By CIARAN FOREMAN
Published: 08:46 BST, 14 June 2025 | Updated: 11:06 BST, 14 June 2025
Trooping the Colour – the military ceremony celebrating King Charles’ official birthday – takes place on London’s Horse Guards Parade this morning.
Thousands of spectators are expected to watch the parade which is traditionally followed by the annual RAF flypast and the Royal Family’s iconic balcony appearance.
King Charles, who will mark his third event as monarch, will likely travel in a carriage for the procession from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade while he receives weekly treatment for cancer.
Prince William is poised to play a starring role this year as he rides on horseback along with fellow royals Princess Anne and the Duke of Edinburgh also expected to be mounted.
Live updates below
A minute’s silence for the lives lost on tragic Gatwick-bound Air India flight
A minute’s silence has been observed for the lives lost on the tragic Gatwick-bound Air India flight that crashed on Thursday, killing 241.
It was observed after Their Majesties exited the carriage and joined The Princess of Wales on the dais, following the inspection of the parade.
The silence was signalled by the sounding of a Last Post and Reveille.
It serves as a mark of respect for all the lives lost, the families in mourning and the communities affected by the tragedy.
Each member of the Royal Family is also wearing a black armband as a mark of respect.
Is that you under there, Wills?
Prince William has been snapped wearing a bearskin hat.
The Prince of Wales is head-to-toe in the Full Ceremonial Guard Order of the Welsh Guards.
He is also wearing Most Noble Order of the Garter Sash with the Lesser George and a Welsh Guards Sword.
His four, full size medals are: the Gold, Diamond, and Platinum Jubilee medals, plus the Coronation Medal (observed L to R).
Pictured: King Charles and Queen Camilla greet well-wishers at Trooping the Colour
More pictures of the Princess of Wales with George, Charlotte and Louis – as William rides horseback
As Prince William rides on horseback, the Princess of Wales is riding on a carriage with George, Charlotte and Louis.
Pairing light blue outfits, Kate and Charlotte look joyous as the sun beams down on them.
George and cheeky Louis look strikingly similar, too.
What is happening now?
In case you’re just joining us, let’s recap where we are at the moment.
King Charles has left Buckingham Palace escorted by the Household Cavalry for the traditional procession.
He is making the journey in a carriage and will will arrive at Horse Guards Parade to take the royal salute at 11am.
In line with decades of tradition, the ‘colours’ will then be carried down the ranks and showed to the soldiers.
Pictured: Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh make their way through on carriage
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have made their way through on carriage.
Prince Edward, the youngest brother of King Charles, is Colonel of the Scots Guards.
His wife Sophie, the Duchess, is a patron of over 70 charities and organisations and undertakes over 200 engagements each year.
Breaking:Queen Camilla arrives for Trooping the Colour
Queen Camilla has been pictured arriving at Trooping the Colour.
The Queen is wearing a white silk crepe dress with silver embroidery by Anna Valentine with a hat by Philip Treacy.
Her Majesty is also wearing a Grenadier Guards brooch.
What will the King be wearing today?
The King will be wearing the Uniform of the Regiment Trooping the Colour which is the Coldstream Guards as the Sovereign wears the uniform of whichever Regiment’s Colour is being trooped.
His Majesty’s uniform bears the cypher Queen Elizabeth II as His Majesty was Personal Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The King is wearing the following medals:
Queen’s Service Order, New Zealand, Extra Companion (1983)Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Medal (1953)Silver Jubilee Medal (1977)Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022)Long Service Good Conduct Medal (3 x Award Bars) (2016)Canadian Forces Decoration (3 x 2nd Award Bars) (1991)The New Zealand Commemorative Medal (1990)New Zealand Armed Forces (2012).
His Majesty will be wearing the following decorations: The Most Noble Order of the Garter, The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle (Knight.), The Honourable Order of the Bath (Military).
He will also be wearing his neck order, The Order of Merit.
A close look at the preparations behind the horses and carriages ahead of Trooping the Colour
The Royal Family have this morning shared behind-the-scenes footage of the preparations that are made to the horses and carriages ahead of Trooping the Colour.
Why isn’t King Charles appearing on horseback?
