Britain’s King Charles III has decided to adjust plans to inspect soldiers during next month’s annual Trooping the Colour parade, opting for a carriage rather than an equestrian inspection as he continues cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.
The monarch’s treatment has caused uncertainty over whether he will attend the royal event. King Charles’ role will be changed during the ceremony.
During next month’s Trooping the Colour ceremony, the King will inspect soldiers from a carriage rather than on horseback. The monarch will inspect the soldiers from an Ascot Landau carriage alongside Queen Camilla.
Earlier this week, the army confirmed that the Trooping the Colour ceremony will take place despite the upcoming general election. Last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a general election to be held on July 4 2024. The Royal Family will significantly limit the number of meetings and events they attend between now and early July.
Long-standing tradition
Trooping the Colour is an annual military parade that celebrates the King’s official birthday every June. Charles’ real birthday is November 14, but since his accession to the throne it has been officially celebrated in the summer in a tradition dating back to the reign of King George II.
The show includes manoeuvres performed by the seven army regiments that serve British sovereignty under the auspices of the Family Band. Each year the King salutes one of the regiment’s colours (the banner) at the King’s Birthday Parade. This tradition has been in place for over 250 years.
The King rode on horseback in the parade last year, but next month he will be travelling in a carriage as he continues his treatment for cancer.
All senior members of the royal family traditionally attend the event. It also includes carriage parades between Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Parade Ground, near where the event takes place. Members of the royal family also appear on the palace’s famous balcony after the parade.
Parade traditions
Charles will not be the first monarch not to ride in the parade, opting for a carriage drive instead. Queen Elizabeth II travelled to the event on horseback from 1951 to 1986, when she decided to use a carriage at the age of 60.
Charles, who was 15 years older than the Queen when she stopped taking part in the parade, will lead the ceremony on horseback in 2023, for the first time in more than 70 years.
King Charles returned to public appearances last month after taking a break from events due to a cancer diagnosis. In February, Buckingham Palace announced that the king was ill with cancer. This year’s Trooping the Colour ceremony will be the second ceremony that King Charles will attend as monarch.
