during the Coronation.
It’s the second time we’ve seen Louis in a tie – the first time was on Easter Sunday when he paired it with blue shorts and socks.
The Prince and Princess seem keen to dress the brothers in matching outfits – both were in blue ties at Easter and are in red ties today – co-ordinated with Charlotte’s dress.
11:23 AM
Troops advance on the colour
The troops have marched to the famous tune of British Grenadiers as they advance on the colour.
One soldier is preparing to receive the regimental flag, which this year belongs to the Welsh Guards, marked out by their distinct green-and-white plume.
11:15 AM
Parade to feature new composition by soldier
One new piece of music being performed today was written by Gareth Trott, a soldier in the Welsh Guards.
Another is by Major Lauren Petritz-Watts, who will become the first female Army musician to have her music performed during the sovereign’s birthday parade.
She last year became the first female director of music of the Welsh Guards Band in April 2022.
11:14 AM
Massed bands and drums march
The Massed Bands and Drums are marching across Horse Guards Parade, playing a selection of regimental music.
11:13 AM
Pictured: Charles salutes on horseback as he inspects troops
11:08 AM
Pictured: Louis in distinct red shorts
Look at Louis’s red shorts! The children have made their way into the Horse Guards building to watch their grandfather take the salute from the Major General’s office over Admiralty Arch.
The Queen and the Princess of Wales – as Regimental Colonels – are taking part in the inspection in their carriage.
In previous years they have watched from the office with the children.
11:03 AM
Royal children ‘loving’ Trooping the Colour
Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, appear to be loving the experience.
Dab hands now, having made their Trooping carriage debut last year, they are waving to the crowds and craning their necks to get a good look around.
Charlotte appears to be wearing a military-inspired white dress not dissimilar in style to the Louis wore last year
11:03 AM
King arrives at Horse Guards Parade
The King has now arrived at Horse Guards Parade – where a royal salute has been given and the national anthem is playing.
11:02 AM
Pictures: Prime Minister watches on as Royal Family leave Palace
10:58 AM
Pictured: Charles on horseback
The King is wearing the tunic of the Guard of Honour Order, the Welsh Guards. The Sovereign wears the uniform of whichever Regiment’s Colour is being trooped.
Previous monarchs – from Edward VII through to Elizabeth II – have each wore the uniform of the regiment whose colour was being “Trooped” whilst on parade. The sovereign’s uniform bears the cypher of his predecessor, meaning the King’s uniform bears the cypher of Elizabeth II.
10:56 AM
Queen and Princess of Wales in day dress
The Princess of Wales is wearing a hat by Philip Treacy and a dress by Andrew Gn – the vivid green clearly inspired by her new role as Colonel of the Irish Guards
The Queen is wearing a red silk coat dress that takes inspiration from the uniform of the Grenadier Guards – the rank insignia of a full colonel is reflected on the epaulettes.
The dress incorporates key details from the uniform including the “The Grenade Fired Proper” embroidered in gold bullion on the collar and the gold bullion back slashes.
Like the Princess, the Queen is wearing a hat by Philip Treacy – a nod to the bearskin with a ‘Grenade’ exploding up to a feather plume.
10:50 AM
King Charles sets off for Horse Guards Parade
King Charles has left Buckingham Palace and is now riding towards Horse Guards Parade.
He is the first monarch to have ridden at Trooping the Colour since Elizabeth II did so in 1986.
Also riding on horseback are:
-
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards
-
The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, Colonel of the Blues and Royals
-
The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward – Colonel of the London Guards
While travelling by horse-drawn carriage are:
-
Queen Camilla, Colonel Grenadier Guards
-
The Princess of Wales, Colonel Irish Guards
The procession is led by the Household Division Brigade Major, Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw.
10:46 AM
Queen and Princess of Wales to make debut as Colonels
The Queen and the Princess of Wales – who are likely to share a carriage as they did last year – will be present for the first time as Colonels.
They will not be in uniform but will wear day dress, embellished with diamond regimental brooches.
Following the Accession, when the King automatically became Colonel-in-Chief of all the Guards regiments, there was a reshuffle of regimental colonelcies for the Household Division.
The changes were announced in December and saw the Queen appointed Colonel of the Grenadier Guards and the Princess taking over the Irish Guards from Prince William, who stepped into the role with the Welsh Guards.
10:43 AM
Pictures: Princess Charlotte arrives before start of parade
10:40 AM
Charles arrives at the Palace
King Charles has arrived at Buckingham Palace.
The monarch was wearing his uniform and will soon appear on horseback when the parade starts.
10:39 AM
Pictures: Prince and Princess of Wales arrive at Buckingham Palace
10:37 AM
Pictured: Spectators wait for the King
10:33 AM
Watch: Crowds gather along St James’ Park
10:26 AM
Mounted cavalry to be led by mare for first time
Look out for drum horse Juno – she is the first mare ever to lead the mounted cavalry during Trooping.
Previously called Willa Rose, she has been in training for the last two years.
When she was first sold to the Army by Dyfed Shire Horse farm in Pembrokeshire, in May 2021, owner Huw Murphy said it was a “source of pride and a privilege” to have bred a horse deemed “good enough” for the role.
“Willa Rose is the first female Shire to be taken by the Household Cavalry for this role which is quite an achievement,” he told Horse & Hound.
The Queen formally named her Juno at a short ceremony at Clarence House last week and gave her a carrot.
10:23 AM
Parade will have a ‘distinctly Welsh theme’
This year’s parade will have a distinctly Welsh theme as the military makes an “extra effort” for the King’s first official birthday celebration.
It will be larger than normal and involve every regiment of the Household Division for the first time in more than 30 years.
Military sources said it was “serendipitous” that the regiment trooping its colour this year would be the Welsh Guards, of which the King was Colonel for more than 50 years.
New pieces of music have been composed by members of the Band of the Welsh Guards especially for the occasion and even the drum horses can lay claim to Welsh ancestry.
10:09 AM
What will happen during Trooping of the Colour?
The King will be greeted by a Royal salute before carrying out an inspection of the troops.
After the massed bands have performed a musical ‘troop’, the Welsh Guards’ regimental colour will be carried down the ranks.
The Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry will then march past the King, followed by the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery.
The King then rides back to Buckingham Palace at the head of his Guards, before taking the salute at the Palace from a dais.
After the parade, the Royal Horse Artillery will fire a 41 Gun Salute in Green Park before the troops return to their barracks.
The King will then join other members of the Royal family on the palace balcony for a fly-past by the Royal Air Force.
09:58 AM
What route will the parade take?
09:57 AM
Good morning
Good morning. Crowds have gathered along The Mall to celebrate the King’s first Trooping the Colour to mark his official birthday.
We will be steering you through the latest updates throughout the day, with the procession expected to start from around 10am.
More than 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will proceed down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade, joined by members of the Royal family on horseback and in carriages.
The event will end with an RAF flypast, watched by members of the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
It marks the first time that the monarch will take part in the event on horseback, since Elizabeth II did so in 1986.
[ad_2]
Source link