By Harry Howard, History Editor
King Charles’s decision not to feature on horseback is likely related to his ongoing cancer treatment.
Despite his fierce work ethic, royal doctors are keen for the monarch not to over-exert himself.
The 76-year-old is not expected to ride a horse during Trooping the Colour ever again.
It means his only appearance on horseback at Trooping the Colour as monarch was in 2023, his first.
His late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made her final appearance on horseback at Trooping the Colour in 1986, when she was 60.
Breaking:Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh arrive
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have arrived for Trooping the Colour.
Prince Edward, the youngest brother of King Charles, is Colonel of the Scots Guards.
His wife, the Duchess, is a patron of over 70 charities and organisations and undertakes over 200 engagements each year.
Breaking:Prince William and Kate arrive at Trooping the Colour with George, Charlotte and Louis
Prince William and the Princess of Wales have been pictured arriving at Trooping the Colour.
They are accompanied by their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10 and Prince Louis, seven.
George and Charlotte can be seen in the seats in front of William and Kate, who are sat either side of Louis.
Why does the monarch have two birthdays?
The King’s actual birthday is November 14, but is officially celebrated at Trooping the Colour, which is – like this year – traditionally held on the second Saturday in June.
The unpredictable British weather is the main reason that Trooping the Colour is always held in the summer months rather than on the monarch’s actual birthday.
And so it means that the sovereign has two birthdays, an official one and an actual one.
‘Not my King’ protestors arrive at the Mall
A group of protestors from Republic have arrived at the Mall waving banners which read ‘Not my King’.
The protestors claim they wish to abolish the monarchy and attempted to disrupt Queen Camilla’s visit to Hexham on June 5.
They posted on social media today bragging about their flag display.
Which royals will feature on the Palace balcony?
By Harry Howard, History Editor
The King and Queen Camilla will lead senior royals in making an appearance on the Palace balcony in front of adoring crowds who will be packed down The Mall.
Prince William is expected to be joined by the Princess of Wales and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
Princess Anne will feature with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
Prince Edward – who like Anne will be fresh from his part in the procession – is expected on the balcony with his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
They are likely to be joined by their daughter Lady Louise, 21.
Their son James, the Earl of Wessex, 17, did not make an appearance last year and may not attend the ceremony this time around either.
Despite his increasing frailty, the staunchly devoted Duke of Kent, 89, will likely also be among the royals on the balcony.
Also expected is the hard-working Duke of Gloucester, 80, and his 78-year-old wife Birgitte, the Duchess.
As expected, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are not attending this year’s celebrations.
Pictured: Air India plane flies over Buckingham Place
An Air India plane has been pictured flying over Buckingham Palace ahead of Trooping the Colour.
King Charles has ordered royals to wear black armbands in rememberance of those killed in the Air India plane crash on Thursday.
The Royal Family will pay tribute to the 241 passengers and crew killed when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for Gatwick Airport came down in the Indian city of Ahmedabad.
How the Royals other than King Charles will play their part today
Trooping the Colour is one of the most important days in the Royal Family’s calendar – and they all have their part to play.
While King Charles will take the royal salute and inspect the troops, Prince William, Princess Anne and Prince Edward are expected to feature in the parade.
William is Colonel of the Welsh Guards, whilst Anne holds the same position with the Blues and Royals.
Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, is Colonel of the Scots Guards.
Anne has not ridden in public since she was hospitalised last year after suffering a head injury – believed to have been caused by a horse – at her home.
Revealed: What Meghan said to Prince Harry during her disastrous first Trooping the Colour
It’s no secret that Meghan Markle had a hard time adjusting to palace life.
She had a series of well-publicised royal blunders, among which was her first Trooping the Colour appearance in June 2018.
The Sussexes had returned from their honeymoon in the Mediterranean just in time to attend and Meghan was anxious to impress as it would one of the their first appearances as newlyweds.
And a lipreader revealed to MailOnline today exactly what she said to Prince Harry during the event.
Royal Family share special social media post with pictures of the King at Trooping the Colour over the years
The Royal Family this morning shared a very special post on social media with pictures of King Charles at Trooping the Colour over the years.
