King Charles marks official birthday with fourth Trooping the Colour since ascending throne

King Charles III presided over his fourth Trooping the Colour ceremony since ascending the throne on Saturday, as thousands of spectators gathered in Whitehall for one of the most anticipated events in the royal calendar.

The 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards — the British Army's most senior infantry regiment — were granted the privilege of trooping their colour at this year's parade, continuing the annual rotation among the five Regiments of Foot Guards. The Royal Family will later assemble on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the customary RAF fly-past.

The King's uniform and decorations

King Charles, serving as Colonel-in-Chief of the Household Division, wore the Grenadier Guards tunic and forage cap, in keeping with the tradition of dressing in the uniform of whichever regiment is trooping their colour. His uniform bears the cypher of the late Queen Elizabeth II, reflecting his former role as Personal Aide-de-Camp to the monarch.

Among the decorations on display were the Most Noble Order of the Garter Sash with the Lesser George, alongside the 1953 Coronation Medal and jubilee medals spanning seven decades.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, appeared in the Full Ceremonial Guard Order of the Welsh Guards, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, wore Scots Guards ceremonial dress, and Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, appeared in the full mounted ceremonial uniform of The Blues and Royals — her regiment as Colonel — carrying the Gold Stick as Gold Stick-in-Waiting.

Royals on horseback

Several senior members of the Royal Family rode in the parade on mounts with particular royal connections. Prince William rode Darby, a horse presented by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2019 to mark both the 80th anniversary of the RCMP's breeding programme and the 50th anniversary of their first gift horse, Burmese.

Princess Anne rode Noble, a horse given to the King in 2023, which carried His Majesty during that year's birthday parade. Prince Edward rode Sir John, a horse presented to Queen Elizabeth II in 2016 to mark her 90th birthday.

The RCMP's association with the Royal Family dates to the late Queen's Coronation in 1953, with the Mounties subsequently gifting Her Late Majesty eight horses across her reign.

The Princess of Wales and the Ascot Landau

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, travelled in the Ascot Landau — a historic four-wheeled carriage with a convertible roof, first acquired during Queen Victoria's reign and one of five such landaus maintained by the Royal Mews.

The carriage, typically drawn by the Windsor Greys — horses that have served successive monarchs since the Victorian era — is primarily associated with the Royal Meeting at Ascot but also features at state visits, royal weddings and other ceremonial occasions.

The Grenadier Guards and the ceremony's history

The Grenadier Guards trace their origins to 1656, when the regiment was formed in Belgium to serve as a personal bodyguard for the exiled Prince Charles, who later became King Charles II. A decade after its founding the unit was redesignated the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, before being awarded the prestigious Grenadier title in 1815 following their service at the Battle of Waterloo.

The regiment has since accumulated 78 Battle Honours and produced 14 Victoria Cross recipients. The colours paraded on Saturday were personally presented to the regiment by the King at Buckingham Palace Gardens on Tuesday.

The ceremony itself dates to the early 18th century, when battalion colours were paraded along the ranks to ensure soldiers could identify them on the battlefield. From 1748 onwards, the tradition became formally linked to the celebration of the Sovereign's official birthday.

King Charles first attended the parade in 1951 at the age of three, travelling by carriage with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret. His active participation began in 1975, when he rode in the parade for the first time as Colonel of the Welsh Guards.