Today marks the monarch’s third in his reign.
How will the day unfold?
By Harry Howard, History Editor
Troops will start forming up on Horse Guards Parade imminently.
The BBC’s coverage will begin just over an hour later, at 10.30am.
At around 10.45am, King Charles will leave Buckingham Palace escorted by the Household Cavalry for the traditional procession.
Like last year, His Majesty is not expected to travel on horseback for the journey to Horse Guards Parade.
Instead, he will make the journey in a carriage.
At 11am, King Charles will arrive at Horse Guards Parade to take the royal salute and inspect the troops.
In line with decades of tradition, the ‘colours’ will then be carried down the ranks and showed to the soldiers.
At around 12.20pm, the carriage carrying King Charles will lead his troops back to Buckingham Palace via The Mall.
At the gates of the Palace, he will watch the parade march past and give a second salute.
Shortly after 12.50pm, soldiers from the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, will fire a 41-gun salute in Green Park to celebrate the monarch’s official birthday.
Then, at around 12.55pm, King Charles and other members of the Royal Family will make the traditional appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
The celebrations will then conclude with a stunning Royal Air Force fly past featuring various planes and helicopters.
Pictured: Well-wishers gather along The Mall – and some familiar faces are spotted
Well-wishers are already lining the streets in anticipation of Trooping the Colour, and the pictures are brilliant.
With the flag of Wales hung over the fence, this group have even brought a cutout of the country’s Princess with them!
Joining them in cutout form is none other than King Charles.
Which regiment are Trooping their Colour this year?
By Harry Howard, History Editor
The honour to Troop their Colour rotates between five regiments of the Foot Guards.
This year it is the turn of Number Seven Company of the Coldstream Guards.
It will mark the first time that the Coldstream Guards have trooped their colour in front of the King.
And it is fitting given that His Majesty presented new Colours to the Coldstream Guards only yesterday to mark the regiment’s 375th anniversary.
Pictured: The Mall decked out in Union flags, the Coldstream Guards at Windsor Castle – and Charles with a big smile on his face
Some fantastic images are coming into us now as things begin falling into place for today’s celebrations.
First up we’ve got The Mall decked out in Union flags, followed by some extraordinary pictures of The Coldstream Guards at Windsor Castle.
Then we’ve got some images of King Charles looking joyous as he inspects the Guards as they line up in west London.
What is Trooping the Colour?
Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for over 260 years.
It was decided in 1748 that the parade would be used to mark the official birthday of the monarch and became an annual event after King George III acceded to the throne in 1760.
Over 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together each year in a display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark the occasion.
Thousands of spectators line the streets to watch the parade which is traditionally followed by the annual RAF flypast and the Roya Family’s iconic balcony appearance.
The streets are lined with crowds waving flags as the parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages.
The display closes with an RAF fly-past, watched by Members of the Royal Family from Buckingham Palace balcony.
King Charles orders royals to wear black armbands for Trooping the Colour as mark of respect for Air India crash victims
King Charles has ordered royals to wear black armbands in rememberance of those killed in the Air India plane crash for Trooping the Colour today.
The monarch has requested a minute’s silence in tribute to the 241 passengers and crew killed when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for Gatwick Airport came down on Thursday in the Indian city of Ahmedabad.
Black armbands will be worn by the head of state and senior royals riding in the ceremony to mark the King’s official birthday.
The King issued a written message soon after the plane crash saying he was ‘desperately shocked by the terrible events’ and expressed his ‘deepest possible sympathy’.
Welcome to MailOnline’s Trooping the Colour LIVE Coverage
Welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of Trooping the Colour.
Anticipation is building as the military ceremony celebrating King Charles’ official birthday takes place on London’s Horse Guards Parade this morning.
Thousands of spectators are expected to watch the parade which is traditionally followed by the annual RAF flypast and the Roya Family’s iconic balcony appearance.
Troops are expected to form up on Horse Guards Parade from around 9.15am today.
So, stick with us and we’ll bring you the latest as it happens.
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Trooping the Colour live updates: Kate, William and children arrive along with other senior royals to celebrate King Charles’ official birthday
